Interview

Darko Perić, Known to the World as Helsinki, Now Reveals: They Didn't Want Jokić, They Said He Was a Scam! /VIDEO/

Pulse Sports Team 18:40 - 24 August 2026

The world remembers him for the biggest money-printing factory heist, but on Thursday night, he enjoyed a basketball one, watching Jokić's team dismantle the French in the middle of the Belgrade Arena. The globally popular Helsinki from the series "La Casa de Papel," celebrated Serbian actor Darko Perić, is probably one of the best basketball players among actors and actors among basketball players.

As a former official ambassador for both the EuroLeague and the NBA in Europe, Perić shares incredible anecdotes with Sportal from his time with the biggest stars and details from his relationships with coaching giants like Svetislav Pešić and Željko Obradović.

Although his life's journey took him from the banks of the Danube in his native Kladovo all the way to Spain, where he built an impressive acting career, his first love remains untouched. Whenever his schedule allows, he follows basketball from the front row, especially the Serbian national team:

I came mostly for my son; he wanted to see his idols—Jokić and Wembanyama. And to see them right here in the Belgrade Arena... well, it was phenomenal. What can I say? Even though it was a friendly, it was a really good game. They fought hard, we saw real fighters on the court, and I think this could be a European Championship final. It was just phenomenal, everything! My son plays basketball in Barcelona, and he's a bit like Jokić. He's just like Jokić was when he was young—a bit bigger, and his build reminds me of him... He watched his idols in the Arena and really enjoyed it. Darko Perić, actor

During halftime of the friendly match between Serbia and France, Perić had an interesting conversation with Svetislav Pešić, and he has now revealed what they talked about:

Kari and I see each other in Barcelona, at the games. We both speak Spanish well. So he was saying something in Spanish to my little one. He said, 'Wow, you're like a little Jokić!'—that was Kari's comment. Darko Perić, actor

You've closely followed the Serbian national team during the Svetislav Pešić era. From your perspective, how does his work compare to what Dušan Alimpijević is doing?

I think Alimpijević's and Kari's are two different schools of basketball... I don't know, you know how I always tell people, I love basketball, but I don't get stressed about it. I only get stressed when I watch the national team or when I watch my son play. But I can see they're good guys. They really play, they have the will... There's a generation gap between Kari's old school and Alimpijević, so they're probably a bit more relaxed with Alimpijević than with Pešić. Darko Perić, actor

As the charismatic actor points out, he is endlessly pleased that the title of the best basketball player on the planet is now held by a guy who, until recently, was "chugging burek and Coca-Cola":

I've only met Jokić once, but I truly respect him as a player. He really showed that you don't have to be skinny, tall, and lanky to play basketball. Instead, a guy who used to down burek and Coca-Cola appeared and is now one of the best white basketball players in history! Something completely different, I mean, that kind of basketball intelligence... you don't see it often. I have an anecdote about him... I was talking to someone from Barcelona's management about when they scouted him here, when he was supposed to sign for Barcelona. They asked about him, 'What is this? What kind of scam is this?', 'We don't need a player like that!'. That was a few years ago. Darko Perić, actor

Darko has known Željko Obradović for many years and commented very positively on the coach's return to his club:

Of course! I know his daughter Anja and son Đorđe. They lived in Barcelona when he was coaching Joventut... so, we keep in touch sometimes. Since he's been here in Belgrade, I've been to a few games. You know, the same thing is happening to me now. I left Serbia 30 years ago and came back last spring to organize the first festival in Kladovo. Željko returned to his club after 30 years. I tell my son this too; basketball players are like actors, moving from project to project, you don't have one club you're tied to. That's his home there. He won all those trophies there, so I think it's his second home. Partizan is certainly in his heart, that's inevitable. Darko Perić, actor

Your role as an ambassador for the EuroLeague and the NBA brought you work on major European projects. What left the biggest impression on you from those basketball engagements?

My favorite was working on the first Final Four in Belgrade. Because I had left 30 years ago, and before that, I lived in Kladovo, so I didn't have many opportunities to come here for games. I remember it most because it was practically my first time back in Serbia after I don't know how many years, and I recall that Fener was playing then, with Željko as coach, and Belgrade was packed with Fenerbahçe fans; the Turkish club was a huge hit. I remember being with my father, who couldn't believe how many people were asking to take pictures with me, even though nobody knew me in Serbia. And I was especially happy because Luka Dončić was there, and literally the entire Arena was cheering for Fener and for Željko, of course, and to me, Luka was this 16-year-old who became the EuroLeague MVP, and that was one of my fondest memories. Darko Perić, actor

Given that he has ended his basketball career, Nikola Kalinić could, according to our celebrated actor, comfortably try his hand in the acting world.

There were some rumors that he might return to Barça, but... maybe in a different capacity. Maybe acting—why not, he's good, he's feisty! Darko Perić, actor

The Serbian actor gained global fame for his role as the famous Helsinki in the hit series "La Casa de Papel" ("Money Heist"). Since the red jumpsuit changed his life, he drew an interesting parallel and revealed which of the current Serbian national team players he would choose as ideal reinforcements for his "heist" crew in the famous Spanish thriller.

I was talking with Nedović a few years ago. He and Bogdanović acted in some series, I think it was 'Ispod obruča' ('Under the Hoop'). And he tells me, 'Bro, it's not that easy, we had to eat some beans, and we had to repeat it a hundred times...'. It was funny. But I think of our guys, Aleksa Avramović definitely has the most expressive face—we were just talking about it last night. He's the kind of character who could definitely pull off a role. And of course, among our basketball players, we also have a world star and an excellent actor, my fellow countryman from eastern Serbia, Boban Marjanović. Darko Perić, actor

To conclude this fantastic conversation, "Helsinki" returned to where it all began—the banks of the Danube. Although he now lives the Hollywood dream in Spain, Perić hasn't forgotten his roots, reflecting on the festival he organizes in his hometown of Kladovo:

I wanted to create this festival in Kladovo because that part of eastern Serbia is a bit neglected. We have the Danube—it's a real treasure. We have the Đerdap National Park, it's truly beautiful. In Kladovo, there's this old, old fortress from Roman times. The fortress has now been renovated, and cruise ships with guests from Germany are coming. So the idea was: let's do something in this small town so people can enjoy it. They don't even have a cinema. From Wednesday, August 26th, to Saturday, August 29th, this international non-competitive film festival will be held. We have three premieres... we have a film from America, from New York... We have a Spanish film, and an Italian production that I'm in. What I'm most proud of is the premiere of the remastered film 'I Bog stvori kafansku pevačicu' ('And God Created the Tavern Singer'), which was filmed way back in 1972 in Kladovo, right in my grandmother's tavern. So, that's kind of the leitmotif of this festival! Darko Perić, actor

VIDEO Alimpijević on Serbia, Zvezda, and Partizan: Everyone wants the Serbian gene, but the EuroLeague dictates otherwise!

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