Yugoslav Movie Star Bekim Fehmiu Found Dead

Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed the death of the star, saying that the actor was found shot in his apartment in Belgrade today.

It is assumed that Fehmiu committed suicide, Dacic said, because the shots were fired from a gun which is registered to Fehmiu's name.

Born in Sarajevo in 1936, to ethnic Albanian parents Fehmiu gained popularity in Yugoslavia in his role of handsome Bora in the movie Skupljaci Perja, directed by Aleksandar Sasa Petrovic in 1967.

Soon afterward Fehmiu began an international career, starring mostly in European productions, particularly in Italy and also in the US, collaborating with director Dean de Laurentiis and John Huston, Olivia de Hevilend, Ava Gardner, Dirk Bogart, Charles Aznavour and other world stars.

In late 1980s Fehmiu, who was also considered one of the most handsome actors in the region, announced he was retiring from public life after roles in some 45 films.