Actor Oto Ševčík Remembered Ninety-Five Years After Birth
Actor Oto Ševčík built a career playing villains on stage and screen before his death in February 2003 at age 71 from cancer, cnn.iprima.cz reported. Born 95 years ago on October 23, the performer became widely recognized for his role as the malicious lord in Zdeněk Troška’s fairy-tale film The Princess from the Mill.
Ševčík Faced Restrictions and Family Losses
Growing up in Český Těšín as a Sudeten German, Ševčík faced severe restrictions under totalitarian rule because he was a German, a homosexual, and not a member of the Communist Party. His father owned real estate and his mother worked as a teacher, but following World War II, the family lost their home and factory to state confiscation. Despite preparations for a postwar transfer of Germans, the family remained in the country because his father was elderly and his mother was paralyzed and seriously ill.
Ševčík Worked as an Actor and Director
Ševčík studied directing at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno following his graduation from the local gymnasium, where he had participated in amateur theater and choirs. He performed as a dramatic, operetta, and musical actor, working with the Village Theater troupe from 1955 to 1960. He subsequently spent two decades at the J. K. Tyl Theatre in Plzeň before moving to Prague’s Divadlo S. K. Neumanna, now known as Divadlo pod Palmovkou. Following the Velvet Revolution in 1989—reported by cnn.iprima.cz as occurring in 1989—he became the artistic head of drama and a director at the National Theatre in Brno. He later guest-appeared at Divadlo ABC, the Karlín Musical Theatre, and the National Theatre in Prague, while teaching opera directing and acting at the Academy of Performing Arts in Music (HAMU).
Collaborating With Director Zdeněk Troška
Because of his appearance and background, Ševčík was frequently assigned to roles as Nazi and Gestapo officers in various film projects. Director Zdeněk Troška cast him as the villain Řimbuch in the fairy tale About Princess Jasněnka and the Flying Shoemaker before selecting him for The Princess from the Mill. I remember him very fondly. He was a noble man, always in a good mood, easy-going, and also very well-read,
Troška recalled to cnn.iprima.cz, adding that the actor greeted the crew each morning by singing opera or operetta arias.
Frequently Asked Questions About Oto Ševčík
What were Oto Ševčík’s most notable film roles?
Ševčík was best known for portraying the malicious lord in Zdeněk Troška’s fairy tale The Princess from the Mill and the villain Řimbuch in About Princess Jasněnka and the Flying Shoemaker. He also played numerous German military officers in cinema.
Where did Oto Ševčík study and teach?
He studied directing at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU) in Brno after completing his secondary education in Český Těšín. In his later career, he taught opera directing and acting to students at the Academy of Performing Arts in Music (HAMU).
When did Oto Ševčík pass away?
Ševčík died on February 25, 2003, at the age of 71 following a battle with cancer.
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