Bekim Fehmiu: The Actor Who Rejected Hollywood

Good actors are often born. Great actors are rarely born. And legends, almost never.

Luckily, we sometimes have the privilege of witnessing legends like Bekim Fehmiu. His fans find it difficult to describe which was more fascinating, his professional or personal life, both from a positive and a negative aspect. And this, good or bad, will remain an eternal debate.

Without further ado, let’s begin.

The Beginnings of Bekim Fehmiu

Is Bekim Fehmiu A Yugoslav actor? Or is he an Albanian actor? Is he both?

It doesn’t matter.

The only thing that matters is that he was an artist. Still, to describe his path, let’s start from his beginnings.

He was born in Sarajevo, BiH, into an ethnic Albanian family from Gjakova, Kosovo. They moved to Albania in Shkodër for only three years, but returned to Prizren. Here, Bekim Fehmiu began his first active acting performances. First, as a member of an acting club in his high school, and then he was part of Prishtina’s County Popular Theatre. Since it was evident he was a massive talent, Bekim graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade in 1960.

This marked the beginning of an authentic journey.

Domestic and European Success

After graduation, he became a member of Belgrade’s prestigious Yugoslav Drama Theatre. However, after not being treated properly, he left it to become a free artist in 1967. By now, he was known both in theatre and film, and no one could deny that Bekim was successful domestically.

However, the same year, he had a big international break with I Even Met Happy Gypsies by Sasa Petrovic. This film was nominated for an Oscar and won two awards at Cannes. Bekim’s macho energy and sex appeal, combined with his calmness, drew worldwide attention. The well-known producer, Dino De Laurentiis, signed a contract and cast him as Odysseus in an Italian production. It was Dino’s wife who recommended Fehmiu after watching I Even Met Happy Gypsies. Odysseus’s director, Franco Rossi, said to Dino that Bekim is too young to play Odysseus. Dino responded, “Gods are always young. Bekim will play the role,” and so it was.

This role made him an icon beyond Balkan cinema in many European countries. But excellent actors can always achieve more, and soon, it was time to try Hollywood.

Bekim Fehmiu Rejects Hollywood

There are different untrue versions about Bekim’s relationship with Hollywood. One is that he didn’t become a Hollywood star because The Adventurers, his first American movie, was a financial and critical failure. This isn’t true since such an actor can’t be held back because of one bad film. Also, the movie was a failure, but his acting wasn’t.

The simple truth is, Bekim Fehmiu said ‘No’ to Hollywood. And it seems like years later, some people still can’t accept the truth. There are several reasons why he made this decision, which his wife, actress Branka Petrić, also confirms.

First, Yugoslavia was culturally successful and open, which made Bekim already part of worldwide success. He had the sense of being at the top of the film world anyway. And it seemed like soon this sense would increase, considering the country’s international success in cinema.

Second, after visiting and having contacts in the US, he realized it wasn’t for him. On one occasion, with his wife, they visited a known actor in Los Angeles. The actor told them that to keep his enormous house, he must spend at least $150.000 a year, which today means millions. On the way home, Bekim told his wife that such a lifestyle is pointless. To live with the notion that you might not have a project and don’t have the money for the house. Or, to compromise your artistic value just for money, for Bekim, was out of the question.

What Made Bekim Fehmiu Unique?

Aside from his talent, craft, and hard work, he had natural charisma. Fehmiu also had luck, but as Shakespeare says, one must be ready. And when the opportunity came, he was more than ready.

Bekim was highly intelligent, sexy, charming, and professional. He acted in 9 languages. Sadly, he never played a film role in his native language. On top of it all, he was an excellent dancer. Fehmiu was also highly talented for ballet, and even his teacher would tell him to quit acting for ballet. She would say, “You would be better than Nureyev!”

Until it was time for college, he didn’t speak Serbian, and yet he acted in Serbian all his life. He even wrote his autobiography in Serbian, while being complimented that he’s a fantastic writer. Bekim also painted. Not to mention the way he recited poetry would make even people who don’t like it pay attention.

I don’t like making comparisons, but to give you an idea, think of a great actor like Marlon Brando. It would be fair to say they were similar in terms of their incredible acting talent, stage and film presence, magnetism, sex appeal, intelligence, etc. Simultaneously, he had a mild manner, coolness, and charm like Jean-Paul Belmondo.

After all, Bekim did prove he can act with anyone, including the best. He played alongside Ava Gardner, John Houston, Dirk Bogarde, Charles Aznavour, Candice Bergen, Olivia de Havilland, etc.

Fehmiu was the first Eastern European actor in Hollywood, and one of the best, if not the best-known, ethnic Albanian actors ever.

Bekim Fehmiu Movies

Here’s a list of some of the most important Bekim Fehmiu movies and TV shows. The list includes Yugoslav roles, but also those in European and Hollywood movies.

Final Words on Bekim Fehmiu and His Career

Bekim was loved by all Yugoslav people. However, he had problems multiple times because he was an ethnic Albanian.

He would talk against nationalism and the danger that it can bring, which he sensed even more before the breakup of Yugoslavia. As a sign of protest against the mistreatment of Kosovar Albanians, he walked off stage in 1987. Soon after, he also left the cinema forever. His silence silenced those against him. They couldn’t provoke him to say or do something in effect.

He wasn’t awarded with most awards that he undoubtedly deserved. He wasn’t given a national pension, which almost every other artist received. Simply, he was at the margins, both by his own choice and by those in power.

In 2010, at age 74, he took his own life. People can talk whatever they want, but it was his decision. Was this also a sign of protest? We’ll never know. His legacy is still present through his work, fans, family, and friends, especially his colleagues, wife Branka Petric, and son Uliks Fehmiu.

Bekim means blessing. Fehmi means knowing, understanding. His name and surname say it all.