Because of the role I have in “Pure Love” I cannot go to a coffee bar nor to the market. Ladies keep scolding me saying I’m mean

The actor of Gavella theatre, who plays the role of Andrija in the TV drama series of the commercial television Nova TV, talks about the viewers’ reactions to the character of a lawyer and he admits that he actually likes to play disingenuous guys. He also reveals that he cannot imagine his life without sport nor solitude.

Author: Ivana Mikuličin

“My character Andrija Golubić from the currently highest-rated TV series „Pure Love“ (“Čista ljubav“) can be seen on the television programme for only three weeks, but people already have a clear opinion about him and they do not refrain from expressing it directly. I come to a coffee bar, the waitress asks me what I will have, I say „espresso“, and she tells me: „I am not buying these things you are trying to sell in Vrhovac, our coffee bar operates under certain rules, and you seem like a very mean man“. When I tried to say to the lady that this is just a TV series, she told me not to explain anything and she kept pointing out to me that I am a very bad man – retells Andrej Dojkić referring to an incident with one viewer of the TV series „Pure Love“ (“Čista ljubav“) where he plays the role of a lawyer, Andrija, who appeared in the Vrhovac village out of nowhere as the Professor’s (interpreted by Ljubomir Kerekeš) lost son.

In just a half of a month, the popularity of the TV series has hindered his visits to the open market in Trešnjevka, a Zagreb neighbourhood. A man cannot actually buy a salad any more without getting scolded by someone.

Energetic optimist

“Oh, you! You come to the market all the time, and I didn’t know you are like that, you are very mean to your father, I would seriously think about my behaviour if I were you….”, said a lady who sells vegetables in Trešnjevka neighbourhood. Since this was the second encounter with a viewer having a firm opinion already made, I gave up and I realized that I just cannot nor have strength to enter into discussions with some fans of the TV series “Pure Love” (“Čista ljubav”) – Andrej Dojkić has made peace with irrational reactions. The actor accepted the engagement in the popular TV series “Pure Love” (“Čista ljubav”) after the Gavella theatre, where he is employed, postponed for the next year putting on stage the Dino Pešut’s play, in which Dojkić was given the role. “When Nova TV contacted me, I wished that it was not about a role of some good guy, in terms of “I love you, you love me, we all love each other etc.”. When they told me it is about the role of a “polyvalent” I was relieved – he admits that he loves to play bad and devious guys.

In real life, it would be hard to relate this actor, born in Osijek in 1980, who played more than 30 roles in the theatre, movies and on television, to the characters he plays. He is one of these energetic optimists, very busy and engaged on many different projects, he does not limit himself when it comes to choosing business opportunities in terms of the format and the genre, and it seems he sets no limits in his preparation for the role. At this moment, he experiences the agony of starvation so that he could soon play the leading role of a starved and dried-out guy in the

American-Croatian film coproduction which he cannot talk much about for now, but that will be filmed in Croatia in June.

Shakespeare

“I have to say that in the moment of this interview we are having I am quite hungry. In two months I lost seven and a half kilos, and I still need to lose some more. I’m just drinking tea, eating apples, almonds, avocado, soups, hemp seeds proteins, vegetables, meat with no spices, boiled fish…The coach, Dražen Prskalo, an old “Russian school” practitioner of workout and discipline, controls my workout activities and conditioning so that I don’t get dried out completely. I am having hard days of starvation in which I am looking forward to eating a handful of almonds but also to jogging on an empty stomach which is followed by a shake or a smoothie and after several hours a big but diet lunch – says the actor about his diet regime for his next movie role. This season he was marked by a role of George; Richard III’s brother, in the play “Richard III”, directed by Aco Popovski, performed in his principal theatre Gavella. This role might be the most impressive one he has had since he joined the drama ensemble in Frankopanska a year and half ago.

“A normal man would say: “Hey, sorry, do you see that tree over there, go there please, turn around and look at me gently.” And Shakespeare would, shall I paraphrase, “say” the same thing in the following way: “In this beautiful garden, under this light and magnificent flowers of the most fascinating smell that the land can bring to life, let your step be steady and light until you reach that tree, and when you touch it, turn around facing me and give me the look gentle as alabaster”- illustrates the actor the Shakespearean sentence. Dojkić also had opportunities in life to play real characters, which is always a different type of responsibility for an actor.

Laušić and Kikaš

He plays the role of the lieutenant general Mato Laušić in Manjkas’ documentary-live- action series “War before War” (“Rat prime rata”), about the espionage in post-Tito Yugoslavia, which still needs to come out. He also played the role of Anton Kikaš, a Croat from Canada who wanted to help Croatia in the Homeland War in the Sedlar’s documentary-feature movie “Wasn’t Afraid to Die – Anton Kikaš’ Patriotic Mission in 1991”.

“Mister Laušić is a steady but a very colourful person. in order to prepare for this role, I analysed him in the moments when he commented certain situations from the field of security services on the television. I tried to transfer his calmness and steadiness into the project. Kikaš, who still lives in Canada, wanted to talk to me before the project and to meet me personally. When this event occurred I was a kid so I now had to study thoroughly all that happened. So, Kikaš decided to help Croatia at the beginning of the war by donating weapons worth one million US dollars, but the plane that was flying from South Africa to Ljubljana was forced to land to the Zagreb Airport, Pleso, by the flight control from Belgrade and Yugoslav National Army fighter planes. The weapons were seized, Kikaš was arrested and later released, that is, exchanged for the general Milan Aksentijević – says the actor about the role he portrayed. Dojkić is constantly at a very high level of physical aptitude and does not find it hard to “annihilate” himself neither physically no.r psychically for the role.

Like Spiderman

During the play “Heart Larger than Hands” in the atrium of the Gavella theatre, he climbed the pillars of the atrium like Spiderman, causing, to some extent, consternation in the audience, while in the same play he also undergoes the emotional distress having to choose between being devoted and loyal to his partner and seeking for love with an older woman outside marriage.

“I have been practicing sports for my whole life. I like rafting, jogging for ten kilometres on the bank of Sava river, nature. I like to spend time in the nature by myself. I like to deal and be occupied with myself in various ways, I like to develop myself, work on myself, read, write. I like to go somewhere alone. Once, on one Saturday late night I ran across a friend who was really surprised to see me at the cinema at that hour by myself so he offered me to come and sit together with him and his girlfriend. I refused. Spending time alone is very important to me, as well as spending time with people. As older I get, I don’t want to expose myself to bad vibrations and frustrations. I am a sensitive and an emotional person; these characteristics of mine help me in the process of the transformation into the role – explains the actor who also acts in plays “Men.com” and Filip Šovagović’ “Tesla Anonymous” which was in the final round of the Golden Studio prize contest. This week, this play was performed in Split on the manifestation called “Days of Marko Marulić”. At first, Andrej Dojkić and Filip Šovagović’s personalities are incompatible; Andrej as energetic and focused, and Filip as an immensely artistically creative who seems to be constantly floating in some invisible large bubble.

“First of all, I am connected to this man who is a lamp lover, who collects them and arranges them around the theatre, and eats 80 kilograms of sausages per year, through our Slavonian origins. I believe that Filip Šovagović wanted to say something about himself through Tesla, and he gave me the role of Edison. Tesla influenced Edison as much as Edison influenced Tesla. I see Tesla as the most talented independent artist who lived his profession, and didn’t just perform it – concluded Dojkić.