Jan Werich
Born: 1905-02-06 in Praha - Československo
Died: 1980-10-31
Known For: Acting
Biography
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".
Filmography
2025
- Cecílie as voice
2021
- Jan Werich: Když už člověk jednou je… as Self (archive footage)
2012
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
1997
- RumplCimprCampr ... (Book)
1991
- When the Oak Leaves Fall as Narrator (voice) (archive footage)
1989
- Mean Barbara as Narrator (voice) (archive footage)
1988
- Pan Tau – der Film as (archive footage)
1986
- Jonáš a Melicharová as (archive footage)
1984
- The Three Veterans ... (Book)
- Ruffiano and Sweeteeth ... (Book)
1981
- Královna Koloběžka první as Narrator (archive footage) (voice)
- Přišel na večeři ... (Adaptation)
1970
- Pan Tau
- Herecké Vánoce as Jan Werich
1968
- Klapzubova jedenáctka
- Czechoslovakia: Portrait of a Tragedy as Self
- Assignment K as Dr. Spiegler
- Co tomu říkáte, pane Werich? as Self
- Přiložte životopis as Self
1967
- The 25th Hour as Sgt. Constantin
- Golem ... (Theatre Play)
- King and Women as Jindřich VIII.
1966
- Pražská strašidla as Narrator (voice)
1965
- Magnetické vlny léčí as léčitel Wohu
1964
- Three veterans ... (Original Story)
- The Dear Departed as Dědeček
- The Cry as Narrator (voice)
1963
- When the Cat Comes as Oliva
- Tears the World Can't See as Fedor Akimič Rjebrotěsov
- Uspořená libra as Sam Adams
- Kočár nejsvětější svátosti
1962
- The Fabulous Baron Munchausen as kapitán holandské lodi
1961
- Medvěd as statkář Grigorij Stěpanovič Smirnov
- Italienisches Capriccio as Don Marzio
1960
- Balada z hadrů as strážný Holofern
- Těžká Barbora
1958
- The Creation of the World as Narrator (voice)
1957
- Silvestr 1957
- To jsou Bratři v triku as Himself
1956
- The Good Soldier Svejk as Narrator
- Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka – Švejkova budějovická anabase as Narrator (voice)
- Jaroslav Hasek's Exemplary Cinematograph as Commentary (voice)
1955
- Two Little Frosts as Brave Frost (voice)
- Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... as král Já I.
- Hudba z Marsu as Nadšený divák
- Dog's Heads
- Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka – Švejkovy nehody ve vlaku as Narrator (voice)
1954
- Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka – Z Hatvanu na hranice Haliče as Narrator (voice)
1953
- Večer s Jaroslavem Haškem
- The Secret of Blood ... (Screenstory)
- Pouť noci silvestrovské
1951
- The Emperor and the Golem as Emperor Rudolf II / Matheus Kotrba, The Baker
- The Golden Fish as Narrator (voice)
1950
- The Fall of Berlin as Goering
1939
1937
- The World Belongs to Us as kamelot
1936
- The Golem ... (Theatre Play)
1934
- Heave-Ho!
- Here in Kocourkov as Ferdinand Kaplan
1932
- Powder and Petrol
- Your Money or Your Life as Tonda