Serbian Actor Forced To Leave HBO Series Due To His 'Support' Of The War In Ukraine

The famous Serbian actor Miloš Biković is expected to part ways with the series “White Lotus” after the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused him of supporting the Russian invasion.

By tagging the American network in a video post featuring public comments by Biković, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine asked, “Is it okay to work with someone who supports genocide and violates international law?”.

In the clips from Biković's interviews, which are contrasted in the video with scenes from “White Lotus”, he seems to support Russia's annexation of Crimea, which served as a prelude to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The actor has visited the peninsula several times, including for professional reasons, leading to Ukraine placing him on a no-entry list in 2019. This likely drew quick attention from the Ukrainian government after his casting in “The White Lotus” was announced on January 12th.

Miloš Biković, Serbian actor who has been supporting Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion, is now set to star in HBO's The White Lotus Season 3@HBO, is it all right for you to work with a person who supports genocide & violates international law?

???? @United24media pic.twitter.com/ceWkXVttfp

— MFA of Ukraine ???????? (@MFA_Ukraine) January 24, 2024

In his statement, Biković referred to the events of last week as a “targeted campaign” that “seems like an external maneuver to influence decisions that could set a troubling precedent, overshadowing the essence of artistic freedom”.

He has been working in Russia for over a decade, becoming one of the most popular actors in the country and collaborating with prominent directors such as Oscar winner Nikita Mikhalkov, who was sanctioned by the EU for his support for Russia during the 2022 invasion. In 2021, Biković was granted Russian citizenship by decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who also awarded Biković a medal in 2018.

The lack of public statements from Biković regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as well as his silence following the release of the controversial video clip last week, likely contributed to HBO's decision to remove him from “The White Lotus”. This puts the studio in a difficult position as it tries to navigate geo-political and artistic issues.

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