Bojana Novakovic

Bojana Novakovic
Novakovic in 2012
Born
NationalityAustralian
Alma materNational Institute of Dramatic Art
OccupationActress
Years active1994–present

Bojana Novakovic (Serbian Cyrillic: Бојана Новаковић, Serbian: Bojana Novaković) is an Australian actress. She is known for starring in the police procedural television series Instinct (2018–2019).

In film, she has appeared in Drag Me to Hell (2009), Edge of Darkness (2010), Devil (2010), Generation Um... (2012), The Little Death (2014), I, Tonya (2017) and Birds of Prey (2020).

Early life

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Novakovic was born in Belgrade, Serbia, then a part of Yugoslavia. Her younger sister, Valentina Novakovic, is also an actress. Novakovic moved to Australia in 1988 at age seven. She was initially interested in becoming a social worker or doctor but eventually decided to pursue performing arts.[citation needed] Novakovic studied at The McDonald College in Sydney, where she was dux in 1998. She graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 2002.[1]

Career

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In 2003, Novakovic played Randa in the ABC mini-series Marking Time, a role which won her an AFI Award for "Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama or Comedy". As an actress, Novakovic's film credits in Australia include Blackrock (1996), Strange Fits of Passion (1998), The Monkey's Mask (1999), Thunderstruck (2004), Solo (2005) and the Serbian films The Optimists (2005) and Skinning (2010). From 2007 to 2009, she played Tippi in TV series Satisfaction for Showtime Australia. She also appeared in Drag Me to Hell (2009), Edge of Darkness (2009), Devil (2010), Burning Man (2011), and Generation Um... (2012).[2]

Her theatre credits in Australia include These People, Away and Strange Fruit at the Sydney Theatre Company; The Female of the Species at the Melbourne Theatre Company; Woyzeck (Helpmann award nomination for best supporting actress in 2009), Criminology (Green Room award nomination for best actress 2007), Eldorado (Helpmann nomination for best supporting actress, 2006) and Necessary Targets at the Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne, Death Variations and Loveplay (Ride On) for B Sharp, Romeo and Juliet with Bell Shakespeare company and Debris for Ride on Theatre (which received a Green Room nomination for best Independent production and best actress in 2006).

Novakovic runs her own independent theatre company, Ride On Theatre (Sydney and Melbourne) with co-director Tanya Goldberg. She was a producer and performer for the 2004 Ride on Theatre sell out season of LOVEPLAY at the Downstairs Belvoir Street Theatre, and the 2006 Green Room nominated production of Debris (in which she was also nominated for best actress).[3]

In 2008, she translated, adapted and directed Fake Porno in Melbourne, which was invited to be part of the Powerhouse season in Brisbane in 2009, and also received three Green Room nominations including best production. Outside of Ride On, she wrote and directed with Melbourne's Black Lung Theatre for the critically acclaimed production of Sugar at the 2007 Adelaide Fringe festival. In 2010, Novakovic received an AFI nomination for International Award for Best Actress for her role in Edge of Darkness.[4] She is currently[when?] starring in an improvised theatrical production called The Blind Date project for the Sydney Festival.[5]

From 2013 to 2014, Novakovic starred on the comedy-drama television series Rake, which was cancelled after one season. In 2015, she portrayed Clare Hitchens in The Hallow,[6] a horror film set in Ireland and directed by Corin Hardy.[7] She had a recurring role on the fifth season of Shameless.[8]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1997 Blackrock Tracy Warner
1999 Strange Fits of Passion Jaya
2000 The Monkey's Mask Tianna
2004 Thunderstruck Anna
2006 Solo Billie Finn
2006 The Optimists Marina
2008 Seven Pounds Julie
2009 Drag Me to Hell Ilenka Ganush
2010 Edge of Darkness Emma Craven
2010 Devil Sarah Caraway
2010 Skinning Mina
2011 Burning Man Sarah
2012 Not Suitable for Children Ava
2013 Charlie's Country Parole Officer
2012 The King Is Dead! Therese
2012 Generation Um... Violet
2014 The Little Death Maeve
2015 The Hallow Clare Hitchens
2017 I, Tonya Dody Teachman
2017 Beyond Skyline Audrey
2018 Malicious Lisa
2020 Birds of Prey Erika Manson

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1997 Heartbreak High Tasha Episode: "6.29"
1998–1999 Wildside Vildana Asimovic Episodes: "1.29", "2.19"
1999 Big Sky Leisa Episode: "Desperate Measures"
1999 Murder Call Sophie Misfud Episode: "Bad Business"
1999 All Saints Rachel Carpenter Episode: "Ghosts of Christmas Past"
2000 Water Rats Sarah Schreiber Episode: "A Day to Remember (Break Your Heart)"
2003 Marking Time Randa TV miniseries
2004–2005 The Cooks Raffa Main role
2006 BlackJack: At the Gates Nikki TV film
2007–2009 Satisfaction Tippi Main role (seasons 1–2)
2014 Rake Michaela 'Mikki' Partridge Main role
2015 Casanova Madame de Pompadour TV film
2015 Agatha Agatha TV film
2015–2016 Shameless Bianca Samson Recurring role (season 5)
2016 Westworld Marti Episode: "The Stray"
2018–2019 Instinct Det. Lizzie Needham Main role, 24 episodes
2020 Operation Buffalo Molly Recurring role, 5 episodes
2021 MacGyver Anya Vitez Episode: "Jack + Kinematics + Safe Cracker + MgKNO3 + GTO"
2021 Love Me Clara Mathieson Main role
2024 Chicago P.D. Josephine Petrovic Episodes: "The Living and the Dead", "On Paper"

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2004 Australian Film Institute Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama or Comedy Marking Time Won
2008 ASTRA Awards Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Female Satisfaction Nominated
2010 Australian Film Institute Best Actress Edge of Darkness Nominated
2012 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actress – Leading Role Burning Man Nominated
2013 Australian Film Critics Association Awards Best Supporting Actress Nominated [9]
2022 AACTA Awards Best Lead Actress in a Drama Love Me Nominated [10]
Logie Awards Most Popular Actress Nominated [11][12]
2024 AACTA Awards Best Lead Actress in a Drama Nominated [13]

References

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  1. ^ "Bojana Novakovic (Dux of 1998) — the McDonald College". Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-07.
  2. ^ "Sundance 2015: IFC Midnight Investigates The Hallow". Dread Central. 4 February 2015.
  3. ^ "Bojana Novakovic". doollee.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  4. ^ Knox, David (27 October 2010). "2010 AFI Awards: Nominees". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  5. ^ "The Blind Date Project". rideontheatre.com.
  6. ^ "'The Hallow' Sells HUGE Out of Sundance -". bloody-disgusting.com. 3 February 2015.
  7. ^ "[Sundance '15] Dog Lovers Avoid This 'The Hallow' Clip... -". bloody-disgusting.com. 23 January 2015.
  8. ^ "Bojana Novakovic Joins Showtime's 'Shameless', Rami Malek in USA Pilot 'Mr. Robot'". 9 September 2014.
  9. ^ "2013 Australian Film Critics Association Awards Nominations". Subculture Media. 22 February 2013. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  10. ^ "2022 AACTA Awards - Winners & Nominees". Australian Academy Cinema Television Arts. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  11. ^ Mazzoni, Alana (14 May 2022). "The full list of nominees for the 2022 TV WEEK Logie Awards". Archived from the original on 24 June 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  12. ^ Challenor, Jake (20 June 2022). "2022 Logie Awards Winners: Hamish Blake Wins Gold". Variety Australia. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  13. ^ "AACTA Awards - Winners & Nominees". Australian Academy Cinema Television Arts. Archived from the original on 4 March 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
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