Jan Werich
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
Acting · 57
Pan Tau
1970
Klapzubova jedenáctka
1968
The Fall of Berlin
1950
The Fabulous Baron Munchausen
1962
When the Cat Comes
1963
The 25th Hour
1967
Tři strážníci
2005
Pan Tau – der Film
1988
Voskovec & Werich, paralelní osudy
2012
Assignment K
1968
Hudba z Marsu
1955
The Emperor and the Golem
1952
The Good Soldier Svejk
1956
Here in Kocourkov
1934
Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...
1955
Balada z hadrů
1960
The World Belongs to Us
1937
Two Little Frosts
1955
The Dear Departed
1964
Dog's Heads
1955
Jaroslav Hasek's Exemplary Cinematograph
1956
Fimfarum - To the good of all
2011
To jsou Bratři v triku
1957
Přiložte životopis
1968
Magnetické vlny léčí
1965
Heave-Ho!
1934
Medvěd
1961
The Creation of the World
1958
Jan Werich's Fimfarum
2002
The Golden Fish
1951
The Cry
1964
Mean Barbara
1989
Czechoslovakia: Portrait of a Tragedy
1968
Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka – Z Hatvanu na hranice Haliče
1954
Fimfarum 2
2006
Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka – Švejkovy nehody ve vlaku
1955
Powder and Petrol
1932
Co tomu říkáte, pane Werich?
1968
Italienisches Capriccio
1961
Crisis
1939
Kočár nejsvětější svátosti
1963
Silvestr 1957
1957
Jonáš a Melicharová
1986
Těžká Barbora
1960
Your Money or Your Life
1932
Pražská strašidla
1966
When the Oak Leaves Fall
1991
Jan Werich: Když už člověk jednou je…
2021
Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka – Švejkova budějovická anabase
1956
Tears the World Can't See
1963
Uspořená libra
1963
Pouť noci silvestrovské
1953
Cecílie
2025
King and Women
1967
Večer s Jaroslavem Haškem
1953
Královna Koloběžka první
1981
Herecké Vánoce
1970