He is best remembered for his role as the Romani musician Burduš in the television series Musicians and the film of the same name, from which he also received his nickname. His second most important role was that of Mikula in the series The Villagers of Luga.
He was born in the village of Maskare as one of five children. The family moved to Belgrade in 1934, when his father entered the postal service. Jovan spent his childhood on Sarajevska Street, near the railway station. The building in which the Janićijević family lived was heavily damaged by German bombs on an April morning in 1941, and their apartment on the top floor was completely burned down. During the war years, while the family was housed in post office premises after losing their home, Jovan’s father was arrested by the special police.
Life in severe poverty made Jovan a stronger person. Many years later, he recalled how he and his friends stole German canned food from nearby warehouses and public kitchens. After the war, Jovan was expelled from school because of a fight. As punishment, his father sent him to the countryside, where hard labor in the fields awaited him.
One day, his older sister Ljubica came to Maskare. In Belgrade, she socialized with Mira Stupica, a famous actress of the time. She suggested that Jovan try acting and promised to ask Mira to help him. The actress did not help Jovan, but her younger brother, Bora Todorović—who was already in his second year at the Academy—did. On one occasion, after listening to Jovan recite a poem, Bora enthusiastically said, “I have nothing more to teach you!”
He acted alongside Bata Živojinović, with whom he was a close friend. They often went together to dances and taverns. He was also a close friend of the great poet Branko Miljković.
His life changed one day after a traffic accident caused by reckless driving in the city center, in which his passenger was killed. Janićijević was sentenced to one year in prison, which he served at the Zabela prison in Požarevac. However, the audience did not forget him, and after serving his sentence, he continued his professional career.
In his memoir Brilliant and Terrible, Bekim Fehmiu wrote that in 1971, while visiting Dino De Laurentiis and his wife, actress Silvana Mangano, in Rome, Jovan was offered the famous role in the film The Godfather. Jovan Janićijević spent about a month in Los Angeles. The condition for playing Don Corleone was that he learn English, but he never returned. Eventually, a decision was made for all the actors in the film to be American, although there had initially been serious consideration that Balkan or Italian actors might best portray Cosa Nostra gangsters, with their harsh pronunciation, strong accents, and grim looks.
After the traffic accident and serving his prison sentence, roles followed in the films And God Created the Tavern Singer and Walter Defends Sarajevo, as well as in hit television series such as The Villagers of Luga, The Masters, The Theater at Home, and others.
