Czechs in Hollywood

Ella Petrová

It is extremly difficult to make a name for yourself in Hollywood, but there are some people from the Czech Republic who have succeeded in it. I want to make an appreciation article for them, because I think they are really great and amazing.

Miloš Forman was born in 1932 and died in 2018. He was by far the most successful Czech in Hollywood. He was a director, a screenwriter and an actor. He left Czechoslovakia for the United States, where he gained critical and financial success. He made very famous and successful movies such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo´s Nest, starring Jack Nicholson as a patient in a mental institution, this film received widespread acclaim, 5 Oscars in the most important categories: Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Then he is a director of the famous movie Hair, a rock musical about Hippies. Then he directed a very well acclaimed movie Amadeus, it was a story about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, this movie won 8 Oscars. And I have to say that his other movies are also really great for example Hoří, má panenko (House is on the Fire, My Love), Lásky jedné plavovlásky (Blondie's Loves), Valmont, The People vs. Larry Flynt or Man on the Moon. He is the holder of 2 Oscars and 3 Golden Globes.

Herbert Lom was born in 1917 and died in 2012. According to a number of criteria, he was the most successful actor of Czech origin, working in Hollywood. He became famous mainly for his role as Inspector Dreyfus from the series of movies The Pink Panther and then he starred in the very famous movie about famous Vinnetou stories Treasure at the Silver Lake (Poklad na Stříbrném jezeře), where he played a negative role.

Jiří Voskovec was born in 1905 and died in 1981. He was known from Osvobozené divadlo, where he created a duo with Jan Werich in the 20s and 30s of the 20th century, but then he decided to emigrate to the USA. He lived in New York and played on Broadway. He played, for example, the role of the first actor in Hamlet or even Albert Einstein three times. He also starred in many films, such as one of the jurors in 12 Angry Men.

Franz Planer was born in 1894 in Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary), at that time Czech country part of Austria-Hungarian empire) and died in 1963 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. He was a famous cinematographer (director of photography - DP, DOP) , he was the holder of 3 Golden Globes and he was nominated for an Oscar for his work five times. During his lifetime, he shot about 130 films, including such as The Big Country, Roman Holiday or Breakfast at Tiffany's. 

Edited by: N.K.