Mira Furlan (7 September 1955 – 20 January 2021) was a Croatian actress and singer. Internationally, she was best known for her roles as the
Minbari Ambassador
Delenn in the science fiction television series ''
Babylon 5'' (1993–1998), and as
Danielle Rousseau
Danielle Rousseau is a fictional character on the ABC drama television series ''Lost'', which chronicles the lives of over forty people after their plane crashes on a remote island somewhere in the South Pacific. Croatian actress Mira Furlan play ...
in ''
Lost
Lost may refer to getting lost, or to:
Geography
*Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland
* Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US
History
*Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
'' (2004–2010), and also appeared in multiple award-winning films such as ''
When Father Was Away on Business
''When Father Was Away on Business'' ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Otac na službenom putu, Отац на службеном путу) is a 1985 Yugoslav film by Serbian director Emir Kusturica. The screenplay was written by the Bosnian dramatist Abdulah Sid ...
'' (1985) and ''
The Abandoned'' (2010).
Early life
Furlan was born on 7 September 1955 to an intellectual and academic family that included a large number of university professors in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
,
PR Croatia
The Socialist Republic of Croatia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Hrvatska, Социјалистичка Република Хрватска), or SR Croatia, was a constituent republic and federated state of the Sociali ...
, which was part of
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
at the time. She was born to a
Jewish Croatian mother, Branka Weil and a father of mixed
Slovene-
Croat descent, Ivan Furlan.
As a child, Furlan was obsessed with American
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
music.
She became interested in acting as a teenager.
Furlan graduated from the
Academy for Dramatic Arts in Zagreb with
Bachelor of Fine Arts
A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases.
Background
The Bachelor ...
in theatre.
Simultaneously, she took language classes at the university's
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty may refer to:
* Faculty (academic staff), the academic staff of a university (North American usage)
* Faculty (division), a division within a university (usage outside of the United States)
* Faculty (instrument), an instrument or warra ...
, becoming fluent in
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
, and
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
.
Career
Acting
Furlan was a member of the
Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb and frequently appeared in Yugoslav television and films.
She played Ankica Vidmar in the film ''
When Father Was Away on Business
''When Father Was Away on Business'' ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Otac na službenom putu, Отац на службеном путу) is a 1985 Yugoslav film by Serbian director Emir Kusturica. The screenplay was written by the Bosnian dramatist Abdulah Sid ...
'', which won the
Palme d'Or at the
1985 Cannes Film Festival
The 38th Cannes Film Festival was held from 8 to 20 May 1985. The Palme d'Or went to the ''When Father Was Away on Business'' by Emir Kusturica.
The festival opened with ''Witness'', directed by Peter Weir and closed with ''The Emerald Forest'', ...
and was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...
.
In the late 1980s, she performed in theater productions in both
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
and
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
.
Furlan became a member of the
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...
in 1992 after moving to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
to flee
turmoil in Yugoslavia.
Later that year, her theater contacts in the U.S. helped her get the necessary work permits to perform with the
Indiana Repertory Theatre as the lead role in ''
Yerma
''Yerma'' is a play by the Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca. It was written in 1934 and first performed that same year. García Lorca describes the play as "a tragic poem." The play tells the story of a childless woman living in rural S ...
''.
She appeared on the stage in New York City and
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. She played the central ensemble role of Minbari Ambassador
Delenn for all five seasons of ''
Babylon 5'', and some of the associated TV movies. Between 2004 and 2010 she played the recurring role of
Danielle Rousseau
Danielle Rousseau is a fictional character on the ABC drama television series ''Lost'', which chronicles the lives of over forty people after their plane crashes on a remote island somewhere in the South Pacific. Croatian actress Mira Furlan play ...
on ''
Lost
Lost may refer to getting lost, or to:
Geography
*Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland
* Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US
History
*Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
''. In 2009, she appeared on an episode of ''
NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to:
Law enforcement
* National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom
* Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...
'', titled "South By Southwest".
In 2002, she returned to Croatia after eleven years to take the lead role in
Rade Šerbedžija's Ulysses Theatre Company's production of
Euripides
Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian
Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...
' ''
Medea
In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason an ...
''.
Singing
In the 1980s, Furlan briefly appeared as singer for Le Cinema, a spin-off from the
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
.
In 1998, she released an album, ''Songs From Movies That Have Never Been Made''.
Furlan also sang in the band
The be five
The Be Five was a band composed of actors from the television show ''Babylon 5''. It was masterminded by Bill Mumy and made up of Mumy, Andreas Katsulas, Mira Furlan, Peter Jurasik and Claudia Christian, with Patricia Tallman singing backup in tw ...
, which produced a single album in 1998, Trying to forget.
Writing
Furlan wrote the play ''Until Death Do Us Part'' ( hr, Dok nas smrt ne razdvoji), which is set in 1970s Zagreb.
A collection of her columns in the now-defunct Croatian magazine ''
Feral Tribune'' was published as the book ''Totalna rasprodaja'' in 2010.
Personal life
Furlan's husband was director
Goran Gajić
Goran Gajić ( sr-Cyrl, Горан Гајић; born 1962) is a Serbian film, television and theater director. He has directed media in English and Serbo-Croatian.
His wife was actress Mira Furlan, and they have one son, Marko Lav. In 1998, he dir ...
,
who is an ethnic
Serb.
He directed her in an episode of ''Babylon 5'' and in several plays, including a production of
Sophocles
Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or co ...
' ''
Antigone
In Greek mythology, Antigone ( ; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is the daughter of Oedipus and either his mother Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene.Roman, L., & Roma ...
''.
Furlan was active in the Yugoslav
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
movement in the 1980s.
Twice a month during the late 1980s, Furlan made the three-hour commute between Zagreb and Belgrade, where her husband was based, to act in theater productions in both cities.
After the
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between Croat forces loyal to the Government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY)—and the Serb-controlled Yugosl ...
began in 1991, she was fired by the Croatian National Theater for refusing to quit acting in a Belgrade theater production.
An ensuing public smear campaign turned her colleagues and friends against her as she received threatening messages on her
answering machine.
Furlan wrote a public letter expressing her deep disappointment over the behaviour of her fellow citizens and colleagues and the threats of the
nationalists against her. The couple left in November 1991, in the early days of the
breakup of Yugoslavia
The breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts during the early 1990s. After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...
, emigrating to New York City.
Furlan gave birth to the couple's only child, Marko Lav, in 1998.
Illness and death
Furlan died at her home in Los Angeles on January 20, 2021. She was 65, and suffered from complications of
West Nile virus
West Nile virus (WNV) is a single-stranded RNA virus that causes West Nile fever. It is a member of the family ''Flaviviridae'', from the genus ''Flavivirus'', which also contains the Zika virus, dengue virus, and yellow fever virus. The virus ...
in the time leading up to her death. Upon her death, theater director
Ivica Buljan
Ivica Buljan (born 29 March 1965) is a Croatian theater director, playwright, theater critic, and educator whose work is widely known in Croatia and performed around the globe.
Career
Buljan studied political science, French, and comparative lite ...
of the Croatian National Theater issued an apology on behalf of the theater for their treatment of Furlan in the early 1990s. A week later, Croatian weekly ''
Globus
Globus is Latin for ''sphere'' or ''globe''. It may also refer to:
Business
* Globus Medical, a medical device company in Audubon, PA
* Globus (clothing retailer), an Indian clothing retail store
* Globus (company), a Swiss department store chai ...
'' issued another apology for publishing three ''
feuilletons'' attacking the actress in 1992 that had an essential role in the public smear campaign.
Awards
* 1982
Pula Film Festival Golden Arena award for
Best Supporting Actress in the film ''
Cyclops
In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...
''.
* 1986
Pula Film Festival Golden Arena award for
Best Actress in ''
The Beauty of Vice
''The Beauty of Vice'' ( sr, Lepota poroka, Лепота порока) is a 1986 Yugoslav drama film directed by Živko Nikolić.
The film sold 866,474 tickets at the box office.
Cast
* Mira Furlan - Jaglika
* Mima Karadžić - Luka
* Petar B ...
''.
* 1990
* 2013 Balkan New Film Festival Jury Award for Best Actress in ''
The Abandoned''.
Selected filmography
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Furlan, Mira
1955 births
2021 deaths
Actors Studio alumni
Actresses from Zagreb
Croatian film actresses
Croatian people of Slovenian descent
Croatian stage actresses
Croatian television actresses
Golden Arena winners
Infectious disease deaths in California
Jewish Croatian actresses
Yugoslav emigrants to the United States
Yugoslav Jews
American people of Croatian descent
American people of Slovenian descent
American people of Croatian-Jewish descent
American Jews