Jan Werich

Acting Feb 6, 1905 Oct 31, 1980 (aged 75) 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".

57 Acting Credits

29 Crew Credits

Jan Werich

Acting

The Fabulous Baron Munchausen

When the Cat Comes

The 25th Hour

The Emperor and the Golem

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

The Creation of the World

Jan Werich's Fimfarum

Pan Tau

The Fall of Berlin

Pan Tau – der Film

The Good Soldier Svejk

Fimfarum 2

The Cry

Two Little Frosts

Heave-Ho!

Assignment K

Fimfarum - To the good of all

Hudba z Marsu

Jaroslav Hasek's Exemplary Cinematograph

Uspořená libra

The Golden Fish

The World Belongs to Us

Here in Kocourkov

Mean Barbara

Crew