Background
She grew up in Vrbovec, a town near Zagreb, and spent time traveling around Croatia and Germany as a child.
She grew up in Vrbovec, a town near Zagreb, and spent time traveling around Croatia and Germany as a child.
Academy of Dramatic Artist
Leona became interested in the arts and in sports at an early age. Throughout elementary and high school she was part of a drama group. Her first role was in a production of Cinderella.
During these years she also sang in a choir, actively engaged in a dance group combining modern and classical dances, and was involved in karate and tennis.
By the age of 18 Leona was enrolled in the Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb (Zagreb Academy of Drama Arts). Her first appearance in a feature film was in the 1999 film Madonna (Bogorodica, directed by Neven Hitrec).
She graduated in 2001. A year later she was honored with the most significant film award in Croatia – Golden Arena for Best Actress – at the 2002 Pula Film Festival in the feature film.
Since then Leona has acted major roles in over 30 films and television shows.
She performs frequently in the theater in leading roles that portray strong and powerful women. She has been a television presenter and is a frequent host at ceremonies and festivals, and is also involved in charitable work.
Leona is a member of the Croatian National Theater.