 
Goran Visnjic: He is the Star of ER Tele Loisirs (France), October 12-18, 2002 by ? / Translated by Marie Hired on the ER set for just three episodes, the actor has become one of the mainstays of the show, particularly appreciated by the female audience. 3PM, Burbank, Los Angeles suburb: The magazine is invited on the set of ER. Wearing a white shirt and faded blue jeans, Goran Visnjic receives us in an easy-going manner in the operating room of the famous County General Hospital. "It's always strange for me to be in Hollywood and to give interviews," the young Croat star who just turned thirty tells us. "I come from such a simple and humble background that I find this whole situation totally surrealistic." While most of the actors of TV shows have caught the "Big Head," Dr. Kovac is still one of the few Hollywood celebrities who kept his feet firmly planted on Earth! "When you drag with you a past as agitated and painful as mine, you have to keep your head on your shoulders!" exclaims Goran, the son of a bus driver and a vegetable saleswoman who comes from Sibenik, a little town not far from Dubrovnik which was besieged by the Serbian army during the Balkan war in the early 90s. "The war is still occupied in my head," confides Goran, a former soldier engaged in a paratrooper commando of the Croatian Army. "Since that time, I've learned to live day-by-day and to adapt to any situation." He's made people jealous, but he doesn't care His pragmatism is without a doubt one of the reasons for his actual success... And what success! While he had originally been signed on ER in 1999 to star in only three episodes, Goran quickly became, in a matter of weeks, the undeniable star of the show. At a time when the producers of the show feared a drop of audience due to George Clooney's departure, Goran managed the outstanding performance to make people forget about Dr. Ross' absence, thanks to his charm and looks. Voted several times one of the most attractive actors in Hollywood by American magazines, Goran Visnjic has become the favorite of millions of female TV viewers. A success that irritates some members of the ER cast. Noah Wyle himself called Goran a "deadly rival." "Goran is serious competition for all the actors on the show," explains Dr. Carter. "As soon as he stepped on the set for his first day of shooting, I knew right away that some sort of rivalry would erupt between us. But it doesn't prevent us from being friends in real life." A most peculiar "friendship," since Noah Wyle and Goran Visnjic seldom speak to each other outside of working hours! The same attitude is to be found with Anthony Edwards and Eriq LaSalle. The two famous doctors from County General Hospital turned their backs on Goran when they noticed that the handsome Croat was "stealing" some of the spotlight from their friend Noah. "I never pay attention to rumors and personal problems," states Goran Visnjic. "My only concern is to do my job and do it well, period." Decidedly, the gorgeous Dr. Kovac has everything it takes to become a very big star in Hollywood.
Sidebar Blurb: Ladies: it's pointless to send love letters to Goran Visnjic. The attractive Dr. Kovac is not available anymore. After he married the lovely Ivana Vrdoljak in 1999, Goran is now seriously considering starting a family, and the sooner the better.
"I very much desire to become a father," he says. "The problem is that I don't want t raise my children in the United States. I'd rather give them a European education. In spite of my success in Hollywood, I miss Europe enormously."
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