Bojana Novakovic (born 17 November 1981) is an Australian actress and filmmaker. She is known for starring in the police procedural television series Instinct (2018–2019) and the family drama series Love Me (2021–2023), for which she was nominated for several awards. 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).

Novakovic wrote, directed, filmed, and co-produced in her first feature film, a documentary set in Serbia, titled The Forbidden Aunt, which has its world premiere on 16 October 2026. Born in Serbia, Novakovic immigrated to Australia as a child.

Early life and education Novakovic was born on 17 November 1981 to computer programmers Biljana and Radovan Novakovic in Belgrade, then the capital of SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia. When she was seven years old, the family immigrated to Australia, settling in Sydney, New South Wales.

In Australia, Biljana became a sculptor, gaining two master's degrees in fine arts. Novakovic studied at The McDonald College, where she was dux in 1998. In 2002, she graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art.

Career Stage Novakovic's 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).

For some years Novakovic ran 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. In May 2012, she starred in a Ride On improvised theatrical production called The Blind Date project at the Brisbane Powerhouse which was later also performed in Sydney and Santa Monica, California.

Screen 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).

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 in 2014.

In 2025, Novakovic turned her hand to filmmaking, being screenwriter, director, cinematographer, and co-producer on the feature documentary film The Forbidden Aunt (Zabranjena tetka). The story focuses on a real-life aunt of Novakovic, the estranged Aunt Gordana, and reveals abuse, addiction, and generational trauma of women in Serbia. Filmed in Serbia and produced through Sense Productions, the film is supported by the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund, and is set to screen at the Adelaide Film Festival on 18 October 2026, in its world premiere.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1997 Blackrock Tracy Warner 1999 Strange Fits of Passion Jaya 2000 Tianna 2004 Thunderstruck Anna 2006 Solo Billie Finn 2006 Marina 2008 Seven Pounds Julie 2009 Drag Me to Hell Ilenka Ganush 2010 Edge of Darkness Emma Craven 2010 Devil Young Woman / (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 Maeve 2015 Clare Hitchens 2017 I, Tonya Dody Teachman 2017 Beyond Skyline Audrey 2018 Malicious Lisa 2020 Birds of Prey Erika Manson 2026 The Forbidden Aunt Writer, director, cinematographer, co-producer Documentary film

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 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 Detective 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" 2021–2023 Love Me Clara Mathieson Main role 2024 Chicago P.D. Josephine Petrovic Episodes: 11x07–11x08, 11x10, 11x12–11x132026Your Friends & NeighborsCricket BirchEpisode: "2.5"

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work ResultRef. 2004 Australian Film Institute Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama or Comedy Marking Time 2008 ASTRA Awards Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Female Satisfaction 2010 Australian Film Institute Best Actress Edge of Darkness 2012 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actress – Leading Role Burning Man 2013Australian Film Critics Association AwardsBest Supporting ActressNominated2022AACTA AwardsBest Lead Actress in a DramaLove MeNominatedLogie AwardsMost Popular ActressNominated2024AACTA AwardsBest Lead Actress in a DramaNominated

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