North Macedonia Mourns Much-Loved Actor Goce Todorovski

Goce Todorovski. Photo: Drama Theatre. Actor Goce Todorovski has died aged 75, his family and the Drama Theatre in Skopje, where he spent most of his career, confirmed on Monday. The cause of death was not immediately announced. Born in the western town of Kichevo in 1951, Todorovski graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Skopje before joining the Drama Theatre in 1978. He went on to perform in more than 50 theatre productions, while also building a prolific career in television, radio and cinema. His gift for comedy made him one of the country’s most enduring and popular actors. For many Macedonians, Todorovski will be remembered above all for his appearances in the cult television series Macedonian Folk Tales (Makedonski Narodni Prikazni), whose humorous adaptations of traditional folklore became a fixture of family viewing for decades. He was also a familiar face to generations of children through the educational television series “Scruffy Alphabet” (Bushava Azbuka), while radio audiences knew him from the long-running satirical comedy programme Hihiriku. His film career included memorable roles in several classics of Macedonian and former Yugoslav cinema, including Happy New ’49 (Srekna Nova ’49), Weekend of the Dead (Vikend na Mrtovci), Trieste Via Skopje (Trst via Skopje), The Red Horse (Crveniot Konj), and many others. Beyond his screen work, Todorovski was one of the leading comic actors of the Macedonian stage, collaborating with many of the country’s best-known theatre directors and helping shape the repertoire of the Drama Theatre for nearly five decades. “Goce Todorovski never sought the audience’s affection. He won it from the moment he stepped onto the stage,” the Drama Theatre wrote in its farewell. “His performances possessed a rare immediacy: a precise acting rhythm that seemed entirely effortless, expressive facial gestures, a distinctive stage presence, and the roguish charm with which he could effortlessly bridge the gap between the stage and the audience,” it said. Todorovski’s performances earned numerous awards, including the state “23 October” prize for culture and the lifetime achievement award at the Vojdan Chernodrinski Theatre Festival in 2025, as well as the Presidential Order of Merit in 2023. News of his death prompted an outpouring of tributes from fellow actors, public figures and audiences, many recalling the humour, warmth and distinctive characters that made Todorovski one of the defining faces of North Macedonia’s acting scene. Actress Maja Andonovska Ilijevski wrote that Macedonian theatre had lost “a great man and a great actor”. Recalling their time filming the cult TV series Macedonian Folk Tales, she said Todorovski had been not only an acting legend but also a wonderful colleague, whose humour and warmth made those days unforgettable. Andonovska said the countless characters Todorovski brought to life will remain part of the country’s collective memory, adding that “some people never truly leave – they live on through their roles, the memories of their colleagues and the love of their audience”. Photographer Goran Anastasovski described Todorovski as “the man who made us laugh for decades” and “a giant on stage”, adding that his legacy of bringing smiles to various generations will endure.