Meet Petar Arsic | Actor, filmmaker, creative individual

We had the good fortune of connecting with Petar Arsic and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Petar, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Like any other,my life also was filled with some important decisions that I had to make. Every choice carried a certain amount of risk. Various experiences have taught me that, somehow, the path that seems the most difficult, and carries the greatest amount of risk is actually the one that should be taken. Such decisions lead to leaving the comfort zone, and creating a favorable environment that tests us, pushes us and allows us to grow and develop. Whenever I made a big and difficult choice, took a big risk, I profited. It was hard and painful sometimes, but, somehow It always turned out fine in the end. Maybe I had luck, but I risked it in the first place, some people never do. For example, I was in love with a friend Tanja, but I didn’t know if she felt the same way about me. I was afraid that I was in the friend zone and that there was no way out. After several months of suffering and questioning, I made a decision, gave myself an ultimatum, either I will be with her or I will not be around her anymore. I gave myself a choice, so, come on Petar, let’s see what you’re made of. To cut a long story short, we’ve been together for over 9 years now and I can’t imagine a better and more fulfilling relationship than ours.Likewise for work, every choice within creating a role is a risk of itself, but, I’m not going to philosophize about that too much. Acting is simply a way of life, and anyone with the slightest common sense can see how insecure, unstable, and complicated it is, facing constant evaluations. Simply, you HAVE to develop a thick skin, and just accept that constant existential risk. It’s enough that one person doesn’t like what kind of hairstyle you have, so that you don’t get a job, especially in Serbia, where nepotism is one of the strongest categories, not to mention the esoteric approach to work and people keeping projects secret until the actual shooting, so almost no auditions or small number of rigged ones. Regardless, the point is that in spite of all that, I took a big leap of faith. Without a dollar in my pocket I’ve jumped into that world with great amount of love. Then I successively destroyed challenge after challenge. From several personal crises, and temptations to give up, borrowing money, working and studying at the same time, trying to find an exit from the great pressure through unacceptable behaviour. To going to US three times for more than 4 months each time through the work and travel program. Earning a serious amount of money, paying off not only my overpriced academy, but also some previous debts and loans. To changing my lifestyle, nutrition, serious training, losing over 15 kilograms, stopping all consumption of whatnot, traveling the World. And now I have just signed a contract for filming a big comedy series in which I have one of the main roles. Honestly, after all this, giving up is no longer an option. I have proven to myself through numerous situations that I am a survivor, a capable individual. And that I can do almost anything I imagine, with a good amount of concentrated effort and a pinch of luck. One of my goals is that when I build a fruitful enough career in Europe, to try and make my way in US as well. I hope that it will be in the next 5 years, and I see that as potentially the biggest risk in my life. But taught by experience, I can confirm that catchphrase – Who dares wins.

We all know that, fear is always present, it’s hard to get started, you’re always thinking what if this happens, or what if that happens, and all those negative arguments why you shouldn’t even try, I say to that, just try it! Deconstruct your goal, see what the steps are needed, and just start walking, make one step, then another, soon you’ll be running. After a few years, you won’t believe how far you’ve come, how much you’ve grown and how small those obstacles that looked like mountains are now. As for me personally, I feel that I still need to grow a lot, and that many big, beautiful and ugly challenges are yet to come.
I know that all that risk led to great amount of success, and I feel like I have to address that shortly too.

For me, SUCCESS equals PEACE.

My mentor, who is one of the most awarded actresses in the Balkans and in Europe, Mirjana Karanovic, had an interesting comment when we first started working. She said, success is like an orgasm, you sweat a lot to get to it, and it doesn’t last long. Yes, you will be at a culmination, but a moment later, you have to wash yourself, rest and start all over again. And once you actually feel real success, you’ll always want more of that. It’s simple, she said, we must be aware that in the end it is all just one big “nothing”, and that at no point should we let our ego off the leash.

I agree with that to some extent, but in my opinion, a much bigger and more important thing than the success itself is the way in which we got there. Whether it was a role, an award, or any minor accomplishment, it’s important for me to know that I achieved this in an honorable and clean way. And that in the end I can feel peace. In this crazy time, we are all constantly chasing something. Me first, I had time spans of several years when I didn’t have a single moment of peace. But, for example, when the day came to pay off all the debts, I sat on the shore of the ocean, I was at Nauset beach in Eastham Cape Cod at that time. Just sitting there, with a beer in my hand, watching the moon rise and a million glimmering stars above me, listening to the waves, and just breathing. In that moment I felt such peace that it was almost startling. I was laughing and tears of relief came to my eyes. First, I knew that I had succeeded in my intent without deceiving, hurting, or endangering anyone. Even though there were moments where there was danger that I might go down the wrong path, but thankfully I didn’t. Second, all the problems, difficulties, ambition itself, that little voice telling me that I have to do this or that, it is all so evanescent that I simply don’t have to worry much about almost anything. We are dust in the wind here, as that famous Kansas song said. And if we don’t achieve I don’t know what kind of epochal thing, again, nothing terrible. The Earth will continue to turn. Knowing this gives us the ease with which we can continue working. There is no imperative! And thirdly, in all of this, whatever goal we set for ourselves and how far we got in achieving it, whether I wrote a good two pages of a screenplay today, or whether I won the Palme d’Or for the best leading actor (hopefully one day), we must always have some moment of grounding. So that we don’t lose our way. And at the end, those moments of peace would always ignite that fire to conquering even greater goals.

So, try it, risk it, you can achieve it, but don’t do it at all costs, be patient, and smart, you don’t want to burn out!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Through acting and creation of any kind, be it filmmaking, scriptwriting, or painting, rehearsing a monologue, dancing, stage performance of any kind, I feel freedom while doing it. As someone brought up on modern values, for me one of the most important categories is certainly freedom. At the age of 5, I ran away from the war in Kosovo and Metohija, with my family, and in just a few years I changed three cities and several areas where I lived. I would always meet new people, and adapt to others mentalities, energies, temperaments and accents. Through all these adaptations, somehow, I had to find something that will ground me, some place or activity, that will give me the feeling of belonging. I felt that I was wandering. Acting somehow accidentally entered my life, even more accidentally it got under my skin. Luckily I am talented for it, otherwise I would be in serious trouble. I started as a kid, I was 10 years old, and it simply started growing on me. Soon I couldn’t be without it for long, like some kind of a rush.

My older brother started acting, and it looked dull to me at that time, soon I give it a try too, and I have unexpectedly found a place of my own, a place of freedom. Gradually, through acting, I began to discover both myself and my talents, as well as the world around me. Best experiences, best friends, first loves and all that, came from all activities related to acting. In addition, other school and extracurricular activities were much easier for me. Because I knew that I always have some place, some other world where I can be whatever I want. Many years later, when I was old enough to choose a profession, I had a serious dilemma. Whether I try acting professionally or enroll in Faculty of Medicine, which was somehow a logical continuation of my Medical High School where I was pretty good. The choice between an idealistic, romantic calling, full of insecurity and uncertainty, without much support. Or a pragmatic, logical one, which everyone around me cheered for, even with promises of employment after. I thought for a long time, I even started preparing for the entrance exam for both acting and Faculty of Medicine at the same time. Of course, as soon as I would started reading  the biology book, I would gag. I decided to follow my inner feeling, I knew very well what dangers lie in the artistic calling, but I told myself, and everyone, this is my choice, if I fail, I am to be blamed, nobody else. I entered the university as one of the best in the entrance exam, I felt like I was on top of the world, the only problem was that I didn’t even have 10% of the money needed for tuition. The mentor insisted with the people from the faculty administration, to allow me to enroll with less money, so that I can try to pay it off with delay. The amount of pressure I felt was almost unbearable. But I knew I had to endure. Long story short, I managed to crush all the obstacles with the great amount of effort and sacrifice.
Few years after academy, with a great gratitude and humility I can boast with numerous roles in huge, booming series and many more theater roles. By the end of the year I will shoot second season of one of those great series too. At the same time I am working on animated voiceover projects, where I mostly have leading roles. I formed a team of people with whom I have written 4 screenplays so far, several more are in the making. We registered the company and we are in negotiations to release the first feature film in our own production by the next year or so. I am working on my skills, languages and accents.

At the end, I have to say that, working with all bunch of different people made my love for acting, and creating even greater.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have lived all over the World, and I will list a few specific places that left the biggest mark on me and that I would like to recommend to everyone. In Belgrade, you’ll have to visit Kalemegdan, and old downtown if you are a history lover. If you’re here for nightlife, witch Belgrade is famous for, you’ll have to check out bohemian court of Skadarlija, with old traditional kafanas like Tri Sesira or Putujuci Glumac (traveling actor hehe), great Serbian food, and nice music, if you are for something crazy, you gotta go to raft clubs on the Sava river, or if you like something alternative, check out KC Grad in Sava mala, or Bitef art cafe. Gardos in Zemun is amasing too. For street food, you, gotta check out Cirino Drvce in the valley of hunger, you can try the best pljeskavica ever, they make it with mixed minced meat that is filled with smoked cheese, onion, bacon and smoked paprika, and, trust me, it is the best! There is a lot of great places to hang on, I just cant write about all of them, come visit, and I’ll show you. Gracanica monastery in Serbia’s southern province, it is a bastion of art and fate, one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I have ever been, almost every year I visit it again, and I have to say, it is a place of great importance for me.
In US, I would have to recommend Marcony and Nauset beaches, Provincetown and Wellfleet. Beautiful places, filled with wonderful energy, love and magic. In Boston, any restaurant that serves the famous New England clam chowda is a must visit, but the Atlantic Fish Company restaurant was a special one.
In New York, one of the most thrilling experiences was watching a Broadway show like Chicago or Hamilton.

And I have to say a word or two about an amassing pub in Nottingham UK, Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem, it is established in 1189. and for me, a history lover, it was something like a time travel experience.
I could go on about phenomenal places all day…

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First I would like to thank my girlfriend Tanja Krzalic. She is the best possible support I can imagine. Although she called me that first, I have to say that she is my Superhero. The amount of understanding, love and encouragement I get from her is incredible. We grow together, both as people and career-wise. She became the sales director in her company in a very short time without even breaking a sweat. Her life was very difficult, but the amount of strength she carries is simply amazing, I admire her. Second, to my family who put up with me and my crazy ideas. My brother Milos Arsic that would jump into the fire for me. Friends that inspire me, like Boris and Andrej Lukman, Sofija Stefanovic, Jovan Milanovic, Mario Saran, Djordje Kreca, Tiana Upcheva, and many more amazing young people whom I am honored to know and whom I was lucky enough to have in my life.

And at the end many thanks to the professor Mirjana Karanovic who taught me a lot and laid the foundations for further development of my career.

I can say that I am blessed with wonderful people who surround me, and that without them I would not have been able to achieve even 30 percent of my achievements.

Website: https://www.slavicartists.com/actors/petar-arsic/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peramunja/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petar.arsic.395

Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10164988/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Image Credits
Miric Sasa, Dejan Jankovic, Emilija Gajic, Ema Sasa