Let the fight be continuous, let what cannot be be - says the actor in an interview with "Vijesti" Stevan Piale from Serbia, congratulating 2026 and wishing you much happiness and health...
Although the holidays are synonymous with joy, peace and love, but also a period when we summarize the previous one, when we remember and re-examine, Piale tells "Vijesti" that 2025 was a "complicated year" for him, on several fronts, and what marked it was - the struggle...
"It was a 'complicated' year. In January, I lost my mother and my job, and that definitely marked the beginning of the year. After that, student walks began in Serbia, which I joined and through which I somehow experienced these events from the beginning of January, but at the same time I was filled with some abnormal energy, both from the students and from these people who came out into the streets to greet us. And that kept me going for months. The rest of the year was marked by struggle, but also by some new projects that I am currently working on and with which I entered 2026," says the actor.
A complicated, challenging and challenging period, both personally and in the field of art and culture, especially in Serbia. How to change that - Piale answers:
"As they say, a fish stinks from the head. So we will have to solve that head first, and with it the entire system, and then I believe that much better times are coming for us."
Piale is one of the younger generation of actors who, together with the citizens of Serbia, led by students, are seeking justice following the collapse of a canopy in Novi Sad. Piale previously told "Danas": "Today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, all roads lead to Novi Sad and that is the only road for all of us"... When asked when and how that road began, how long, difficult and what it is like, Piale describes it as challenging, but the only one.
"This journey began a long time ago, it is as long as it needs to be, it is very challenging, but it is the only path we have. We would all like some things to happen faster, but it is very difficult to defeat this much machinery and remain untainted. That is why in 2026 we need even more patience, but also faith, unity and courage," he says.
The student movement has grown into a broader, general society and actually represents hope for the entire region, the actor believes.
"I see this movement as the only hope that things can change drastically at this moment. It's nice to see that there are people who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, and that there are many of them. I think this is a good sign for the entire region, because I believe that this kind of youth exists in every country in the region and that, if good wins, most of the diplomatic problems that our politicians have been working on for decades to make us like this would be resolved in a few years," says Piale.
However, what is evident is that many are suffering precisely because of this, and that the response from the authorities, i.e. the authorities in Serbia, is open and clear. Thus, Stevan Piale was left without an engagement in the series "Game of Fate" for which he became recognizable to the wider public. Although he revealed that he had certainly considered leaving that project, he emphasized that the final decision, after pressure and "advice", came as a result of social activism - support for students, but also protests against Rio Tinto and others. For "Vijesti" he also reveals the epilogue of all this - he found himself on the "list of unsuitable actors".
"Well, the epilogue is that I've been out of work for almost a year now. I've ended up on those famous blacklists and I believe there's little chance that I'll be filming anything in the near future, but hey, that was a risk I was prepared to take," he concludes, adding:
"I have seven plays and I'm preparing two more, so I'm enjoying that and keeping fit. There are problems in that theatrical life too, because I recently found out that there are bans there too. The producer told me that he couldn't sell the play I'm acting in in several cities in Serbia because I'm on some list of unsuitable actors... But I've said it before, it's going to get worse until it gets better," says Piale.
Considering all of this, the role of each individual is of great importance for both society and the system, including the artist.
"I think everyone should fight for justice and progress. And that's what children should be taught in school. We all have to fight as much as we can. Yes, we artists are in the spotlight and as public figures we may be able to influence more people, but despite that, I think everyone has to find a way to influence others, especially now with social media and everything the internet offers us... Of course, in addition to those direct messages and calls, our task is to influence public opinion through art, and difficult times have always been particularly inspiring for artists," Piale emphasizes.
Speaking further about the position of actors and artists in general, but also the responsibility and influence they have as public figures, he says that the responsibility of all factors in society is equal.
"I think we all have equal responsibility, except that our profession itself somehow requires us to engage in criticism of society. As for the position of an actor in Serbia, it is currently quite uncomfortable because it is very difficult to maneuver in this time and system. Fighting for a better tomorrow, risking losing your job while knowing that at the same time you have to feed your children, pay your bills, register your car... Not agreeing to 'indecent offers', and you don't know if you will have any offers in a month... But well, no one thought this would be easy," Piale sums up the situation.
He was a guest in Montenegro in November, when he performed at the closing of the International Actor's Festival in Nikšić, as part of the cabaret “Dobra stara vremena.” The audience enjoyed and well received the songs from the cabaret, including a couple of his own songs that he performed with the guitar.
"This is the second time I'm performing at the closing of the Actor's Festival and I'm really honored, because I think it's a great and important festival. Plus, the people are wonderful and we always have a great time afterwards. Music is very important to me and one of my New Year's resolutions is to dedicate myself a little more to singing and guitar this year, and to train myself for something I plan to do in the near future," reveals Piale.
Given the suggestiveness of the title, but also the beautiful and melancholic cabaret, Piale reveals for "Vijesti" what his first association with the "good old days" is, besides cabaret.
"It's a very subjective thing. For me, it's early childhood and growing up in Zemun, in the Sava Kovačević neighborhood. Given that it was the beginning of the nineties, I believe that most people don't have that much sympathy for my good old days, but what can I do about them... Those were really good old days for me, carefree but also full of adventure, hide and seek, football... What do you want!", recalls Piale.
If the old days are the good ones, what are the current ones like and what awaits us in the future, the actor once again reminds us that this is also subjective, and reveals his perception.
"We have already dealt with today's times, but we certainly must not run away from them. Whatever they are, they are ours and we have no other. We must be present in these present times and be ready to fight to make those future times more beautiful for us," he says.
The course of "Game of Fate"
In the announcement in which Stevan Piale said goodbye to the series "Game of Fate", he admitted that he was skeptical about the project at the very beginning, primarily because it was a telenovela, or soap opera.
"That's right. If I had been in a better financial situation, I probably wouldn't have even considered that casting, because at the time I was tripping on some great art," he says at the beginning and continues:
"It turned out that 'Game of Fate', besides being a telenovela and a series in which we filmed two episodes a day and often uttered some meaningless text, turned out to be the most important and probably the most beloved project of my career so far. I came with some deviation, and soon realized that I was not up to that format," Piale points out and reveals how that view has changed over time.
"It took me at least a year of filming to get to a point where I started to feel comfortable in front of the camera. I learned a lot in those five years - about acting, about the camera, and about myself. It was a very important period in my life and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to experience it all," he points out.
He adds that people in some way need such a genre, and even a format.
"As far as the audience is concerned, they obviously need something like this, as long as the series is still being filmed and aired. People need something they can play when they get home and rest their brains. My only regret is that I think that series of this type could be much better with a little more effort," Piale says honestly.
Considering that that period is behind him, he also admits that he wishes for a new, memorable role that would distance him from Luka and bring him closer to the audience in a different way.
"Of course, I would really like that and I've been thinking about it for years, but I'm aware that it will take some time (unrelated to blacklists) for someone to take me for something big, until the audience forgets Luka Kanački for a while. But if they don't call me even then, I'll be forced to write and record something myself," concludes Stevan Piale.
Although on the "unsuitable list", he doesn't wait for opportunities, he creates them
Although he says he has been placed on the "list of unsuitable actors", Stevan Piale is not sitting around waiting for projects, but has taken matters into his own hands... For "Vijesti" he reveals what he is currently working on and where the audience can see him.
"In October, I had the premiere of the play 'House on the Beach' at the 'Vuk' Theatre and so far it's going well. I'm currently preparing the play 'Balloon' based on a very interesting text by Mate Matišić. I'm also working on a duo drama with my colleague Milica Majkić. In addition, you can see me at the National Theatre in the play 'Tears are OK', at 'Madlenianum' in the play 'Kazanov vs. Don Juan', at 'Polet' in the cabaret 'Kapor', at the 'Puž' theatre in the play 'Cvrčak i mrav'. In guest appearances in the play 'Veliki talas', and the cabaret 'Dobra stara vremena'... In addition, once a month I organize poetry evenings under the name 'Vazda bilo' in a space called 'Kvaka 22'", the actor lists, reminding that he looks forward to every new experience, both in the theatre and in front of the cameras, and that he doesn't hesitate to start things up and create opportunities himself.
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