There are artists whose biographies are not only stories about their profession, but also about the time in which they live. One of them is Nermin Tulić. The audience remembers him for his roles in theatre and film, but also for the strength with which he continued to create after the war permanently changed his life. It is a story about perseverance, consistency, and faith in the meaning of art.
Beginnings in Radio Drama
“As a boy, I was at Radio Sarajevo in the radio drama group. There was a drama program which, as far as I remember, aired on Sundays at 9 in the morning – a radio drama for children. I remember that it was literature that we were also reading and studying at school at that time. So that was where I first became infected with acting, I won’t say with theatre. I entered theatre professionally in a very specific way,” Tulić explained for Federalna TV.
First Steps on the Theatre Stage
At the amateur theatre Hasan Kikić, he spent his days socializing with people who came there, as well as with actors. After some time, he was asked to appear as an extra in a theatre production, which Tulić gladly accepted. It was the play Kuća oplakana, which was the first major leading role of Josip Pejaković.
“Belović had all of us try to read something, and so I did as well. He gave me a role. Of course, the role consisted of two sentences, but I delivered them at the ramp. The ramp on the theatre stage is right at the front of the stage, and if I thought about it now, I believe I could still remember those two sentences,” Tulić recalled about his first role.
After those first two sentences, new lines and roles continued to follow.
Theatre for Children and the Most Sincere Audience
The educational aspect of theatre and the love for performing in front of children is something that always attracted him, Tulić says. He believes that children should be taken to a real theatre so they can experience the true darkness, the curtains, and the atmosphere of the theatre – that their first theatre experience should not be at school. That way, they will come to love it.
“At first, little children will cry when there is not a single trace of light anywhere – until the stage lights turn on. In schools there are blinds… Another thing that always attracted me and that I loved when performing for children is that children always make noise, and you should not try to outshout them. The quieter the actor speaks, the more they want to hear. If you try to outvoice them, there is no chance they will quiet down. And all sorts of things happen, from bars to being pelted with candies – we experienced all of that, both I and the actors I performed with.”
The audience is extremely important to actors, and the most sincere audience, he confirmed, are children.
“The most sincere audience. There are entire theories that say you cannot lie to children. You should not overact for children; you perform as sincerely as possible. If they sense even a little bit of insincerity, they only make more noise,” Tulić said.
Theatre as the Greatest Acting Challenge
When asked why theatre, even though he also has many film roles behind him, Tulić highlighted one thing: the challenge.
“In theatre there is no ‘Let’s do it again.’ There is no darkness where a person can hide. You cannot leave the stage. Once you begin, you must endure until the end. Among other things, that is what makes it very challenging for an actor.”
He says that he now mostly follows cultural events through the media, dedicating his time to literature that he missed “during those years when life was lived in darkness.”
A Message to Young People and a View of the Profession
His message to young people is simple: fight.
“Fight. There is no other way. If an actor wants to succeed, they must fight. Today theatre is politics. Just like in politics, it is the same in theatre,” Tulić said.
There are many opportunities today and in that sense it is easier for actors now, he notes, but relationships and outside influences were different in his time.
“We were not infected by politics or by ugly interpersonal relations. People loved each other. There was no jealousy or envy if someone had a better role or got a film. There was probably jealousy somewhere deep inside, but it was not shown.”
Art as a Life Calling
“It was everything to me,” Tulić says about art.
He describes how he went to bed and woke up with art in his head.
“I truly loved being an actor. I think it is the only profession in the world. Even today people often greet me like this: ‘Where are you, actor?’ But a person gets used to it and it feels good. I always understood that when someone says that to me, it feels like family.”
People still greet him on the street, he says, even when he does not know them – and he appreciates it.
“It means I was not in this world for nothing,” Tulić said with sincere emotion and love for art and the audience.
