Mihailo “Miša” Janketić, a giant of Yugoslav theater, was born on this day in 1938 in Novi Sad. Unfortunately, the childhood of the famous actor was very difficult and marked by tragedies, yet Mihailo managed to remain positive throughout his life and, in later years, in a way, make up for what he had lost as a boy.
He lost both of his parents at a very young age. His mother Milica was a teacher, and his father Radomir was a lawyer and a communist sympathizer. His father’s political affiliation influenced the family’s fate during World War II, when both parents were captured and later killed by Chetniks. Miša and his sister were left completely alone, and very soon they were separated. His sister was taken to a family in Višegrad, and it would be several years before they would meet again.
Ultimately, his uncle’s son took him to Belgrade, where he finished high school and then enrolled in literature studies at the Faculty of Philosophy. However, after three years, in 1958, he became a student of acting at the Academy for Theater, Radio, Film, and Television. He graduated in 1962 in the class of Professor Mate Milošević.
He played his first role on the stage of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre in the play Richard III in 1961. He was a member of the JDP ensemble from 1962 to 1998. He also performed with great success at other theaters, including Atelje 212, the National Theater, the Belgrade Drama Theater, the Serbian National Theater, and Zvezdara Theater.
He left a huge mark on film, television, and radio and was the recipient of the most prestigious acting and social awards, including the Dobričin prsten, the October Award, four Sterija Awards, and the “Pavle Vuisić” Award for Lifetime Achievement.
In cinema, he collaborated with the most important domestic directors. His filmography includes works such as San by Puriša Đorđević, Kako su se voleli Romeo i Julija by Jovan Živanović, Opatica i komesar by Gojko Šipovac, Horoskop by Bora Drašković, Ubistvo na svirep i podmukao način i iz niskih pobuda by Žika Mitrović, Devojka sa Kosmaja by Dragovan Jovanović, Zimovanje u Jakobsfeldu by Branko Bauer, Kako sam sistematski uništen od idiota by Slobodan Šijan, Početni udarac by Darko Bajić, and Seks – partijski neprijatelj br. 1 by Dušan Sabo.
The Yugoslav public remembers him for his brilliant roles in TV dramas and series such as Dimitrije Tucović, Otpisani, Salaš u Malom Ritu, Nepokoreni grad, Sivi dom, Vuk Karadžić, Bolji život, and Zaboravljeni.
Mihailo Janketić was also a professor of acting at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. He enjoyed a harmonious marriage with ballerina Svjetlana Knežević Janketić, which lasted several decades, and together they had four children.
He passed away on May 15, 2019, at the age of 80.
