Jiřina Jirásková (17 February 1931 – 7 January 2013) was a

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places *Czech, ...

actress. She was born and died in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

Biography

She studied at the

Prague Conservatory The Prague Conservatory or Prague Conservatoire ( cs, Pražská konzervatoř) is a music school in Prague, Czech Republic, founded in 1808. Currently, Prague Conservatory offers four or six year study courses, which can be compared to the level ...

and later at

DAMU Damu ( sux, 𒀭𒁕𒈬) was a Mesopotamian god. While originally regarded as a dying god connected to vegetation, similar to Dumuzi or Ningishzida, with time he acquired the traits of a god of healing. He was regarded as the son of the medici ...

. After graduating, she spent one year in a regional theatre in

Hradec Králové Hradec Králové (; german: Königgrätz) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected by law as an ...

. In 1951, aged 20, she moved to the Prague's

Vinohrady Theatre Vinohrady Theatre ( cs, Divadlo na Vinohradech) is a theatre in Vinohrady, Prague. Construction began on February 27, 1905. It served as the Theatre of the Czechoslovak Army from autumn 1950 to January 1966. It contains a curtain painted by Vla ...

, where she spent her entire career. From 30 May 1990 to 30 June 2000, she was also the director of the theatre. Jirásková began to appear in TV in the 1950s; she played in the first Czechoslovak TV series ''Rodina Bláhova'' (Bláha Family). She got her first on-screen opportunity in the spy drama ''Smyk'', directed

Zbyněk Brynych Zbyněk Brynych (13 June 1927 – 24 August 1995) was a Czech film director and screenwriter. He directed 30 films between 1951 and 1985. Selected filmography Czechoslovakia * ''Suburban Romance'' (1958) * ''Five in a Million'' (1959) * ''S ...

. She appeared in ''Every Penny Counts'' and ''Look Into His Eyes'', and also worked with comedic director

Zdeněk Podskalský Zdeněk Podskalský (18 February 1923 – 29 October 1993) was a Czech film director and screenwriter. He directed 32 films between 1950 and 1987. Selected filmography * ''When the Woman Butts In'' (''Kam čert nemůže'') (1959) * '' Mu ...

. In the 1970s, during the period of Czechoslovak "

normalization Normalization or normalisation refers to a process that makes something more normal or regular. Most commonly it refers to: * Normalization (sociology) or social normalization, the process through which ideas and behaviors that may fall outside of ...

", she was forced to leave acting. According to her own words, the ban was caused by her attitude during the reform period of the 1960s. She returned in 1983 for

Karel Kachyňa Karel Kachyňa (1 May 1924 – 12 March 2004) was a Czech film director and screenwriter. His career spanned over five decades. Early life He was born on May 1, 1920, in Vyškov, Czechoslovakia. His father was a government officer. His mother ...

's film ''

Nurses Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ca ...

''. She appeared in more than 140 roles over 40 years. She was the Goodwill Ambassador and President (2002-2011) of the

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...

Czech Committee and, in 1999, tried unsuccessfully to run for the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

representing the Civic Democratic Party.

Personal life

She was married for two years to the actor

Jiří Pleskot Jiří Pleskot (3 May 1922 – 1 December 1997) was a Czech actor. He appeared in over 60 films and television shows 1958 and 1990. Selected filmography * '' The End of Agent W4C'' (1967) * ''Hotel for Strangers'' (1967) * ''Days of Betraya ...

, and spent 27 years with

. She had no children.

Awards

*1969 - Pilsen Film Festival Audience Award for Most Popular Actress *1998 -

Thalia Award The Czech ''Actors' Association'' has presented its annual Thalia Awards (Czech: Ceny Thálie) since 1993. The award is named after Thalia, the muse of comedy. The 2016 ceremony was broadcast by Česká televize and radio station . Thalia Awards a ...

*2006 -

Medal of Merit Several countries award a military or civil medal called Medal of Merit: * Medal of Merit (Czech Republic) * Medal of Merit (Denmark) * Medal of Merit of the Dominican Woman * Medal of Merit of the National People's Army (East Germany) * Medal o ...

Death

Jiřina Jirásková died on 7 January 2013, aged 81.

Notable theatre appearances

Praha, Vinohrady, budova Vinohradského divadla

Source: *'' Caesar and Cleopatra'' (Cleopatra) *''

The Government Inspector ''The Government Inspector'', also known as ''The Inspector General'' ( rus, links=no, Ревизор, Revizor, literally: "Inspector"), is a satirical play by Russian dramatist and novelist, Nikolai Gogol. Originally published in 1836, the pla ...

'' (Anna Andreyevna Skvoznik Dmuchanovská's governess) *''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

'' (Queen Margaret) *''

The Diary of Anne Frank ''The Diary of a Young Girl'', also known as ''The Diary of Anne Frank'', is a book of the writings from the Dutch-language diary kept by Anne Frank while she was in hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherl ...

'' (Anne Frank) *''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'' (Hero) *''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

'' (Olivia) *''

Ivanov Ivanov, Ivanoff or Ivanow (masculine, bg, Иванов, russian: ИвановSometimes the stress is on Ива́нов in Bulgarian if it is a middle name, or in Russian as a rare variant of pronunciation), or Ivanova (feminine, bg, Иванов ...

'' (Anna Petrovna) *''

Nora Nora, NORA, or Norah may refer to: * Nora (name), a feminine given name People with the surname * Arlind Nora (born 1980), Albanian footballer * Pierre Nora (born 1931), French historian Places Australia * Norah Head, New South Wales, headland ...

'' (Kristina Linde) *''

The Full Monty ''The Full Monty'' is a 1997 British comedy film directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber and Hugo Speer. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy. The film is s ...

'' (Jeanette) *''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by ''Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition ...

'' (Charlotte) *'' Henry IV'' (Marchioness Matilda Spina)

Selected filmography

1960s

* 1961 - ''Every Penny Counts'' (''Každá koruna dobrá'') as Music teacher * 1961 - ''Skid'' (''Smyky'') as Luisa * 1961 - ''Pohled do očí'' as Olga Valentová * 1964 - ''The Chintamani Carpet and a Swindler'' as Translator * 1964 - ''Courage for Every Day'' as Olina * 1964 - ''Einstein kontra Babinský'' as Typist Dáša * 1964 - ''Kdy brečí muži'' as Mother * 1965 - ''Tales About Children'' as Mother * 1965 - ''

Ninety Degrees in the Shade ''Ninety Degrees in the Shade'' ( cs, Třicet jedna ve stínu) is a 1965 British-Czech drama film directed by Jiří Weiss. Plot It's very hot, putting a strain on everyone. A beautiful woman works in a shop in Czechoslovakia during the Communi ...

'' as Věra * 1966 - ''Searching'' as Helena Hrabáková * 1967 - ''

Hotel for Strangers ''Hotel for Strangers'' ( cs, Hotel pro cizince) is a 1967 Czechoslovak comedy film directed by Antonín Máša. It was entered into the 1967 Cannes Film Festival. The film reconstructs the last days of murdered young poet Petr Hudec (Petr Čepe ...

'' as Marie * 1967 - ''Grandpa, Kylian and I'' as Mother * 1967 - ''The House of Lost Souls'' as Dr. Dvořáková * 1968 - ''Sňatky z rozumu'' as Hana * 1968 - ''Jak se zbavit Helenky'' as Viki * 1969 - ''Flirt se slečnou Stříbrnou'' as Mrs. Blumenfeldová * 1969 - ''Světáci'' as Marcela * 1969 - ''

Já, truchlivý bůh ''Já, truchlivý bůh'' (''I, Mournful God'') is a 1969 black-and-white Czech language, Czech comedy film directed by Antonín Kachlík. Based on stories from Milan Kundera's book ''Laughable Loves'', it stars Miloš Kopecký as Adolf, who rela ...

'' as Mrs. Stenclová

1970s

* 1970 - ''

Case for a Rookie Hangman ''Case for a Rookie Hangman'' ( cs, Případ pro začínajícího kata) is a Czechoslovak drama film directed by Pavel Juráček. It was released in 1970. The movie belongs to the Czech New Wave. The movie can be classified as a surrealist or ...

'' as Tadeásová * 1970 - ''Devilish Honeymoon'' as Alzbeta * 1970 - ''

On the Comet ''Na kometě'' (literally ''On the Comet'') is a 1970 Czech film directed by Karel Zeman, based on Jules Verne's novel ''Off on a Comet''. The film is a combination of animated and live action film. Animation is based on illustrations for Verne ...

'' as Ester

1980s

* 1980 - ''Julek'' as Sword eater's wife * 1980 - ''Dnes v jednom domě'' as Dr. Frýbová (8 episodes) * 1980 - ''Útěky domů'' as Actress * 1981 - ''The Hit'' as Script * 1982 - ''Jak svět prichází o básníky'' as School director * 1983 - ''Bota jménem Melichar'' as Moutelíková * 1984 - ''Barrandovské nocturno aneb Jak film zpíval a tančil'' as Singer * 1984 - ''Křtiny'' as Secretary Karolína * 1984 - ''Katapult'' as Anna * 1984 - '' Slunce, seno, jahody'' as Hubičková * 1984 - '' Vinobraní'' as Albína Brousková * 1984 - ''

Jára Cimrman Lying, Sleeping ''Jára Cimrman Lying, Sleeping'' ( cs, Jára Cimrman ležící, spící) is a 1983 Czechoslovak comedy film directed by Ladislav Smoljak. It is a biopic of the fictional Czech national hero Jára Cimrman, who is portrayed by one of his inventor ...

'' as Mother * 1985 - ''Egy kicsit én, egy kicsit te'' as Eva Anyja * 1985 - '' Sestřičky'' as Granny * 1986 - ''Klobouk, měšec a láska'' as Enenke * 1987 - ''Stačí stisknout'' as Chairwoman Macková * 1987 - ''Arabesky'' as Sefrnova * 1988 - ''Kdyz v ráji pršelo'' as Dočkajka * 1988 - ''Muj hříšný muž'' as Jeníkova * 1989 - ''Twins at the Zoo'' as Josefina * 1989 - '' Slunce, seno a pár facek'' as Director Hubičková * 1989 - ''Příběh '88'' as Zdena

1990s

* 1990 - ''Motýlí čas'' as School director * 1990 - ''Muka obraznosti'' as Artlova * 1991 - '' Slunce, seno, erotika'' as Headmaster Hubičková * 1993 - ''Jedna kočka za druhou'' as Landlady * 1994 - ''Zámek v Čechách'' as Countess

2000s

* 2005 - ''Dobrá čtvrt'' as Mrs. Svobodová * 2005 - ''

Angel of the Lord The (or an) angel of the ( he, מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה '' mal’āḵ YHWH'' "messenger of Yahweh") is an entity appearing repeatedly in the Tanakh ( Old Testament) on behalf of the God of Israel. The guessed term ''YHWH'', which occur ...

'' as Abbess Magdalena * 2006 - ''

Rafťáci ''Rafťáci'' is a Czech comedy film directed by Karel Janák released in 2006. Cast *Vojtěch Kotek as Dany *Jiří Mádl as Filip *Milan Šteindler as Dany's father * Veronika Freimanová as Dany's mother * Oldřich Navrátil as Borek * Jan ...

'' as Dany's granny

References

External links

*
UNICEF's tribute to Jirásková
(in Czech) {{DEFAULTSORT:Jiraskova, Jirina 1931 births 2013 deaths Czech film actresses Czech television actresses Actresses from Prague UNICEF people Civic Democratic Party (Czech Republic) politicians Czech officials of the United Nations Recipients of the Thalia Award