Kadri Maksut Roshi (4 January 1924 – 6 February 2007) was an Albanian actor. His great performances in films and theater named him a truly legend, and

People's Artist of Albania The People's Artist () was an honorary title for outstanding art performers of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania, whose merits were exceptional in the sphere of development of the performing arts (theatre, music, Film, cinema and art). I ...

. His performances were characterized by a profound depth and authenticity, making him a beloved figure in

Albanian art Albanian art ( ) refers to all artistic expressions and artworks in Albania or produced by Albanians. The country's art is either work of arts produced by its people and influenced by its culture and traditions. It has preserved its original el ...

Early life

Born in

Ballsh Ballsh ( sq-definite, Ballshi) is a town and a former municipality in Fier County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision and the seat of the municipality Mallakastër. It was the seat of the former District ...

Mallakastër Mallakastër ( sq-definite, Mallakastra) is a region and a municipality in Fier County, southwestern Albania. It was created in 2015 by the merger of the present municipalities Aranitas, Ballsh, Fratar, Greshicë, Hekal, Kutë, Ngraçan, Q ...

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

, Roshi faced significant hardships from a young age. He lost his mother at the age of 2 and became an

orphan An orphan is a child whose parents have died, are unknown, or have permanently abandoned them. It can also refer to a child who has lost only one parent, as the Hebrew language, Hebrew translation, for example, is "fatherless". In some languages ...

at 12 following his father's death. In his quest for survival, Roshi moved through various Albanian cities, including Vlora,

Kavajë Kavajë ( , sq-definite, Kavaja) is a city and municipality centrally located in the Western Lowlands region of Albania, in Tirana County. It borders Durrës to the north , Tirana, Tiranë to the east and Rrogozhinë to the south . To the west ...

Gjirokastër Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in Southern Albania, southern Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë moun ...

Durrës Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the List of cities and towns in Albania#List, second most populous city of the Albania, Republic of Albania and county seat, seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is one of Albania's oldest ...

, and finally

Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...

. During this period, he undertook various jobs such as a port laborer, maintenance worker, and cinema ticket seller.

Career

Roshi's passion for acting was ignited by his

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

teacher, leading him to join the People's Theater in

at the age of 21. He began as a prompter and quickly rose to prominence, becoming a central figure in Albanian theater. In 1947, he was granted the opportunity to study in

Zagreb, Croatia Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

. However, due to political tensions between

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

and

, he transferred to

Prague, Czech Republic Prague ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan area is home to approximately 2.3 m ...

, where he completed his studies with distinction. Throughout his illustrious career, Roshi portrayed approximately 215 roles in

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...

and

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

. Some of his notable film appearances include: ''Tana'', '' Gjeneral Gramafoni'', ''Ballë për ballë'', '' Kolonel Bunker'' etc.

Personal life and death

Kadri was married to Drita Taho and they had a son, Kliti Roshi who is also an actor of Albanian film and stage, and a daughter named Ermira who is an opera singer. Roshi died on 6 February 2007 at the age of 83 in

. His legacy endures through his extensive body of work, which continues to inspire and influence Albanian actors and audiences alike.

Filmography

References

External links

* 1924 births 2007 deaths Albanian male film actors People from Mallakastër {{albania-actor-stub 20th-century Albanian actors 20th-century Albanian male actors 21st-century Albanian actors 21st-century Albanian male actors People's Artists of Albania