# Tomo Miličević
**Tomo Miličević** (full name Tomislav Miličević; born 1979 in Sarajevo) is a Bosnian-born American musician and record producer, best known as the lead guitarist of the Los Angeles rock band [Thirty Seconds to Mars](https://www.edgepedia.org/thirty-seconds-to-mars) from 2003 to 2018.[1](https://thirty-seconds-to-mars.fandom.com/wiki/Tomo_Mili%C4%8Devi%C4%87) During his fifteen years in the band he played on the albums *A Beautiful Lie* (2005), *This Is War* (2009), and *Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams* (2013), and in 2027 he is scheduled to rejoin the group for a European tour.[2](https://dog-bulldog-75n3.squarespace.com/blog/meet-tomo-milicevic)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1979, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (then SFR Yugoslavia); raised in Troy, Michigan from the third grade[1](https://thirty-seconds-to-mars.fandom.com/wiki/Tomo_Mili%C4%8Devi%C4%87) • [3](https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/250837/uploads/e0b65c10-f9ea-40dd-88ba-3cf08ff8d9a7.pdf) |
| Main role | Lead guitarist of Thirty Seconds to Mars, 2003–2018[1](https://thirty-seconds-to-mars.fandom.com/wiki/Tomo_Mili%C4%8Devi%C4%87) |
| Albums played on | *A Beautiful Lie* (2005), *This Is War* (2009), *Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams* (2013)[2](https://dog-bulldog-75n3.squarespace.com/blog/meet-tomo-milicevic) |
| Departure | Announced on June 11, 2018 that he was no longer in the band[4](https://www.kerrang.com/tomo-milicevic-has-left-thirty-seconds-to-mars) |
| Other work | Collaborations with Ivy Levan and Dommin; composer credits including "Walk on Water"[2](https://dog-bulldog-75n3.squarespace.com/blog/meet-tomo-milicevic) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2430595/) |
| Return | Rejoining the band for a 2027 European tour built around *A Beautiful Lie* and *This Is War*[2](https://dog-bulldog-75n3.squarespace.com/blog/meet-tomo-milicevic) |
## Early life and family
Miličević was born in Sarajevo to Croatian parents, Tonka and Damir Miličević. When he was in the third grade the family moved to [Troy, Michigan](https://www.edgepedia.org/troy-michigan), to avoid the [Bosnian War](https://www.edgepedia.org/bosnian-war); his father, an agricultural engineer in Croatia, took work at a meatpacking plant, and his mother, a psychiatrist, put handles on car doors at Chrysler.[3](https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/250837/uploads/e0b65c10-f9ea-40dd-88ba-3cf08ff8d9a7.pdf) He gained United States citizenship at about age 14 and still speaks fluent Croatian.[3](https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/250837/uploads/e0b65c10-f9ea-40dd-88ba-3cf08ff8d9a7.pdf)
His first instrument was the violin, which he began at age three with the aim of becoming a concert violinist, and he played it until he was 19.[6](https://jared-leto.net/30-seconds-to-mars/tomo-biography/) His uncle, Željko "Bill" Miličević, is a virtuoso violinist and orchestra teacher in Michigan.[6](https://jared-leto.net/30-seconds-to-mars/tomo-biography/) At age 11, friends introduced him to metal, especially [Metallica](https://www.edgepedia.org/metallica), and he switched to guitar.[3](https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/250837/uploads/e0b65c10-f9ea-40dd-88ba-3cf08ff8d9a7.pdf) He and his father spent an entire summer and $5,000 building his first electric guitar, combining a [Fender Telecaster](https://www.edgepedia.org/fender-telecaster) body with a Stratocaster neck and a [Les Paul](https://www.edgepedia.org/les-paul)-style mahogany body with a book-matched maple top.[3](https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/250837/uploads/e0b65c10-f9ea-40dd-88ba-3cf08ff8d9a7.pdf) That homemade guitar was later used on "A Modern Myth" from *A Beautiful Lie*, and Miličević said he called his father after recording to tell him it had been used.[6](https://jared-leto.net/30-seconds-to-mars/tomo-biography/)
After leaving school he attended culinary school and graduated as an executive and pastry chef, though music remained his main interest.[7](https://allaxess.com/tomo-milicevic/) He is left-handed but plays guitar right-handed.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2430595/)
## Thirty Seconds to Mars
In his early twenties, Miličević had decided to leave music and sell his instruments when [Shannon Leto](https://www.edgepedia.org/shannon-leto) told him about an audition for Thirty Seconds to Mars, whose previous guitarist Solon Bixler had left the band.[6](https://jared-leto.net/30-seconds-to-mars/tomo-biography/) Miličević, already a fan of the band, was selected from a field of about 200 musicians, chosen for his talent as well as his personality.[6](https://jared-leto.net/30-seconds-to-mars/tomo-biography/) Five days later, on February 3, 2003, he played his first show with [Jared Leto](https://www.edgepedia.org/jared-leto), Shannon Leto, and Matt Wachter on *The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn*.[6](https://jared-leto.net/30-seconds-to-mars/tomo-biography/)
His first studio album with the band, *A Beautiful Lie* (2005), brought worldwide recognition in the mid-2000s.[1](https://thirty-seconds-to-mars.fandom.com/wiki/Tomo_Mili%C4%8Devi%C4%87) The single "The Kill" spent more than 50 weeks on the Modern Rock airplay chart after peaking at number 3 in 2006, setting a record for the longest-running hit in the chart's history.[8](https://www.bizcommunity.com/PDF/PDF.aspx?c=480&ci=51343&ct=1&l=196) In August 2008, while the band was recording its third album and attempting to sign with a new label, EMI, the parent company of their label Virgin, filed a $30 million breach-of-contract lawsuit; the band later made the self-financed film *Artifact* about the dispute.[1](https://thirty-seconds-to-mars.fandom.com/wiki/Tomo_Mili%C4%8Devi%C4%87) • [9](https://news.pollstar.com/2013/12/13/14-minutes-with-thirty-seconds-to-mars-tomo-milicevic/) *This Is War* followed in 2009 and *Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams* in 2013, which reached number 6 on the Billboard 200.[10](https://weekly-bulletin.com/pdf/completeissue/mcapril2018.pdf) By 2013 the band had completed its third arena tour of Europe.[9](https://news.pollstar.com/2013/12/13/14-minutes-with-thirty-seconds-to-mars-tomo-milicevic/)
**Departure.** Miličević had been absent from the band's latest UK tour, and on June 11, 2018 he announced on Twitter that he was no longer a member, writing that the decision was "the best thing for me in my life and also for the band" and thanking Jared and Shannon Leto for fifteen years on stage together.[4](https://www.kerrang.com/tomo-milicevic-has-left-thirty-seconds-to-mars) His departure came shortly after the release of the album *[America](https://www.edgepedia.org/america-thirty-seconds-to-mars-album)* and left the band as a two-piece of the Leto brothers.[2](https://dog-bulldog-75n3.squarespace.com/blog/meet-tomo-milicevic) • [11](https://apgicl.com/public/files/assets/ckeditor/kcfinder/upload/files/5162e79f-bbb3-4a80-9818-d7ea9119acb0.pdf)
## Other work and later career
Outside the band, Miličević worked with other artists, including additional production and composer credits on Ivy Levan's *Introducing the Dame* (2015) and a collaboration with the American band Dommin on a rendition of [Cutting Crew](https://www.edgepedia.org/cutting-crew)'s "(I Just) Died in Your Arms", released on a special edition of Dommin's album *Love Is Gone* (2010).[12](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tomo-milievic-mn0000273393) • [13](https://www.valeorine.com/reference/tomo-milicevic) His songwriting credits include "Walk on Water", credited in the 2023 film *Nimona*, and "Battle of One", credited in the video game *Madden NFL 2007*.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2430595/)
After leaving Thirty Seconds to Mars he kept a low profile, focusing on personal music work, selective collaborations, and life outside constant touring.[2](https://dog-bulldog-75n3.squarespace.com/blog/meet-tomo-milicevic) In a 2026 podcast interview with his sister Ivana, he discussed his struggle with addiction, the death of their brother Philip, and his recovery in the South of France.[14](https://shows.acast.com/notions-odcast/episodes/the-truth-behind-the-fame-tomo-milicevic-on-addiction-healin) After joining the band for the 20th-anniversary celebration of *A Beautiful Lie* in Los Angeles, he was announced as rejoining Thirty Seconds to Mars for a European tour in spring 2027, performing material from *A Beautiful Lie* and *This Is War*; the band's website lists dates including Lisbon, Madrid, Valencia, and Milan in April 2027.[2](https://dog-bulldog-75n3.squarespace.com/blog/meet-tomo-milicevic) • [15](https://www.30secondstomars.com/)
## Musical style and influences
Miličević has experimented with various guitar effects and drawn on several genres in his playing.[13](https://www.valeorine.com/reference/tomo-milicevic) He describes his music as rock and has cited [Led Zeppelin](https://www.edgepedia.org/led-zeppelin), Deep Purple, Metallica of the *Kill 'Em All* era, [The Who](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-who), Alice in Chains, and Slayer as influences.[6](https://jared-leto.net/30-seconds-to-mars/tomo-biography/) During his youth he also listened to jazz and classical performers such as Stéphane Grappelli, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucía, and [Al Di Meola](https://www.edgepedia.org/al-di-meola), and he regarded Pantera's *Vulgar Display of Power* as particularly influential when he began writing his own music.[13](https://www.valeorine.com/reference/tomo-milicevic)
## Personal life
He has been married to Vicki Bosanko since July 4, 2011.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2430595/) Besides his sister Ivana, he had a brother, Filip.[6](https://jared-leto.net/30-seconds-to-mars/tomo-biography/)
## References
1. [Tomo Miličević, Thirty Seconds To Mars Wiki (Fandom)](https://thirty-seconds-to-mars.fandom.com/wiki/Tomo_Mili%C4%8Devi%C4%87)
2. [Meet Tomo Miličević, Fifty-Five Magazine](https://dog-bulldog-75n3.squarespace.com/blog/meet-tomo-milicevic)
3. [Feature profile of Tomo Miličević (PDF)](https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/250837/uploads/e0b65c10-f9ea-40dd-88ba-3cf08ff8d9a7.pdf)
4. [Tomo Miličević Has Left Thirty Seconds To Mars, Kerrang! (June 12, 2018)](https://www.kerrang.com/tomo-milicevic-has-left-thirty-seconds-to-mars)
5. [Tomo Milicevic, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2430595/)
6. [Tomo Biography, Jared Leto Online](https://jared-leto.net/30-seconds-to-mars/tomo-biography/)
7. [BIOGRAPHY – Tomo Miličević, All Axess](https://allaxess.com/tomo-milicevic/)
8. [30 Seconds to Mars to tour SA, Bizcommunity (PDF)](https://www.bizcommunity.com/PDF/PDF.aspx?c=480&ci=51343&ct=1&l=196)
9. [14 Minutes With Thirty Seconds To Mars' Tomo Milicevic, Pollstar News (December 13, 2013)](https://news.pollstar.com/2013/12/13/14-minutes-with-thirty-seconds-to-mars-tomo-milicevic/)
10. [Thirty Seconds to Mars: Once More 'Round the Sun, Music Connection (April 2018, PDF)](https://weekly-bulletin.com/pdf/completeissue/mcapril2018.pdf)
11. [30 seconds to mars tour uk (PDF)](https://apgicl.com/public/files/assets/ckeditor/kcfinder/upload/files/5162e79f-bbb3-4a80-9818-d7ea9119acb0.pdf)
12. [Tomo Miličevic, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tomo-milievic-mn0000273393)
13. [Tomo Milicevic, VALÉORINE Encyclopedia](https://www.valeorine.com/reference/tomo-milicevic)
14. [The Truth Behind The Fame: TOMO MILICEVIC on addiction & Healing, Femme Totale (Acast)](https://shows.acast.com/notions-odcast/episodes/the-truth-behind-the-fame-tomo-milicevic-on-addiction-healin)
15. [Tour dates, Thirty Seconds to Mars official site](https://www.30secondstomars.com/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Rock, metal, and popular-band musicians › Hard rock and glam metal*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license