Bekim Fehmiu
A charismatic Yugoslav screen icon who broke the Iron Curtain to become the first Eastern European leading man in Hollywood.
1936–2010 (age 74)·Yugoslavian actor·Birthday: June 1·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bekim Fehmiu was a star who carried the weight of geopolitics on his shoulders. An ethnic Albanian born in Yugoslavia, he first gained fame across Eastern Europe for his intense performances in partisan films and at the prestigious Yugoslav Drama Theatre. His smoldering good looks and powerful presence caught the eye of Hollywood, and in 1970 he shattered a cultural barrier by starring in 'The Adventurers,' becoming the first actor from behind the Iron Curtain to headline a major American studio production. While his Hollywood stint was brief, his international status was secured. Back in Yugoslavia, he remained a towering figure in film and theater, though his later years were marked by personal tragedy and withdrawal from public life. Fehmiu’s career was a unique bridge between two worlds, a symbol of artistic excellence that transcended the Cold War divide.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bekim was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bekim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Bekim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2010Died at 74
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
Key Achievements
- Became the first Eastern European actor to star in a major Hollywood film, 1970's 'The Adventurers.'
- Won the Golden Arena for Best Actor at the Pula Film Festival for his role in 'The Battle of Neretva.'
- Was a leading actor at the renowned Yugoslav Drama Theatre in Belgrade for many years.
- Gained international recognition for his starring role in the Yugoslav partisan epic 'The Peaks of Zelengora.'
Did You Know?
He was fluent in several languages, including Albanian, Serbo-Croatian, Italian, and English.
Fehmiu turned down the role of Sheriff Ali in 'Lawrence of Arabia,' which later made Peter O'Toole famous.
He was considered for the role of James Bond after George Lazenby's departure.
His son, Uliks Fehmiu, is also a well-known actor in the Balkans.
He took his own life in 2010, a event that shocked the cultural community of the former Yugoslavia.
“I was the first Albanian to play Othello at the National Theatre in Belgrade.”
