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Jan Werich

Jan Werich

Birthday: 1905-02-06 | Place of Birth: Praha - Československo

Between 1916 and 1924, Werich attended "reálné gymnasium" (equivalent to high school) in Křemencova Street in Prague (where his future business partner, Jiří Voskovec, also studied). He studied law at the Charles University Law School from 1924 to 1927, from which he made an early departure to begin his artistic career and forge one of the most important partnerships of his life. For more than 10 years he worked in theatre Jiří Voskovec and Jaroslav Ježek. Their partnership was a platform for their numerous left-wing political satires, most notably in the Osvobozené divadlo (Liberated Theatre). The trio's work took inspiration from Dada, with its love of the absurd, a reaction against bourgeois values and the horrors of World War I. In 1955 he begun working in cinema, and 1960s were a peak in his actor career. From the creation of the ABC Theatre he moved to the City Theatres of Prague and then to the Musical Theatre of Karlin and Nusle. Werich was originally cast by producer Harry Saltzman to play Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice. Upon his arrival at the Pinewood set, both producer Albert R. Broccoli and director Lewis Gilbert felt that he was a poor choice, resembling a "poor, benevolent Santa Claus".

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

2021
Jan Werich: Když už člověk jednou je…

as    Self (archive footage)

2011
Fimfarum - To the good of all

as    (voice)

2006
Fimfarum 2

as    Narrator

2005
Tři strážníci

as    self

2002
Jan Werich's Fimfarum

as    Vypravěč

1991
When the Oak Leaves Fall

as    Narrator (voice) (archive sound)

1989
Mean Barbara

as    Narrator (voice) (archive footage)

1986
Jonáš a Melicharová

as    (archive footage)

1967
The 25th Hour

as    Sgt. Constantin

1965
Magnetické vlny léčí

as    léčitel Wohu

1964
The Dear Departed

as    Dědeček

1963
When the Cat Comes

as    Oliva

1963
Uspořená libra

as    Sam Adams

1962
The Fabulous Baron Munchausen

as    kapitán holandské lodi

1961
Italienisches Capriccio

as    Don Marzio

1960
Balada z hadrů

as    strážný Holofern

1958
The Creation of the World

as    Narrator (voice)

1956
The Good Soldier Schweik

as    Narrator

1955
Two Little Frosts

as    Brave Frost (voice)

1955
The Emperor and the Golem

as    Emperor Rudolf II / Matheus Kotrba, The Baker

1955
Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...

as    král Já I.

1951
The Golden Fish

as    Narrator (voice)

1937
The World Belongs to Us

as    kamelot