Ivo Ban Biography: Age, Net Worth, Height, Parents, Wife, Children, Movies, TV Shows, Awards

Ivo Ban is a veteran Slovenian actor, celebrated for his extensive work in theatre and film.

Recognized for his remarkable stage presence and acting versatility, he has received prestigious accolades, including the Borštnik Ring Award, cementing his legacy in Slovenian performing arts.

A permanent member of SNT Drama Ljubljana since 1975, he has appeared in over 200 stage productions and is the recipient of virtually every major national honor, including the prestigious Borštnik Ring Award (1997) – Slovenia’s highest recognition for a lifetime contribution to theater – as well as multiple Borštnik Awards for Best Actor, the Prešeren Prize for Lifetime Achievement (2012), and the Župančič Award.

Profile

• Full Name: Ivo Ban
• Stage Name: Ivo Ban
• Born: May 19, 1949
• Age: 76 years old
• Birthplace: Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia
• Nationality: Slovenian
• Occupation: Actor
• Height: Unknown
• Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Ban
• Siblings: Unknown
• Spouse: Ana Ban
• Children: Tom Ban
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $800,000

Early Life and Education

Ivo Ban was born on May 19, 1949, in Slovenj Gradec, a small industrial town in northern Slovenia, to parents referred to as Mr. and Mrs. Ban.

He might have had siblings but details about them are unknown.

He discovered theater early through local amateur groups and decided to pursue acting professionally while still in high school.

He enrolled at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television (AGRFT) in Ljubljana, graduating in 1973 in the class of professor France Jamnik.

Immediately after graduation he was invited to join the ensemble of SNT Drama Ljubljana, where he remained for half a century.

He is of Slovenian ethnicity, though details about his religious beliefs are unknown.

Career

Ivo Ban’s career is synonymous with the golden age of Slovenian repertory theater.

From his breakout performances in the 1970s – notably as Oedipus and Richard III – to his late-career triumphs as King Lear, Hjalmar Ekdal, and Willy Loman, he has embodied the full spectrum of tragic and authoritarian roles with unmatched gravitas.

Directors and critics alike describe his stage presence as elemental: a voice that can fill the largest hall without amplification and a physicality that turns every entrance into an event.

Among his landmark interpretations are: King Lear (multiple productions, most recently 2016), Macbeth, Oedipus Rex, Tartuffe, Death of a Salesman (Willy Loman), The Father (Strindberg), and Krapp’s Last Tape (Beckett)

In film and television he is perhaps best known to wider audiences as the stern partisan commander in Outsider (1997), the patriarch in the series Naša mala klinika, and for numerous supporting roles in Slovenian cinema classics.

Though theater has always been his home, his screen work consistently earns praise for the same monumental authority he brings to the stage.

Even in his mid-70s, Ivo Ban continues to perform leading roles at SNT Drama Ljubljana and occasionally directs younger actors in workshop settings.

In 2024 he returned to the stage in a new production of Sophocles’ Antigone, proving that his power remains undiminished.

Social Media

Ivo Ban does not have personal social-media accounts.

Personal Life

Ivo Ban has been married for over four decades to actress and drama pedagogue Ana Ban.

Their son Tom Ban followed them into the profession and is now an established actor and director.

The family lives quietly in Ljubljana, rarely giving interviews about private matters.

Colleagues describe Ban as reserved off-stage, a voracious reader of philosophy and poetry, and a devoted mentor who still attends almost every Drama Ljubljana premiere to support younger ensemble members.

Filmography

• Outsider (1997)
• Oda Prešernu (2001)
• Naša mala klinika (TV series)
• Pod njenim oknom (2003)

Theater Roles (SNT Drama Ljubljana)

• King Lear
• Oedipus Rex
• Macbeth
• Richard III
• Tartuffe
• Willy Loman (Death of a Salesman)
• Krapp (Krapp’s Last Tape)

Net Worth

Ivo Ban has an estimated net worth of $800,000. He has earned his income primarily through his lifelong contract with SNT Drama Ljubljana, state lifetime-achievement awards, film and television roles, and occasional international guest appearances.