Interview: Goran Visnjic of ER
Croatian actor to play Dr. Luka Kovac for just a few more months
After eight seasons as Dr. Luka Kovac on NBC's juggernaut medical drama, the Croatian actor is ready to leave
After eight seasons as the gorgeous Dr. Luka Kovac, Croatian actor Goran Visnjic is gearing up to leave ER. We talked to Visnjic recently at a downtown L.A. hotel and asked him to reflect on the groundbreaking show.
Question: Earlier this year, there were reports that ER would be shelved but now it’s back with massive ratings. So what's the mood on the set?
Goran Visnjic: We're kind of laughing about it, “Oh, my God. We’ve been rediscovered.” It’s a little bit weird. We’ve been always trying to be fresh and trying to do as best as we could. It’s a completely different show. There is no more original cast members. It’s my last season this year. I’m going to go. Show’s going to stay.
Question: This is definitely your last season? That’s not going to change?
G.V.: It’s really time to move on. Playing the same character for eight years, it’s kind of like no matter how interesting their writing and no matter how good stuff I’ve been getting every year, it’s a little bit like time restricting. You can't do anything else. Basically 2½ months you have off time to do something. And then it’s really difficult to get some other job exactly in that 2½ month slot. I come back next year for couple of episodes, maybe for more story line exit.
Question: Are you considering doing back to Croatia?
G.V: I kind of never left, to be honest with you, in my head. Every time I have time off, I’ve been there. I’ve just been there 2½ months, all summer basically. So I still have Croatian passport. I kind of really considered both being home, you know, like States and Croatia.
Question: Goran, how do you feel about Grey's Anatomy?
G.V.: It's obviously good show. We shouldn’t feel anything bad about it because we've been on the air for 13 years. And we're still pulling like 15, 16 million people.
Question: What’s in store for Abby (Maura Tierney) and Luka this year?
G.V.: We don’t know is Abby going to survive? Is baby going to survive? Season finale! We have a rule here. You can be happy for maybe three episodes, tops. They’re going to do something then after that. Plane’s going to fall on you! Helicopter is going to cut your arm!
Question: So how is Luka going to leave?
G.V: I don’t know. It’s so far away. We were planning maybe one episode in Croatia. I don’t know when. So we don’t even discuss about it.
