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<\/p>\nMilica Govich retiring after 22 years of inspiring Oakland University theatre students<\/p>\n
After 22 years of inspiring students in Oakland University\u2019s School of Music, Theatre and Dance, special lecturer and accomplished actress Milica Govich is retiring from teaching, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the university\u2019s theatre program and in the lives of countless students she mentored.<\/p>\n
Govich joined Oakland University in 2004 and helped transform the university\u2019s Acting for the Camera curriculum into one of the theatre program\u2019s most sought-after areas of study. Throughout her tenure, she balanced her role as an educator with an active professional acting career that spanned film, television, Broadway and regional theatre.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has been instrumental in the growth of our \u2018Acting for the Camera\u2019 program and has been a tireless advocate for our students, actively promoting their early career entrance into the film and television industry,\u201d said Jeremy Barnett, chair of Oakland University\u2019s Department of Theatre.<\/p>\n
Govich discovered her love for performing as a child, appearing in church and school plays before earning her Master of Fine Arts degree from Ohio University\u2019s Professional Actor Training Program and moving to New York City to pursue acting professionally.<\/p>\n
Over the course of her career, she built an extensive r\u00e9sum\u00e9 spanning stage, television and film. She toured nationally and appeared on Broadway in \u201cHello, Dolly!\u201d starring Carol Channing and performed at leading regional theatres throughout Michigan, including Purple Rose Theatre Company, Meadow Brook Theatre, Performance Network Theatre and Jewish Ensemble Theatre.<\/p>\n
Among her favorite stage roles were Virginia in \u201cThe Clean House\u201d and Sonia in \u201cSonia Flew\u201d at Performance Network Theatre in Ann Arbor, as well as roles in \u201cBroadway Bound\u201d and \u201cFalsettos\u201d at Jewish Ensemble Theatre. Her screen credits include the recurring role of Judge Leanne Dreben in \u201cLaw & Order,\u201d \u201cChicago Fire,\u201d \u201cFBI: Most Wanted\u201d and \u201cBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,\u201d along with playing Gus\u2019s mom in the blockbuster film \u201cThe Fault in Our Stars.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Milica Govich and Shailene Woodley in ‘The Fault in Our Stars’<\/p>\n
Govich\u2019s connection to \u201cThe Fault in Our Stars\u201d later came full circle at Oakland University when she was honored to moderate \u201cA Conversation with John Green\u201d in 2025 as part of the Varner Vitality Lecture Series. Held in the Oakland Center Founders Ballroom, the event brought students and community members together for a conversation with the bestselling author of the novel that inspired the film. Presented by the Student Life Lecture Board, Academic Affairs\/Office of the Provost, The Donna and Walt Young Honors College and Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, the event highlighted Govich\u2019s unique ability to bridge her professional acting career with meaningful student engagement opportunities on campus.<\/p>\n
She said maintaining an active professional career allowed her to bring real-world experience and current industry knowledge into the classroom.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think students appreciated learning from someone who was actively working in the industry,\u201d she said. \u201cIt helped bridge the gap between classroom training and the realities of professional acting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her Broadway tour with \u201cHello, Dolly!\u201d ultimately changed the course of her life.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile playing Detroit, I was introduced to my future husband at a Serbian bowling tournament in Windsor,\u201d Govich recalled. \u201cThe rest is history.\u201d<\/p>\n
After settling in Michigan, Govich became deeply involved in the regional theatre scene, performing at the Purple Rose Theatre Company and Meadow Brook Theatre. During an audition taking place on Oakland\u2019s campus, she stopped in to visit longtime theatre faculty member Karen Sheridan\u00a0and left behind her r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and headshot. Sheridan directed Govich in \u201cAnd Then They Came for Me\u201d at Meadow Brook Theatre.<\/p>\n
\u201cI marvel today that she was actually in her office,\u201d Govich said with a laugh.<\/p>\n
A few months later, Govich was hired to teach Musical Theatre Workshop. Over the years, she also taught Intro to Theatre, Stage Voice, Actor Coaching, Acting for Non-Majors and Acting for the Camera, eventually developing the advanced Acting for the Camera curriculum in response to growing student demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I started at Oakland, on-camera acting was offered once every two years,\u201d Govich said. \u201cBecause of the demand, the program grew to a Cam 1 and 2 each semester, and sometimes even a Cam 3 and 4.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Milica Govich on ‘Law & Order’<\/p>\n
She said some of her proudest moments came from seeing former students succeed professionally in film, television and theatre.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been wonderful seeing it expand and grow, and to see the students move on to work in the industry,\u201d Govich said. \u201cI still maintain close relationships with many of them who still call for advice and coaching.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also took pride in inspiring students to pursue theatre studies after taking her introductory courses.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeveral of my THA 1000 students became acting majors after taking my intro class,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on today\u2019s entertainment industry, Govich encourages aspiring actors to remain proactive and grounded.<\/p>\n
\u201cCreate your own projects and work,\u201d she advised. \u201cTake every opportunity that comes your way as you never know who you\u2019ll meet on the way. Have a life outside of your work. Having a family and supportive friends is key to having a happy life, and important to have that support as you pursue this very difficult career path.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although she is retiring from teaching, Govich says she has no plans to step away from the arts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not really retiring, just moving on to do other things,\u201d she said. Those plans include continuing to work on stage and screen, as well as finishing a screenplay she hopes to adapt into a play.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd whatever else the universe has in mind for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additional information about Govich\u2019s career and teaching background is available on the Oakland University School of Music, Theatre and Dance website<\/a> and her IMDb profile<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Milica Govich retiring after 22 years of inspiring Oakland University theatre students After 22 years of inspiring students…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7291,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[143,145,144],"class_list":["post-344311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oakland","tag-oakland","tag-oakland-headlines","tag-oakland-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=344311"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344311\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=344311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=344311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=344311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}