Mira Furlan (photo ©Gage Skidmore) was born on September 7, 1955 in Zagreb, in the then Yugoslavia, now Croatia.

Graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb, in the ’70s and ’80s Mira Furlan has appeared in many Yugoslavian stage, television and cinema productions, including the 1985 movie “When Father Was Away on Business”, winner Palme d’Or (Golden Palm) as the best film at the 38th Cannes Film Festival. Occasionally, she also worked as a singer.

In November 1991, following the outbreak of civil war in Yugoslavia, Mira Furlan and her husband, the director Goran Gajic, emigrated to the USA. There she was cast for the role for which she’s best known, ambassador Delenn in the TV show “Babylon 5“, in which she starred for its five seasons and in some of the TV movies connected to the show.

According to the original plans, Delenn was supposed to be a man in the first season and then change sex during her metamorphosis. The heavy alien makeup was thought with that perspective too but the work of changing her voice proved too expensive and the idea was abandoned very quickly.

In the USA, Mira Furlan also participated in various stage productions. For example, she played the protagonist of Sophocles’ “Antigone” at the Hudson Guild Theatre in Los Angeles in 1995, a version of the famous work directed by her husband. For that performance, she won the Dramalogue Theater Award for Best Actress.

Mira Furlan’s son was born in Los Angeles in 1998 but in 2002 she and her husband went back to Croatia for some time, where she took part in some national stage and television productions.

In the following years, Mira Furlan alternated her participation in American and Croatian productions. In 2004, there was her debut in the other role for which she is best known, that of Danielle Rousseau in the TV show “Lost”.

Some new productions including Mira Furlan are in various stages of post-production and their release to theaters so their broadcast on TV should happen soon. Those will be new opportunities to see a great actress who is very appreciated internationally.