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Vladimír Menšík

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Vladimír Menšík
Memorial plaque in Ivančice
Born
Vladislav Menšík

(1929-10-09)9 October 1929
Ivančice, Czechoslovakia
Died29 May 1988(1988-05-29) (aged 59)
Brno, Czechoslovakia
Occupation(s)Actor, entertainer
Years active1953–1988

Vladimír Menšík (9 October 1929 – 29 May 1988) was a Czech actor and entertainer. He is considered one of the greatest Czech comedians, storytellers and improvisers.

Life

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Vladimír Menšík was born on 9 October 1929 in Ivančice, Czechoslovakia as Vladislav Menšík.[1] The year 1924 was listed during his lifetime, after Menšík falsified his documents for fun. He also once stated that he did it so he could "retire early". The fraud was discovered in 1988, shortly before his death.[2]

Despite suffering from asthma, he was a keen athlete and played handball competitively.[3] In 1949, he graduated from the secondary mechanical engineering school in Brno. In 1953, he graduated from the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno. He learned to sing and to play the clarinet, piano and mandolin. He then moved to Prague and started working in theaters there. In 1954–1958, he played in E. F. Burian Theatre and was a guest in other theatres. Because he did not enjoy performing on a daily basis, he then left the theatre and became a member of the acting ensemble of the Barrandov Film Studio.[2][4]

Menšík was married twice. He had two children with each of his wives.[4]

He died in a hospital in Brno on 29 May 1988, at the age of 59. The cause of his death was asthma combined with his lifestyle – he was a heavy smoker and had problems with alcoholism.[1] He is buried in the Olšany Cemetery in Prague.[4]

Career

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Both comedian and serious actor, he created a wide range of lively characters. He starred in more than 150 roles in movies, TV films and TV series.[1] He is considered one of the best Czech comedians and improvisers in history and a brilliant storyteller. In addition to acting in films, he became famous as a guest of entertainment shows and live performances.[3][5]

Selected work

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Films
TV series

Honours

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He won the Most Popular Actor poll four times (in (1969, 1973, 1974 and 1978). In 1974, he became Meritorious Artist (a state-awarded honorary title for outstanding artists). In 1978, he was awarded National Artist (a higher-degree honorary title).[4]

In the 2005 Největší Čech ("The Greatest Czech") poll, he was ranked 37th.

Legacy

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In his native Ivančice, a primary school bears Menšík's name.[4] In the Cultural and Information Centre in Ivančice is an exposition of life and work of Vladimír Menšík.[6]

A tram in Brno was named after Menšík in 2016.[4]

An observation tower in Hlína next to Ivančice bears Menšík's name.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Mareček, Lubomír (2008-05-29). "Před dvaceti lety zemřel herec Vladimír Menšík" (in Czech). iDNES.cz. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  2. ^ a b Taussig, Pavel (2019-10-09). "Tajemství Vladimíra Menšíka: Zfalšoval si datum narození a odmítl Formana" (in Czech). Deník.cz. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  3. ^ a b "Příběhy slavných: Vladimír Menšík. Vzpomínky Lubomíra Kostelky prošpikované Menšíkovými historkami" (in Czech). Czech Radio. 2015-10-12. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Vladimír Menšík". Encyklopedie Brna (in Czech). Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  5. ^ Taušová, Zuzana (2009-10-09). "9. říjen 1929, Ivančice. Narodil se Vladimír Menšík" (in Czech). Deník.cz. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  6. ^ "Expozice Vladimíra Menšíka v Ivančicích" (in Czech). CzechTourism. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
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