Born in Belgrade (Serbia), she graduated in acting from Faculty of Dramatic Arts. In theater she has widest range of roles, from contemporary to classical repertoire. In Yugoslavia Drama Theater: Per Gint (Unknown), Patriots (Zelenicka), The Minister’s Wife (Zivka), Hamlet (Gertrude), Barrel of Gunpowder (Evdokia), Theater Illusions (Liz), Molière (Madeleine Bèjart), Before Retirement (Faith), Drama about Mirjana and those around her (Mirjana), Fedra’s love (Fedra), Month in the country side (Natalia Petrovna); In Zvezdara Theater: Carp spawning (Mica), Market day (Darinka Sancika); In Bitef theater: Hinkemann Case (Circus director), The Threepenny Opera (Jenny), Helver’s night (Karla)… She also acted in Belgrade drama theater, HNK Rijeka…

From 1995. to 2018. she taught acting at the Belgrade Academy of Arts as a full-time professor. Mirjana has directed three plays, 4.48 Psychosis (by Sarah Kane) in Bitef theater, We are the ones our parents warned us about (by Tanja Sljivar) in Bosnian National Theater in Zenica and Julija produced by Heartefact in Bitef theater.

She made her film debut in 1980. with the title role in Srdjan Karanovic’s movie Petria’s Wreath (Golden Arena award winner). She gaind worldwide fame with her role as a mother in the Emir Kusturica’s movie Father on a business trip (Golden Arena and Palme d’Or award, 1985). She worked with the greatest directors of Yugoslavian and Serbian film, such as Goran Markovic, Lordan Zafranovic, Boro Draskovic, Veljko Bulajic, Zika Pavlovic, Goran Paskaljevic, Branko Baletic… She acted in about 40 feature films in Yugoslavia, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo and Switzerland and in around 100 theater projects. She has won numerous awards at international film and theater festivals around the world. She was a member of the jury at festivals in Sarajevo, Thessaloniki, Karlovy Vary…

In 2006. Mirjana was nominated for the Best Actress in Europe.

In 2014 she directed the movie Good Woman for wich she wrote the screenplay. The film had its world premiere in the competition selection of Sundance Film Festival.

She is very active in the fight for human rights and has received national recognition for her work.