Ena Begović (8 July 1960 – 15 August 2000) was a Croatian film actress. She is regarded as one of the best and most beautiful actresses in
former Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...
.
Early life and career
Begović was the older daughter of Terezija and Nikola Begović. She was born in
Trpanj
Trpanj is a municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County in south-eastern Croatia.
History Etymology
There are several hypotheses on the origin of the name Trpanj. According to one, the name was derived from the Croatian verb ''trpjeti'', meaning ...
(although numerous sources list
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, enter ...
as the place of birth). Three years later, in January 1963, her sister Mia, who is also an actress, was born. Her father was originally from the municipality of
Trpanj
Trpanj is a municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County in south-eastern Croatia.
History Etymology
There are several hypotheses on the origin of the name Trpanj. According to one, the name was derived from the Croatian verb ''trpjeti'', meaning ...
, on the
Pelješac
Pelješac (; Chakavian: ; ) is a peninsula in southern Dalmatia in Croatia. The peninsula is part of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and is the second largest peninsula in Croatia. From the isthmus that begins at Ston, to the top of Cape Loviš ...
peninsula.
Begović began acting early, making her first screen appearance at the age of 18 through a small part in '' Occupation in 26 Pictures'', a 1978 film directed by Lordan Zafranović. She made her breakthrough role in Zafranović's next film, '' The Fall of Italy'' (1981), where she played Veronika, the daughter of a wealthy local from the
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...
n coast who sided with the occupying
Italian Fascists
Italian fascism (), also called classical fascism and Fascism, is the original fascist ideology, which Giovanni Gentile and Benito Mussolini developed in Italy. The ideology of Italian fascism is associated with a series of political parties le ...
. This debut established Begović as one of the
sex symbol
A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British St ...
s of 1980s
Yugoslav cinema
The Cinema of Yugoslavia refers to the film industry and cinematic output of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which existed from 1945 until it disintegrated into several independent nations in the early 1990s. Yugoslavia was ...
, a status that she later successfully maintained despite appearing in relatively few films as her acting career shifted toward theater.
In the 1990s, the public focused more of its attention on her personal life than on her acting. In 1996, while driving her car 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, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
, she was involved in a traffic accident resulting in the death of a motorcyclist.
Death
On 15 August 2000, in the village of Splitska on the island of
Brač
Brač is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, with an area of ,
making it the largest island in Dalmatia, and the third largest in the Adriatic. It is separated from the mainland by the Brač Channel, which is wide.rollover, which claimed her life. She was buried at
Mirogoj Cemetery
The Mirogoj City Cemetery (, ), also known as Mirogoj Cemetery (), is a cemetery park that is considered to be among the more noteworthy landmarks in the city of Zagreb. The cemetery inters members of all religious groups: Catholic, Orthodox, M ...