Lazar Ristovski

Lazar "Laza" Ristovski is a renowned Serbian actor, director, producer and writer whose career spans more than four decades and encompasses over four thousand stage performances and ninety‑plus film roles. Born on 26 October 1952 in the village of Ravno Selo, then part of PR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia, he grew up in a mixed family of Macedonian and Montenegrin heritage, an upbringing that later informed his versatile portrayals of complex Balkan characters. After completing his studies at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts of the University of Belgrade, Ristovski made his cinematic debut in the late 1970s, quickly becoming a staple of Yugoslav and Serbian cinema with memorable parts in films such as Underground and Cabaret Balkan. In 1999 he achieved international recognition when his auteur project The White Suit was selected for the Critics' Week at Cannes, later becoming Serbia’s submission for the 72nd Academy Awards. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to found Zillion Film Company, through which he produced, directed and starred in dozens of projects, including the acclaimed Train Driver’s Diary, which won the Grand Prix at the 2017 Prague Independent Film Festival and represented Serbia at the Oscars. Ristovski also made a brief but notable appearance in the Hollywood blockbuster Casino Royale (2006) and portrayed the Russian president‑elect Arkady Fedorov in The November Man (2014). Beyond acting, he has contributed to Serbian culture as the organizer of the Ravno Selo Film Festival and as an author of four books, ranging from memoirs to short story collections. His personal life includes a long marriage to Danica Ristovski (1980‑2022) and two sons, Jovan and Petar. In August 2022 he briefly served as an independent member of the National Assembly, underscoring his commitment to public service. Today, Ristovski remains an influential figure whose artistic versatility and cultural activism continue to shape the Balkan film landscape.