[5][6] Following the couple's teaching postings, the family later moved to Gornji Milanovac, in central Serbia, where Miroslava's father, a talented violinist,[7] died young in 1932, and then to Aranđelovac, before eventually settling in Belgrade where Mira graduated secondary school at the city's Trade Academy (Trgovačka akademija).

Her early career, just like her personal life at the time, centered around then popular and established actor Milivoj "Mavid" Popović who became her husband in 1943.

[2][7] On European tour she won international acclaim as Petrunjela in Dundo Maroje by Marin Držić in Vienna, Paris and Moscow.

[2][7][8] She was known for her rich expression, emotivity, and inspiring temperament as well as for possessing universal aptitude toward acting, which allowed her to equally master both dramatic and comedic roles, and to successfully breaks barriers between genres.

[11][12][13] Apart from Petrunjela, others include: Živka (The Cabinet minister’s wife by Branislav Nušić), Joan of Arc (Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw), Colombe (by Jean Anouilh), Grusha Vashnadze (The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertold Brecht), Lucietta (Le baruffe chiozzotte by Carlo Goldoni, Commissar (An Optimistic Tragedy by Vsevolod Vishnevsky), Glorija (by Ranko Marinković), Mirandolina (The Mistress of the Inn by Carlo Goldoni), Melita (Leda by Miroslav Krleža), Signora Ignazia (Tonight We Improvise by Luigi Pirandello), Mary (Mary fights with the angels by Pavel Kohout), Chérubin (The Marriage of Figaro by Beaumarchais), Ljubica (Đido by Janko Veselinović), Grushenka (The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky), Alexandra Negina (Talents and Admirers by Aleksandr Ostrovsky), Danica (Ljubav by Milan Đoković), Madame Sans-Gêne (by Victorien Sardou), Actress (L'Otage by Paul Claudel), Baroness Castelli-Glembay (Messrs. Glembay by Miroslav Krleža), Nastasya Filipovna (The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Jenny Diver (The Threepenny Opera by Bertrold Brecht), Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, and Lady Milford (Intrigue and Love by Friedrich Schiller).

She made her feature film debut in 1951 film Bakonja fra Brne by Fedor Hanžeković,[1] followed by the roles in The Parvenus (1953; directed by Bojan Stupica),[8] I Was Stronger (1953; Gustav Gavrin),[11] Stojan Mutikaša (1954; Fedor Hanžeković),[8] Hanka (1955; Slavko Vorkapić),[1] U mreži (1956; Bojan Stupica),[8] Mali čovek (1957; Žika Čukulić), The Fourteenth Day (1960; Zdravko Velimirović),[14] Destination Death (1964; Wolfgang Staudte),[14] Narodni poslanik (1964; Stole Janković),[15] Roj (1966; Mića Popović),[16] Pre rata (1966; Vuk Babić),[15] Palma među palmama (1967; Milo Đukanović),[15] Delije (1968; Mića Popović),[8] Sunce tuđeg neba (1968; Milutin Kosovac), Krvava bajka (1969; Branimir Tori Janković),[8] Doručak sa đavolom (1971; Mika Antić),[8] Kako umreti (1972; Miomir Miki Stamenković),[11] Zvezde su oči ratnika (1972; Branimir Tori Janković) and Sablazan (1982; Dragovan Jovanović).

After a long absence from the silver screen, younger generation of Serbian movie directors again showed interest in her, so she appeared in well received supporting roles in 2006 in Miroslav Momčilović’s Seven and a half,[1] and, in 2011 in Srđan Dragojević’s The Parade.

Her other noteworthy TV roles include those in mini-series Sedam sekretara SKOJ-a (1981),[11] Španac (1982)[11] and especially Priče iz fabrike (1985)[9] and Otvorena vrata (1995).

[15] In 1943, at the age of 19, she married popular Serbian actor and famous playboy Milivoj "Mavid" Popović (1909–94), who was 14 years her senior.

[31] On 23 September 2013, an exhibition titled Mira Stupica – actress of the century was held in the Museum of the National Theatre in Belgrade.