# Bojana Novakovic

Bojana Novakovic (Serbian Cyrillic: Бојана Новаковић, Serbian: Bojana Novaković) is an Australian actress. She is known for starring in the police procedural television series Instinct (2018–2019).
In film, she has appeared in Drag Me to Hell (2009), Edge of Darkness (2010), Devil (2010), Generation Um... (2012), The Little Death (2014), I, Tonya (2017) and Birds of Prey (2020).

## Early life and education

Novakovic was born in Belgrade, Serbia, then part of Yugoslavia. Her younger sister, Valentina Novakovic, is also an actress. Novakovic moved to Australia in 1988 at age seven.
She was initially interested in becoming a social worker or doctor, but eventually decided to pursue performing arts. Novakovic studied at The McDonald College in Sydney, where she was dux in 1998. She graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 2002.

## Career

In 2003, Novakovic played Randa in the ABC mini-series Marking Time, a role which won her an AFI Award for "Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama or Comedy". As an actress, Novakovic's film credits in Australia include Blackrock (1996), Strange Fits of Passion (1998), The Monkey's Mask (1999), Thunderstruck (2004), Solo (2005) and the Serbian films The Optimists (2005) and Skinning (2010). From 2007 to 2009, she played Tippi in TV series Satisfaction for Showtime Australia. She also appeared in Drag Me to Hell (2009), Edge of Darkness (2009), Devil (2010), Burning Man (2011), and Generation Um... (2012).
Her theatre credits in Australia include These People, Away and Strange Fruit at the Sydney Theatre Company; The Female of the Species at the Melbourne Theatre Company; Woyzeck (Helpmann award nomination for best supporting actress in 2009), Criminology (Green Room award nomination for best actress 2007), Eldorado (Helpmann nomination for best supporting actress, 2006) and Necessary Targets at the Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne, Death Variations and Loveplay (Ride On) for B Sharp, Romeo and Juliet with Bell Shakespeare company and Debris for Ride on Theatre (which received a Green Room nomination for best Independent production and best actress in 2006).
Novakovic runs her own independent theatre company, Ride On Theatre (Sydney and Melbourne) with co-director Tanya Goldberg. She was a producer and performer for the 2004 Ride on Theatre sell out season of LOVEPLAY at the Downstairs Belvoir Street Theatre, and the 2006 Green Room nominated production of Debris (in which she was also nominated for best actress).
In 2008, she translated, adapted and directed Fake Porno in Melbourne, which was invited to be part of the Powerhouse season in Brisbane in 2009, and also received three Green Room nominations including best production. Outside of Ride On, she wrote and directed with Melbourne's Black Lung Theatre for the critically acclaimed production of Sugar at the 2007 Adelaide Fringe festival. In 2010, Novakovic received an AFI nomination for International Award for Best Actress for her role in Edge of Darkness. She is currently starring in an improvised theatrical production called The Blind Date project for the Sydney Festival.
From 2013 to 2014, Novakovic starred on the American remake of comedy-drama television series Rake, which was cancelled after one season. In 2015, she portrayed Clare Hitchens in The Hallow, a horror film set in Ireland and directed by Corin Hardy. She had a recurring role on the fifth season of Shameless.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1997 | Blackrock | Tracy Warner |
| 1999 | Strange Fits of Passion | Jaya |
| 2000 | The Monkey's Mask | Tianna |
| 2004 | Thunderstruck | Anna |
| 2006 | Solo | Billie Finn |
| 2006 | The Optimists | Marina |
| 2008 | Seven Pounds | Julie |
| 2009 | Drag Me to Hell | Ilenka Ganush |
| 2010 | Edge of Darkness | Emma Craven |
| 2010 | Devil | Sarah Caraway |
| 2010 | Skinning | Mina |
| 2011 | Burning Man | Sarah |
| 2012 | Not Suitable for Children | Ava |
| 2013 | Charlie's Country | Parole Officer |
| 2012 | The King Is Dead! | Therese |
| 2012 | Generation Um... | Violet |
| 2014 | The Little Death | Maeve |
| 2015 | The Hallow | Clare Hitchens |
| 2017 | I, Tonya | Dody Teachman |
| 2017 | Beyond Skyline | Audrey |
| 2018 | Malicious | Lisa |
| 2020 | Birds of Prey | Erika Manson |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1997 | Heartbreak High | Tasha | Episode: "6.29" |
| 1998–1999 | Wildside | Vildana Asimovic | Episodes: "1.29", "2.19" |
| 1999 | Big Sky | Leisa | Episode: "Desperate Measures" |
| 1999 | Murder Call | Sophie Misfud | Episode: "Bad Business" |
| 1999 | All Saints | Rachel Carpenter | Episode: "Ghosts of Christmas Past" |
| 2000 | Water Rats | Sarah Schreiber | Episode: "A Day to Remember (Break Your Heart)" |
| 2003 | Marking Time | Randa | TV miniseries |
| 2004–2005 | The Cooks | Raffa | Main role |
| 2006 | BlackJack: At the Gates | Nikki | TV film |
| 2007–2009 | Satisfaction | Tippi | Main role (seasons 1–2) |
| 2014 | Rake | Michaela 'Mikki' Partridge | Main role |
| 2015 | Casanova | Madame de Pompadour | TV film |
| 2015 | Agatha | Agatha | TV film |
| 2015–2016 | Shameless | Bianca Samson | Recurring role (season 5) |
| 2016 | Westworld | Marti | Episode: "The Stray" |
| 2018–2019 | Instinct | Det. Lizzie Needham | Main role, 24 episodes |
| 2020 | Operation Buffalo | Molly | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2021 | MacGyver | Anya Vitez | Episode: "Jack + Kinematics + Safe Cracker + MgKNO3 + GTO" |
| 2021 | Love Me | Clara Mathieson | Main role |
| 2024 | Chicago P.D. | Josephine Petrovic | Episodes: "The Living and the Dead", "On Paper" |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2004 | Australian Film Institute | Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama or Comedy | Marking Time | Won |
| 2008 | ASTRA Awards | Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Female | Satisfaction | Nominated |
| 2010 | Australian Film Institute | Best Actress | Edge of Darkness | Nominated |
| 2012 | Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards | Best Actress – Leading Role | Burning Man | Nominated |
| 2013 | Australian Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Burning Man | Nominated |
| 2022 | AACTA Awards | Best Lead Actress in a Drama | Love Me | Nominated |
| 2022 | Logie Awards | Most Popular Actress | Love Me | Nominated |
| 2024 | AACTA Awards | Best Lead Actress in a Drama | Love Me | Nominated |