Trevor Hogg chats with Branko Tomovic about what attracted him to acting, Blue Velvet, Fury and portraying a historical figure he idolises…
“My parents came as immigrants to Germany from Serbia, so working meant having a job that pays the bills,” remarks Branko Tomovic who has appeared in The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), Inbetween (2008) and Believe the Magic (2012). “I have been interested in art and films ever since I was a child but doing anything artistic as a job wasn’t really heard of. I can’t really blame them as every parent wants a secure life for their child. It wasn’t that my parents were not supportive but more that they didn’t know any differently. I have always been the black sheep in the family with everything that I did, so it was cool with me and have always done with my life what I thought was right.” Tomovic attended an acclaimed acting school. “Lee Strasberg is all about ‘The Method’ which means lifelike performances; it’s about being honest and truthful, and connecting your character to your own personal emotions and experiences,” states Branko Tomovic who attended the acclaimed acting school. “The Institute in New York is still the same building where Marilyn Monroe [Some Like It Hot] and James Dean [Giant] went to in the 50’s. I had some wonderful teachers there; some of them were still personally taught by Lee Strasberg [The Godfather: Part II] and were sitting in the same class with Robert De Niro [Taxi Driver] and Al Pacino [Dog Day Afternoon] in the 70’s.”
Filmmaker David Lynch (The Elephant Man) left a lasting impression upon on the native of Muenster, Germany. “I saw Blue Velvet [1986] when I was around 13, probably a bit too young to be watching such a movie. I felt absolutely mesmerised; it was so different, beautiful, mysterious and twisted. The weird story from finding that severed ear in the grass to the wonderful night club scenes and of course Dennis Hopper’s [Hoosiers] psychotic villain. The music, the cinematography, the storytelling, the visuals and surrealism – everything Lynch did with that movie. The scene with Dean Stockwell [Compulsion] mouthing the words to Roy Orbison’s In Dreams into that work light and then Dennis Hopper’s exploding psychotic rage is still so haunting. Lynch described Kyle MacLachlan [Dune] as ‘the boy next door, if that boy spent lots of time alone in the basement’ which I thought also applied to me in a way and maybe that’s why I am still more drawn to darker and gritty material.”
A dream job for Branko Tomovic will be portraying a famous Serbian-American inventor worked with Thomas Edison in the biopic Tesla (2015). “Nikola Tesla has been a great idol of mine for a long time; he was an extraordinary man with a remarkable life story. Tesla was an inventive and very intelligent genius who lived for his work; he was ahead of his time and often misunderstood. For such an inspirational man whose life included money, intrigue and exploitation, I am still surprised that so many people actually don’t know who he is, or they maybe have heard the name but are not quite sure what it stands for. There seems to be a lot of confusion about what his inventions actually were. That’s why it is so important to tell his story. I had read quite a few Tesla scripts already but, most of the time they were too far away from the truth or too commercialised. When Michael Anton’s [Potheads: The Movie] script came along I was almost looking for flaws but I couldn’t find any! This is a well written biopic, which captures Tesla’s essence and persona, his passion for his work, his extraordinary mind, his eccentricity and his ambition. The movie will show that he was not a mad scientist – but one of the greatest minds and inventors that ever lived. I always thought that if his story is to be told it has to be something grand, and this film is that. I have every faith in Michael Anton who will also be directing; he is absolutely passionate about this, very intelligent and ambitious. We all can’t wait to start on this.” As for the pressure of playing a historical figure, Tomovic replies, “It’s a great challenge to play a character that has really existed. There will be references and material out there already which describe him, his demeanour, his persona, and his accent so you have to stick with that and can’t leave it up to your imagination. It’s about being truthful and respectful to history, I’m very much looking forward to that.”
Branko Tomovic is part of the cast for the World War II movie Fury (2014) which stars Brad Pitt (Moneyball) and is helmed by David Ayer (Sabotage). “I love working with directors who are directing from their own script. David is such a brilliant and unique director who was involved in every aspect of the movie, to the smallest detail; he even painted the helmet I was wearing himself! Authenticity was paramount to him. The script was already perfectly written but when I met him during auditions for the first time I realised that there is so much more in his head then what is already on the page. I’d love to work with him any time again!” When it comes to discussing Fury, the questions will have to wait until the theatrical release. “One thing I can talk about is a thriller called Schism [2014], which Steve Stone will be directing. I worked with Steve already on Entity [2012] and I am looking forward to be working with him again. The story is mostly set in an interrogation room in a mental asylum. I’d be playing a psychiatrist interviewing a woman [played by Francesca Fowler] who has been found with the bodies of four children in a wheat field, but they disappeared.” Tomovic, who admires the performances of Charlize Theron in Monster (2003) and Christian Bale in The Machinist (2004), observes, “I have always been fascinated by the human mind, psychology and different personalities. I love character work, complex and unconventional stuff. I think that’s why I chose to become an actor in the first place – to live many lives.”
Many thanks to Branko Tomovic for taking the time for this interview.
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Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada.
Originally published July 2, 2014. Updated April 15, 2018.
