When Đurić was fourteen, his widowed mother married painter Branislav "Branko" Popovac so part of the youngster's adolescence was spent with a stepfather who encouraged him to pursue his artistic talents.

Earlier, in April 1984, while contemplating giving the ASU yet another try, Đurić joined Top lista nadrealista, TV Sarajevo's newly-launched prime time television show overlapping folk music with sketch comedy.

By now known to the wider public by his nickname Đuro, Đurić was a prominent member of the troupe, playing multiple characters, with his portrayal of a jumpy TV station security guard with the catchphrase "Ćega, ba" getting the most attention.

Đuro and colleague Zenit Đozić took many of those offers throughout the second part of 1984, cashing in their Nadrealisti prominence by performing as comic relief[7] on folk music tours named "Udri kapom o ledinu", "Zasviraj i za pojas zadjeni", "Prođoh Bosnu pjevajući", etc.

Cashing in on the sudden popularity of his comedic everyman persona, Đuro, an ASU student, starred in a series of television commercials shot in early 1985 for the local tourist board in Sarajevo—promoting tourism on Jahorina and Bjelašnica mountains around the city—with recycled folksy catchphrase from Audicija, "Joj razlike, drastićne", delivered in heavy Sarajevan accent as somewhat of a punchline.

[12] With the song in heavy radio rotation and the album selling well, the commercials also began airing a lot more frequently, leading to a surge of popularity for Đurić throughout late 1986 and early 1987.

[9] Due to Bregović's habit of mercilessly reusing and recycling old material, the same tune would in 1992 also be sung by Iggy Pop as "Get the Money" on the Arizona Dream movie soundtrack.

[13] Also in 1985, while still in the first year of his ASU studies, the young actor got cast against type by Kenović for the leading role in Ovo malo duše TV drama film, a touching rural coming-of-age story written by Ranko Božić [sr], with Đuro set to play the role of Ibrahim Halilović, suddenly single father in a remote Bosnian village after his wife passes away.

Ovo malo duše led to a few more dramatic roles on television for Đurić – in Znak series on TVSa and Vanja movie that aired on TV Novi Sad.

[14] Đuro then caught a bit of break when the Palm d'Or-winning director Emir Kusturica cast him in Dom za vešanje, which became the young actor's very first role in a feature film.

He also participated in Kako je propao rokenrol (a three-story ensemble film by recent Belgrade Faculty of Dramatic Arts graduates), playing the male lead in the third story opposite Vesna Trivalić about a young couple preparing for the arrival of their first baby.

In fall 1989, Top lista nadrealista's second series started airing, a 7-episode chunk that achieved huge viewership rates in addition to critical praise, all of which solidified Đuro's status in the country.

In parallel with trying to make it in the Yugoslav cinema and theatre as an actor, and even later after managing to become a successful one, Đurić has been involved with bands though his musical activity was mostly scheduled around his acting commitments.

In December 2008, he reunited with Bombaj Štampa for a concert in Sarajevo featuring original guitarist Nedim Babović and drummer Dragan Bajić along with bassist Ernie Mendillo (The Brandos).