Jan Werich
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".
Known For
Pan Tau
Klapzubova jedenáctka
The Fabulous Baron Munchausen
The 25th Hour
The Fall of Berlin
When the Cat Comes
Assignment K
The Emperor and the Golem
All Movies (51)
- Cecílie2025 · as voice
- Jan Werich: Když už člověk jednou je…2021 · as Self (archive footage)
- Fimfarum - To the good of all2011 · as (voice)
- Fimfarum 22006 · as Narrator
- Jan Werich's Fimfarum2002 · as Vypravěč
- When the Oak Leaves Fall1991 · as Narrator (voice) (archive footage)
- Mean Barbara1989 · as Narrator (voice) (archive footage)
- Pan Tau – der Film1988 · as (archive footage)
- Jonáš a Melicharová1986 · as (archive footage)
- Královna Koloběžka první1981 · as Narrator (archive footage) (voice)
- Herecké Vánoce1970 · as Jan Werich
- Assignment K1968 · as Dr. Spiegler
- Czechoslovakia: Portrait of a Tragedy1968 · as Self
- King and Women1967 · as Jindřich VIII.
- The 25th Hour1967 · as Sgt. Constantin
- Pražská strašidla1966 · as Narrator (voice)
- Magnetické vlny léčí1965 · as léčitel Wohu
- The Dear Departed1964 · as Dědeček
- The Cry1964 · as Narrator (voice)
- Uspořená libra1963 · as Sam Adams
- Kočár nejsvětější svátosti1963
- Tears the World Can't See1963 · as Fedor Akimič Rjebrotěsov
- When the Cat Comes1963 · as Oliva
- The Fabulous Baron Munchausen1962 · as kapitán holandské lodi
- Italienisches Capriccio1961 · as Don Marzio
- Medvěd1961 · as statkář Grigorij Stěpanovič Smirnov
- Těžká Barbora1960
- Balada z hadrů1960 · as strážný Holofern
- The Creation of the World1958 · as Narrator (voice)
- Silvestr 19571957
- To jsou Bratři v triku1957 · as Himself
- The Good Soldier Svejk1956 · as Narrator
- Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka – Švejkova budějovická anabase1956 · as Narrator (voice)
- Jaroslav Hasek's Exemplary Cinematograph1956 · as Commentary (voice)
- Hudba z Marsu1955 · as Nadšený divák
- Two Little Frosts1955 · as Brave Frost (voice)
- Dog's Heads1955
- Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...1955 · as král Já I.
- Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka – Švejkovy nehody ve vlaku1955 · as Narrator (voice)
- Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka – Z Hatvanu na hranice Haliče1954 · as Narrator (voice)
- Pouť noci silvestrovské1953
- Večer s Jaroslavem Haškem1953
- The Emperor and the Golem1951 · as Emperor Rudolf II / Matheus Kotrba, The Baker
- The Golden Fish1951 · as Narrator (voice)
- The Fall of Berlin1950 · as Goering
- Crisis1939
- The World Belongs to Us1937 · as kamelot
- Here in Kocourkov1934 · as Ferdinand Kaplan
- Heave-Ho!1934
- Your Money or Your Life1932 · as Tonda
- Powder and Petrol1932
All TV Shows (6)
- Voskovec & Werich, paralelní osudy2012 · as self
- Tři strážníci2005 · as self
- Pan Tau1970
- Přiložte životopis1968 · as Self
- Co tomu říkáte, pane Werich?1968 · as Self
- Klapzubova jedenáctka1968