Christo Jivkov (; 18 February 1975 – 31 March 2023) was a Bulgarian actor. He first gained recognition for portraying

Giovanni delle Bande Nere Ludovico de' Medici, also known as Giovanni delle Bande Nere (6 April 1498 – 30 November 1526) was an Italian ''condottiero''. He is known for leading the Black Bands and serving valiantly in military combat under his third cousins, Pope Leo ...

in the period drama '' The Profession of Arms'' (2001), and later became better known for his leading role as St. John in

Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Mel Gibson, multiple accolades, he is known for directing historical films as well for his act ...

's ''

The Passion of the Christ ''The Passion of the Christ'' is a 2004 American epic biblical drama film co-produced and directed by Mel Gibson from a screenplay he wrote with Benedict Fitzgerald. It stars Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as the Bl ...

'' (2004). Jivkov also appeared in numerous Italian films and television shows, including ''

The Good War ''"The Good War": An Oral History of World War II'' (1984) is an oral history of World War II compiled by Studs Terkel. The work received the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. ''"The Good War"'' consists of a series of interviews wit ...

'' (2002), '' Eyes of Crystal'' (2004), ''

The Inquiry The Inquiry was a study group established in September 1917 by Woodrow Wilson to prepare materials for the peace negotiations following World War I. The group, composed of around 150 academics, was directed by the presidential adviser Edward Ho ...

'' (2006), '' The Lark Farm'' (2007), '' David's Birthday'', ''

Barbarossa Barbarossa, a name meaning "red beard" in Italian, primarily refers to: * Frederick Barbarossa (1122–1190), Holy Roman Emperor * Hayreddin Barbarossa (c. 1478–1546), Ottoman admiral * Operation Barbarossa, the Axis invasion of the Soviet Uni ...

'' (both 2009), '' The Invisible Boy'' (2014) and ''

Lucania Lucania was a historical region of Southern Italy, corresponding to the modern-day region of Basilicata. It was the land of the Lucani, an Oscan people. It extended from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Gulf of Taranto. It bordered with Samnium and ...

'' (2019).

Life and career

Jivkov was born 18 February 1975 in

Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...

, Bulgaria. Shortly after graduating from the

National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts The Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (commonly referred to as NATFIZ) is a performing, cinematic and media arts institution of higher education based in Sofia. It is the first Bulgarian university in the field of thea ...

where he majored in film directing, he was cast in the role of Giovanni de Medici in

Ermanno Olmi Ermanno Olmi (24 July 1931 – 7 May 2018)Lane, John Francis (May 7, 2018).Ermanno Olmi obituary. ''The Guardian''. theguardian.com. Retrieved 11 May 2018. was an Italian film director and screenwriter best known for directing '' Il Posto'' ( ...

's 2001 film '' The Profession of Arms'', which won nine awards at the 2002

David di Donatello Awards The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (the Academy of Italian Cinema). There are 26 award ca ...

, including

Best Film The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...

. In 2003, Jivkov starred in

's ''

'' alongside

Jim Caviezel James Patrick Caviezel Jr. ( ; born September 26, 1968) is an American actor. He played Jesus in ''The Passion of the Christ'' (2004), Tim Ballard in Sound of Freedom (film), ''Sound of Freedom'' (2023), and starred as John Reese (Person of Inte ...

and

Monica Bellucci Monica Anna Maria Bellucci (; born 30 September 1964) is an Italian actress and model who began her career as a fashion model before working in Italian, American, and French films. She has an eclectic filmography in a range of genres and langua ...

. The film achieved success at the box office, grossing $612 million worldwide. Jivkov was the co-founder of the Bulgarian production company Red Carpet Films.

Death

Jivkov died from lung cancer on 31 March 2023, at the age of 48, in Los Angeles. Tributes were paid by his friends and colleagues

Maria Grazia Cucinotta Maria Grazia Cucinotta (; born 27 July 1968) is an Italian actress who has featured in films and television series since 1990. Internationally she is best known for her roles in '' Il Postino'' and as the Bond girl, credited as "Cigar Girl", in ...

and Dessy Tenekedjieva, among others.

Filmography

Film

Television

As filmmaker

* ''

Druids A druid was a member of the high-ranking priestly class in ancient Celtic cultures. The druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no wr ...

'' (2001), assistant director * ''The Profit'' (2001), assistant director * ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

'' (2003), assistant director * ''Tears of the Motherland'' (2007), associate producer * ''Holy Light'' (2010), producer * ''Black & White in Color'' (2012), associate producer * ''Alienation'' (2013), executive producer

Notes

References

External links

* * 1975 births 2023 deaths Deaths from lung cancer in California Male actors from Sofia Bulgarian male film actors 21st-century Bulgarian male actors Big Brother (Bulgarian TV series) contestants Bulgarian company founders National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts alumni Bulgarian expatriates in the United States {{Bulgaria-actor-stub