Josip Zovko


Josip Zovko was a Croatian actor and director. A native of the Berinovac, Lokvičići municipality in the Imotska Krajina he was best known for playing Joze in the television series Naši i vaši. He was also acclaimed for his roles in the films Sorry for Kung Fu and Wish I Were a Shark.

Biography and studies

Zovko was born on June 4, 1970 in Split. He graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb and in 1993 he became a member of the Croatian National Theater ensemble in Split, also known as HNK Split, where he played many roles. At the Theater of Split he was a student of Mustafa Nadarević with whom Zovko had been on the stage many times.

Early career

Zovko's first television appearance was in 1997 when he appeared in the theater play "Mali libar Marka Uvodića Splićanina". He later played the character “Mate” in the movie "Da mi je biti morski pas" in 1999. Zovko won several awards at the 46th Pula Film Festival.
Starting in 2001, Zovko had one of the main roles in the movie "Ante se vraća kući". He played the character “Kole”, a student from Dalmatia. In the movie "Holding" he played a smaller role as a little brother. In the same year he played a waiter on a cruise ship in the movie "Posljedna Volja", with fellow Croatian actor Goran Višnjić.
Zovko played the character “Jozo” in the Croatian TV series “Naši i vaši“ along with the actor Vedran Mlikota. In this series both actors played men from “Hercegovina” who came to Zagreb. The story goes that both were under the impression that college would be easy since they knew the professor, but it turned out that they actually had to study hard to finish college. Josip Zovko also appeared in the movie “Sorry for Kung Fu“ as „Ćaćo“ in 2004. In the TV movie "Trešet" from the year 2006 Josip acted as a cop named "Prekrasni Um". Domestic people had the desire to corrupt him and lure him to their side because they saw a benefit for themselves. In the movie "Najvećoj pogrešci Alberta Einsteina, Josip acted as a stranger. In 2008, Josip Zovko opened the role in “Bitange i Princeze“. In 2009 he appeared as "Roko" in the movie “Vjerujem u anđele“, where Oliver Dragojević also participated. In 2011 Josip played a Yugoslav Partisan in the movie “Bella Biondina”.
In the music video of the singer Miroslav Škoro “Tamo gdje je dom“ Zovko played a knight who is fighting for his homeland.
Elling as Frank Ashley, 2010

Filmography

Film

Josip Zovko was killed in a car crash in Grudsko Vrilo in Bosnia and Herzegovina and was buried at the cemetery Sveti Ante in Lokvičići on April 6th. A memorial service was held in his honor on April 12, 2019, attended by friends and acting colleagues.