Biography:

Jana Brejchová, born on January 20, 1940 in Prague, is one of the Czech Republic's most popular and familiar starring actresses. Her film career began when she was 13; she has since performed in about 70 films. After finishing school she worked as a secretary and acted in few films. Her first outstanding success came with Jiri Weiss’ The Wolf Trap (Vlci Jama, 1957). Her performance was so compelling that her popularity skyrocketed and overnight she became a movie star, first in Czechoslovakia and then abroad.

Brejchová’s films were shown at international film festivals, including at Cannes. From the late-1960s through the mid- 1970s, Brejchová acted in several comedies, in part because directors with whom she had worked, such as Vojtech Jasny, had had to leave the country after 1968, and in part because she was married to the famous comedian and actor Vlastimil Brodsky (Jakob der Lügner, 1974). Since then she has appeared in dramatic roles in both cinema and television productions.

Jana Brejchová’s private life has been colorful, and she was married four times: her first marriage was with Milos Forman (still an unknown director at that time), her second marriage with the German actor Ulrich Thein lasted only one year. With Vlastimil Brodksy she had a daughter, who also became an actress. Since 1997 Brejchova has been married to the actor Jiri Zahajsky. Jana Brejchová lives in Prague.

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