Woody Harrelson Sings Oliver in Dubrovnik
Hollywood star returns to support the play 'Equinox', followed by a lively gathering with grilled seafood and wine.
Hollywood star returns to support the play 'Equinox', followed by a lively gathering with grilled seafood and wine.
American actor Woody Harrelson has once again arrived in Dubrovnik to support his longtime friends, Croatian actors Zrinka Cvitešić and Goran Višnjić, in the play "Equinox" directed by Krešimir Dolenčić. Following the performance of Vojnović's classic at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, a relaxed evening ensued that turned into a true celebration, reports Gloria.
At Posat, the venue where the play was performed, the hosts prepared grilled seafood to kick off the gathering. Afterward, part of the team headed to the wine cellar, where Zrinka and Goran, with Woody Harrelson's support, performed songs by Oliver Dragojević. It was yet another testament to how connected the Hollywood star is with the Croatian acting crew.
Harrelson and Višnjić first met in 1997 on the set of the war drama "Welcome to Sarajevo" by British director Michael Winterbottom. Harrelson portrayed American journalist Jimmy Flynn, while Višnjić, then 25, played Risto Bavić. The film was featured in the competition program at the Cannes Film Festival.
Twenty years later, when the Croatian actress had already built a significant career in London, work brought Zrinka Cvitešić and Harrelson together. Three years earlier, in 2014, she had won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for "Once". Harrelson then cast her in his directorial debut "Lost in London" in 2017, an experimental project he wrote, directed, and starred in.
The entire film "Lost in London" was shot in a single continuous take and simultaneously broadcast live to more than 500 cinemas. Alongside Harrelson and Zrinka, the film also featured Owen Wilson and Willie Nelson. What began as a professional connection between Harrelson and Cvitešić quickly blossomed into a friendship that has lasted nearly a decade.
Zrinka has previously stated that Harrelson reminds her of her professor and director Branko Ivana, and that the greatest actors and directors are often the most humble people. She particularly remembers co-writing the script and the support she received during filming.
How close they have become was evident in the summer of 2022, when Harrelson spent several weeks sailing the Adriatic on a luxury yacht with his wife Laura Louie and an impressive crew of Hollywood friends. Joining him on vacation were Matthew McConaughey, Chris Rock, Sacha Baron Cohen, David Spade, Lars Ulrich, Metallica's drummer, with his wife Jessica Miller, music manager Guy Oseary, and many other friends.
The Hollywood crowd traveled through Dalmatia, visiting Hvar, Korčula, and the Dubrovnik area, with Harrelson and McConaughey spotted paddleboarding together. Zrinka Cvitešić also joined them on the yacht, arriving by speedboat to meet the famous group.
Harrelson has regularly returned to Croatia. In September 2024, he arrived on the island of Vis for the 35mm Vis Film Festival, where his film "The People vs. Larry Flynt" was screened. The island so captivated him that he expressed a desire to live there.
After this year's gathering in Dubrovnik, Harrelson traveled to Sarajevo, where he will receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at the Sarajevo Film Festival for his outstanding contribution to the art of film.
