85th Birthday: Gojko Mitić

From sports student to silver screen hero – that's one way to describe the extraordinary film career of Gojko Mitić. When the West German company Rialto-Film used then-Yugoslavia as the backdrop for their successful Westerns, the aspiring academic Mitić was initially cast in supporting roles. His big break came with the East German DEFA's decision to develop its own distinct take on the popular Western genre. Mitić went on to become the star of outstanding box-office hits such as "The Sons of Great Bear," "Chingachgook", and "Apachen." He gave a distinctive face to these often socially and capitalism-critical adventure stories, and as the indomitable "DEFA chief Indian," he became famous far beyond the borders of East Germany. After reunification, he was a natural choice to succeed Pierre Brice as Winnetou at the legendary Karl May Festival in Bad Segeberg. Though Gojko Mitić has proven his versatility in other roles over six decades of acting, audiences still remember him foremost as the heroic horseman - such as in the TV miniseries "Winnetou," where he played the tribal chief Intschu-tschuna. Most recently, he appeared in the children's film "Alfons Jitterbit – Class Trip Chaos!" as a hostel warden devoted to art and justice - a small but memorable role. On June 13th, he will celebrate his 85th birthday. Congratulations, Gojko Mitić!