Goran Visnjic Adds European Sex Appeal to the "E.R." Experience

Goran Visnjic, who plays Dr. Luka Kovac on "E.R.," is one television actor who didn't come to the scene with loads of well-placed California contacts. He was born in Sibenik, Croatia in 1972, to grocery store worker and a bus driver.

He began acting at 10 years old and appeared in "Equus" at 12 years old, an age when most American kids aren't even allowed to see the play. But there was an enforced break in his acting experience, as service in the Yugoslavian army was mandatory. Luckily, however, he got to do something fun as a paratrooper. After that, he volunteered to go to war in the Croatian War of Independence, but that is when his artistic career decided to repay the favor and derail his military career when he was accepted at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb.

Visnjic won his role on "E.R." after appearing in the film "Welcome to Sarajevo," which impressed "E.R." producer Jack Orman. Before that, he had portrayed Hamlet at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. That was not just a short-running affair. Visnjic was Hamlet for seven years, and that role led to the "Welcome to Sarajevo" part, which then led to a role in "Practical Magic," as well as his part on "E.R."

Even after landing "E.R.," he has still not dared rest on his laurels, and has acted in films at the same time: "The Deep End," "Close Your Eyes," "Elektra" and the television adaptation of "Spartacus." He also works in Croatia.

Visnjic has spent as much time as Dr. Luka Kovac as he did as Hamlet, plus one additional year. He has the distinction of being the highest-ranking regular character in the hospital, as Chief of Emergency Medicine.

According to TV.com, Visnjic actually wound up naming his own character, after being asked for name suggestions. He gave the producers names that were unpronounceable, plus the names Luka and Kovac, the names of his nephew and a childhood friend, respectively.

One interesting factoid about Visnjic is that, part of what have enabled him to excel at Shakespearean roles are his mad skills at fencing. Another interesting factoid is that one thing that kept him out of a role as James Bond himself, is his inability to learn a British accent in time. He also flew with the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels flight team in 2001.

He is an actor to keep your eyes peeled for. ###