Miloš Kopecký

Miloš Kopecký (22 August 1922 in Prague – 16 February 1996 in Prague) was a Czech actor, active mainly in the second half of the 20th century.

Biography He was born into the family of a furrier; his mother was a hatter. From childhood he was involved with the theatre and music, and after some unsuccessful attempts to study, he chose the career of an actor. He began to appear on the stage in 1939, as a member of an amateur elocution group. During the German occupation of Czechoslovakia he performed with a collective of young artists, Tvar (The Shape). At the end of the Second World War, he was (having one Jewish parent) interned in the labor camp in Bystřice u Benešova. His mother was murdered in the Auschwitz concentration camp. He was married five times, once with Czech actress Stella Zázvorková. For many years Kopecký suffered from manic-depressive disease, partially caused by the death of his mother, who perished in a concentration camp.

Theatre Following his engagement in Větrník he appeared in various theatre scenes: Divadlo satiry (1946–47) Studio Národního divadla (1947–48) Realistické divadlo (1948–49) Národní divadlo (1949–50) Městská divadla pražská (1950–51) Armádní umělecké divadlo (1951–54) Divadlo estrády a satiry (1954–55) Divadlo satiry (1955–59) Divadlo ABC (1957–60) Hudební divadlo v Karlíně (1964–65)

A turning point in his career came in 1965, when the director František Pavlíček engaged him to the Divadlo na Vinohradech, to which he remained faithful throughout the rest of his life. Nonetheless, he acted as a guest also in other theatres, e.g. in Semafor Theatre, or in Divadlo ABC (ABC Theatre), where he cooperated with another important actor of the time, Jan Werich. Among his most valued roles were Paolino in Pirandello's The Man, The Beast and The Virtue, Professor Higgins in G. B. Shaw's Pygmalion, Harpagon in Molière's The Miser, and many others.

Film Kopecký was a passionate admirer of film from an early age, and began to appear on screen shortly after the war. His first minor role was in the historic film Jan Roháč z Dubé (1947), but he quickly graduated to more important characters. During his career he played mainly negative roles of bon vivants, elegant intriguers, traitors, debauchees, lechers and villains, which he managed to depict with great elegance and esprit. Among his most valued roles in film were Chaplain Katz in The Good Soldier Švejk (1956), Hogofogo in Limonádový Joe (1964), the chief of the Czech water-goblins in Jak utopit dr. Mráčka aneb Konec vodníků v Čechách (1974), the villainous Count von Kratzmar in Adéla ještě nevečeřela (1977), and many others. He may be best known today as Dr. Štrosmajer in the Czech television series Nemocnice na kraji města.

Selected filmography

1947: Jan Rohác z Dube - Student 1947: Don't You Know of an Unoccupied Flat? - Komisar 1948: Az se vrátís - Soused 1949: Návrat domù 1949: - Vinárník 1949: Revolucni rok 1848 - Komorník u Portheima 1950: Daleká cesta - Prisoner building a gas chamber #1 1951: Posel úsvitu - Doctor Held 1952: The Emperor and the Golem - Alchemist 2 1952: Mikolás Ales 1952: The Proud Princess - Chancellor 1952: Velké dobrodruzství - Cecil Rhodes 1953: Únos - Rychman 1953: Anna Proletářka - Komisar 1953: Tajemství krve - Lékar na prednásce 1954: Kavárna na hlavní tríde - Matejka, redaktor 1954: Olovený chléb - Policejní komisar 1954: Severní prístav - Berka 1954: Cirkus bude! - klaun Tonda 1954: Nejlepší člověk - lekárník Valérian Kýla 1955: Byl jednou jeden král - Smart prince 1955: Dog's Heads - Kos, správce 1955: Jan Hus - Biskupský Kanclér 1956: Jan Žižka - Sir from Sternberk 1956: Větrná hora - Melichar Hnátek 1956: Stříbrný vítr - Gerlic, nadporucík 1957: Dědeček automobil - Albert de Dion 1957: Legenda o lásce - Prodavachat na kilimi 1957: The Good Soldier Schweik - Katz, feldkurát 1958: Stenata - Magistrate 1958: Mezi zemí a nebem - Leopold 1959: O věcech nadpřirozených - Graphologist Jensen (segment "The Secret of a Handwriting") 1959: Hvězda jede na jih - Soustek - tourist guide 1959: Občan Brych - Kamil Tajchman 1959: Sny na nedeli - pacient Voves, Jindruv kamarád 1960: Zpívající pudrenka - Krásný Venca 1960: Konec cesty - Jirák 1960: Vstup zakázán - Saboteur (segment "The Chase") (voice) 1961: Cirkus jede - Klaun Mrskoc 1961: The Fabulous Baron Munchausen - Emil Tuma / Emil Tuma Sr. 1962: Man in Outer Space - Josef, calouník 1962: Kolik slov stací lásce? - Frantisek Habrada 1962: The Fabulous Baron Munchausen - Baron Munchausen 1962: Dva z onoho sveta - Psychiatr 1962: Kočár nejsvětější svátosti (TV Movie) - secretary Martinez 1963: The King of Kings - Izmail el Sarif ben Serfi 1964: Lemonade Joe - Horác Badman Alias 'hogofogo' 1965: Lov na mamuta - Doktor 1965: Bílá paní - Tajemník MNV 1966: U telefonu Martin - Havrda 1966: Flám - Jirí Donát 1967: - Muz za novinami 1967: Ta nase písnicka ceská - Johanes 1967: Kdyz má svátek Dominika - Nácelník detektivu 1967: Sedm žen Alfonse Karáska (TV Movie) - Alfons Karásek 1968: Přísně tajné premiéry - Müller 1968: Objízdka - Narrator (voice) 1969: Prazske noci - Fabricius (segment "Fabricius and Zuzana") 1969: Slasti Otce vlasti - Jan Lucemburský 1969: Já, truchlivý bůh - Adolf 1969: Trapasy (TV Short) - Milos Kopecký 1970: I Killed Einstein, Gentlemen - Wertheim 1971: You Are a Widow, Sir - Professor Somr, majítel sanatoria 1971: Svatby pana Voka - Petr Vok z Rozmberka 1971: Vražda v hotelu Excelsior - Arno Hnízdo, reditel hotelu 1971: The Tricky Game of Love - Francesco Vergellesi (segment "Arabský kun") 1971: Svět otevřený náhodám - Rataj 1971: Alfons Karásek v lázních (TV Short) - Alfons Karásek 1972: Straw Hat - Maurice Fadinard 1972: Sest medvedu s Cibulkou - Svihák 1972: Lakomec (TV Movie) - Harpagon 1973: A Night at Karlstein - Duke Stepan of Bavaria 1974: Jak utopit doktora Mráčka aneb Konec vodníků v Čechách - Wassermann 1976: Zítra to roztočíme, drahoušku…! - Evzen Novák 1976: To byla svatba, strýčku! (TV Movie) - Alfons Karásek 1977: Nemocnice na kraji města (TV Series) 1977: Nás dedek Josef - Baron 1978: Dinner for Adele - Rupert von Kratzmar 1979: Já už budu hodný, dědečku! - herec Theodor Bergner 1979: Božská Ema - cechoamerikan Herold Samuel 1980: Causa králík - Dr. Oldrich Lukásek 1980: Jak napálit advokáta - JUDr. Horic 1980: Úteky domu - MUDr. Karel Chrástek 1980: V hlavni roli Oldrich Novy - Himself 1981: Zakázaný výlet - Klavírista 1981: Zralé víno - Weber 1981: The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians - Baron Gorc z Gorcu 1981: Křtiny - Ing. Ciruvka 1983: Srdečný pozdrav ze zeměkoule - Prof. Horowitz 1983: Zbohom, sladké driemoty - Director 1983: Angel in a Devil's Body - sekcní séf min. financí Boura 1984: Tři veteráni - 1. Skritek 1984: Tajna starog tavana - Boss 1984: Bambinot (TV Series) - Mitropulos 1984: Prodloužený čas - Prof. Svozil 1984: - Self - entertainer 1986: Carovné dedictví - Vetesník 1986: Zkrocení zlého muže - Bayer 1986: Velká filmová loupez - Dr. Strosmajer 1986: Spanelská paradentóza - Onkel Tobias 1987: Poslední leč Alfonse Karáska (TV Movie) - Alfons Karásek 1988: Anděl svádí ďábla - Minister 1989: Utopím si ho sám (TV Movie) - Choun 1991: Labyrinth - Rabbi Löw 1991: - Giacomo Casanova 1992: The Valley of Stone - Judge Escher 1992: Uctivá poklona, pane Kohn (TV Mini-Series) - Munk 1993: Kanarska spojka - Don Padre 1994: Andelské oci - Krause 1995: The Dance Teacher - Grandfather of Richard 1996: Das Zauberbuch - Regent