Emília Vášáryová

Emília Vášáryová
Born 18 May 1942
Horná Štubňa, Slovak Republic
Other names
  • Milka Vášáryová
  • Emília Vášáryová-Horská[1]
  • Emília Čorbová (per marriage)
Occupation
  • Actress
  • professor
Years active 1958–present
Employer
Organization VŠMU, Bratislava
Spouse(s)
  • Ivan Horský (m. 1968; div. 1976)
  • Milan Čorba (m. 1977; w. 2013)
Children 2
Relatives
Signature Emília Vášáryová's signature
Website
Slovak National Theater

Emília Vášáryová, Doctor Artis Dramaticae (hon.) (Slovak: [ˈɛmiːlija ˈvaːʃaːrijovaː]; born 18 May 1942)[2] is a Slovak stage and screen actress, referred to as the First Lady of Slovak Theater.[3][4] During her over five decades long career, she has received numerous awards including the Meritorious Artist (1978),[5] Alfréd Radok Award (1996),[6] Czech Lion Award[7] Golden Goblet Award (2008),[8] and most recently the honorary degree Doctor Artis Dramaticae Honoris Causa (2010) as the only female to date,[9] and ELSA (2010).[10] While her sister is former diplomat Magdaléna Vášáryová,[11] Czech media regards herself as a Honorary Consul of Czech and Slovak Relations.[12]

Biography

Early years

Vášáryová at the 2011 Bratislavský bál, honored with the Bratislavian Blueberry Award.

Vášáryová was born in Horná Štubňa, the First Slovak Republic. However, and along with younger sister Magdaléna (who became a popular actress herself), she was raised in Banská Štiavnica, where both their parents taught. Her father, Jozef Vášáry, taught Slovak literature and grammar at gymnasium, and mother Hermína german language.[13]

Since childhood, Vášáryová played amateur theater, as well as participated in gymnastics. While at JSŠ highschool in Štiavnica, she was chosen for a cameo role in the Slovak/Hungarian film St. Peter's Umbrella. She played a servant-girl with only one line "I'm coming, I'm coming!".[14] The color motion picture was released in both regions at the Christmas 1958 with her name not credited.

1960s

Although decided to proceed with languages study, or history of art at university, due to lacking so-called "confidential files" (issued by Communist Party of Czechoslovakia), Vášáryová continues at Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava with theater, eventually.[15]

When at college, she receives a few of supporting roles in two black-and-white films. Marching Is Not Always Fun (1960) and Midnight Mass (1962). In Young Ages (1962) she showed up for the first time on television. Her breakthrough came with a lead role (as "Diana") in Vojtěch Jasný's The Cassandra Cat, in which a magic cat reveals the true nature of everyone he looks at. The film premiered at the Canness in May 1963, scoring two major awards in France. C.S.T. Prize and Special Jury. Cassandra Cat won a number of awards at various international festivals in Spain, Greece, Colombia and Italy.[16]

In December 1963, A Face at the Window (directed by Peter Solan) is opened with Ladislav Chudík and Štefan Kvietik in the leads, of which both will have a significant impact on the Vášáryová's career. Chudík in onstage terms next year, while Kvietik as her frequent "husband" in many a film.

In 1964, following an offer from drama chief Ladislav Chudík, Vášáryová joined the ensemble of the Slovak National Theatre on August 1, despite noticed frustration from senior actors to whom she appeared too young and inexperienced for the stage of first order. Prior to that, she spent one season at New Scene, having appeared in four productions in total due to Magda Husáková-Lokvencová, the first spouse of the final President of Czechoslovakia, Gustáv Husák.[17]

Her debut at the national playhouse was as Ophelia in a production of Hamlet.[18] For Shakespeare's Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Lope de Vega's Florelle in the comedy The Dancing Master, she received the Janko Borodáč Award in 1967.

“ I didn't want to be an actress, and so I'd cry out whole days – that's what Magda [sister] says at least. I don't much recall it yet. ”

—Emília Vášáryová[17]

On film, the actress appeared in A Jester's Tale, which brought Karel Zeman two awards at the San Francisco IFF '64 (for Best Film and Best Direction), and the first prize at Addis Ababa IFF '64 in Ethiopia.[19]

Other full-length films included St. Elizabeth Square (1965),[20] Master Executioner (1966),[21] Trailer People (1966),[22] The Dragon's Return (1967)[23] and There's No Other Way (1968).[24] Simultaneously, Vášáryová began a television career, winning in Brno the first edition of the TV national contest Golden Croc in 1968[X] as the Most Popular Actress '67.[25]

1970s

Along with acting onstage (in Herodes and Herodias by Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav, Gorky's Vassa Zheleznova and The Last Ones, Palárik's Thanksgiving Adventure, Sophocles's Antigona and Tolstoy-Piscator's War and Peace), Vášáryová developed her television career, with roles in The Balade for the Seven Hanged (1968), Parisian Mohicans (1971), Noodledom (1971), The Shepherd Wife (1972), Monna Vanna (1973), and Impatient Heart (1974; in which her sister Magda co-starred). She was cast in several films. Copper Tower, directed by Martin Hollý Jr. (who collaborated with Vášáryová in The Balade for the Seven Hanged), which earned a Special Prize at the 21st Film Festival of Proletariats (FFP) in 1970. Martin Ťapák's The Day Which Does Not Die received various domestic awards for director and lead male (actor Štefan Kvietik).

The second half of the 70s became a very successful season for the artist, whose work was appreciated in film, and that much in theater. As "Zuza" in Who Leaves in the Rain (directed by Hollý Jr), Vášáryová received in Prague ZČDU Award at the 13th Festival of Czechoslovak Film (FČSF) as Best Actress in 1975.

Red Wine by Andrej Lettrich, who received the State Prize of Klement Gottwald for the direction, gained her much popularity on the screen, as well as on television (where the drama was split in two-episode TV series). The Lawyer, also the Lettrich's picture, won the Best Film award at the 16th Festival of Czechoslovak Film (FČSF) in České Budějovice in 1978, and brought Vášáryová herself her second ZČDU Award at the 21st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (1978) in Karlovy Vary, and in commom with the ÚV SZŽ Gold Plaque. She was also awarded the honorary title of Meritorious Artist.

1980s

“ Fame? Never. Neither at the times of much success, I would glorify my work. And that's why I don't want to watch my movies. ”

—Emília Vášáryová[4]

The 1980s were not significant years, although she appeared in more than 30 television movies. Her film career stalled after she reached her forties. The only two pictures she co-starred in were fairy-tale Plavčík and Vratko (1981), directed by Martin Ťapák as their third collaboration (the earlier films featured Journey to San Jago and the Day Which Does Not Die), and About Fame and Grass, a short story by Peter Solan (1984). Costume designer of both movies was Vášáryová's second husband, Milan Čorba.

She began to focus solely on her stage career. She played the lead role in Iphigenia in Tauris. At the end of the decade, Vášáryová began lecturing theater at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. (One of her former students was also Barbora Bobuľová, who later achieved an international career, including David di Donatello and Nastro d'Argento award).[17]

1990s

Following the prize for her lifetime contribution, delivered by Ministry of Culture in 1991, Vášáryová launched the fourth decade of her active playing in TV. Amongs other sixteen pieces the actress made for TV in nineties, Vášáryová was also given (as opposite to Martin Huba) the lead female part in Marguerite Duras'es play La Musica,[26] for which she won in 1992 a Telemuse Award as Best TV Actress. At the same time, and almost eight years since her last appearance onscreen, the actress returned to films as "Silvia" in Red Gypsy (1992), directed by Branislav Mišík. She was cast in Hazard (1995), Roman Petrenko's debut, based on a true story, in which she co-starred with Marek Vašut.[27] Tomáš Krnáč assigned Vášáryová in the short film, The Higher Power (1996), in the role of a diva diagnosed with a serious illness.[28] In theater, she was acclaimed for her performance as "the Younger Sister" in Thomas Bernhard's play Ritter, Dene, Voss, presented at the Divadlo na Zábradlí Theatre in Prague in 1996. This play was also awarded as the best play of the 1996.[29][30]

Vášáryová at the 2009 Czech Lion Awards

Since the second half of the nineties, fifty years old Vášáryová successfully rebuilt her legend on the screen, as a result of new challenging roles the actress was to receive. Following The Cage, she left television for almost a decade. She appeared in Martin Šulík's Orbis Pictus, which was lauded at the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg,[31] Vášáryová was given the role of mother. So was in Eva Borušovičová's official debut Blue Heaven (1997) that received nominations on several festivals, including at the 32nd Karlovy Vary IFF[32] or at the independent Cinequest Film Festival held annually in San Jose, California.[33] Return to Paradise Lost by Vojtěch Jasný was a Montréal WFF nominee, her next picture Cosy Dens (1999) was a comedy, directed by Jan Hřebejk.[34] and Vášáryová would become more importantly the director's protégé also in 2000s. For her stage performances, for the role of Agnes in the Edward Albee play, A Delicate Balance she received the Crystal Wing in 1999 as Best Artist in Theater/Film. As the Old Woman in Ionesco's absurdist tragedy The Chairs, she received the Dosky Award, Jozef Kroner Award and Literature Fund award (all 2000).

2000s

“ A good role is a challenge, responsibility and duty not to betray a good author and reward him for this opportunity by work which exhausts actor's abilities. Also trying to be an adequate partner, to serve the work of art which has proven its qualities. ”

—Emília Vášáryová, 2004 [35]

In 2001, Vášáryová won a national journalist pool, being rated as the "Slovak Actress of the Century" in Slovakia.[36][37]
Among about 10 stage roles she studied in Slovak National Theatre Bratislava during this period we highlight performing Maria Callas in T. McNally's Master Class (first presented on 15-06-2002) [38] for which Emília was awarded by both DOSKY & LitFond Awards in 2002. In 2009 she played the main role in B. Brecht's & P. Desseau's Mother Courage and Her Children [39] and between 2011-2014 she brilliantly performed Violet Weston in Tracy Letts' August: Lost in Oklahoma.[40]
For performing Stevie Gray in Edward Albee's The Goat or Who is Sylvia? she won DOSKY award in 2004. This play was first presented in Aréna Theatre Bratislava in 2004 and is still running (as of April 2015) [41] while also performed in Prague's Činoherní klub until 2014.
She has been also performing in other theatres: for example Three Versions of Life (since 2003) [42] and Kingfisher (since 2009) [43] in L&S Štúdio Bratislava or Turn-away Side of the Moon in GUnaGU Theatre Bratislava (since January 2015).[44] Apart from that she still appears as a guest in Prague's theatres (most often in Studio DVA).[45]
She also participated in TV series The Consulting Room at Pink Garden (Ordinácia v ružovej záhrade) in 2007, The Old Town's Crime Stories (Kriminálka Staré Mesto) in 2010 and a Czech TV movie Picnic directed by Hynek Bočan in 2014.[46]

Notes

Filmography

Awards

Year Award Category Nominated work(s) Result
Cinema
1975 ZČDU Award
  • Best Actress
 Who Leaves in the Rain... Won
1978 The Lawyer Won
ÚV SZŽ Gold Plaque Won
2004 Czech Lion Up and Down Won
2005 Cinema Award Won
SFZ Reward Won
ÚSTT Reward Won
LitFond Award Yes
2008 Golden Goblet Václav Won
Czech Lion
  • Best Supporting Actress
 Nasty NominatedA
Television
1968 Golden Croc
  • Most Popular Actress
 various TV performances Won
1992 Telemuse
  • Best Actress
 La Musica (by M.Duras) / Mother of Jesus Won
1995 The Broken Hearts Won
1999 Golden Loop Guarding Tess Won
2001 Igric Award
  • Best Actress
 The Cage Won[47]
OTO Award various TV performances NominatedB
2002 NominatedC
2003 NominatedD
2004 NominatedE
2005 NominatedE
2009 NominatedF
ELSA Award
  • Best Actress
 The Archive Won
2010 OTO Award
  • TV Female Actor – Drama
 various TV performances Won
2011 Nominated
Stage
1967 Janko Borodáč Award
  • Best Actress
 The Dancing Master (by Lope de Vega)
A Midsummer Night's Dream		 Won
1983 Andrej Bagar Award Iphigenia in Tauris Won[47]
1996 Alfréd Radok Award Ritter, Dene, Voss Won
LitFond Award
  • Theater Act
 The Cherry Orchard Won[47]
1998 Crystal Wing
  • Best Act – Theater/Film
 A Delicate Balance Won
2000 DOSKY Award
  • Best Actress
 The Chairs Won
Jozef Kroner Award Won
LitFond Award Won[47]
2002 Master Class Won[47]
DOSKY Award Won
2003 Tatra Banka Reward
  • Best Performance
 Unknown Won
2004 DOSKY Award
  • Best Actress
 The Goat, or, Who is Sylvia? Won
2006 Kobanadi Award Joseph and Marie (by Peter Turrini) Won
To Najlepšie z Humoru Festival
  • Audience Choice
 The Last Cigar (by B.Ahlfors) Won
Notes
Lifetime honors and other achievements
Year Award/Category Nominated work Result
1970 For Outstanding Work Herself Honored
1978 Meritorious Artist Honored
1991 Slovak Ministry of Culture Prize Honored
2001 Actress of the Century (by Slovak Journalists Syndicate) Honored
Actor's Mission Award Honored
2002 Ľudovít Štúr Order, 1st class (State decoration) Honored
2003 Karel Čapek Award 2002 Honored
Václav Havel Prize – The Medal of Merit Honored
2005 Pavol Strauss Award (by UKF Nitra) Honored
2007 LitFond Award Honored
2008 OTO Award – Hall of Fame Honored
2009 Artis Bohemiae Amicis (by Czech Ministry of Culture) Honored
2010 Doctor Artis Dramaticae Honoris Causa (by JAMU) Honored
2012 Bratislavian Blueberry (by Honorary Council of J.Satinský) Honored[50]

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ Kaplan, Mike (1981). Variety: International Showbusiness Reference. Garland Publishing. pp. 321, 22nd ed. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  2. ↑ Strhan, Milan; Daniel, David P. (1994). Slovakia And The Slovaks: A Concise Encyclopedia. Encyclopedical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. p. 681. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  3. ↑ "Emília Vášáryová – The First Lady of Slovak Theater". SME (in Slovak). Petit Press. 16 May 2008. kultura.sme.sk. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Uhrinová, Mária (2 July 2004). "The First Lady of Slovak Acting–Emilia Vašáryová". ŽENA-IN (in Czech). Redakce Žena-in.cz. zena-in.cz. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  5. ↑ "Personalities – Emília Vášáryová". Občianske združenie Osobnosti (in Slovak). OZO. osobnosti.sk. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  6. ↑ "Alfréd Radok Award – Winners 1996". Aura-Pont (in Czech). inCMS. cenyradoka.cz. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  7. ↑ Czech Lion Award for Best Actress (2004),Hapčo, Peter (21 October 2008). "What I Can't Have In Life, I Don't Miss". MY Žilinské noviny (in Slovak). Petit Press. zilina.sk. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  8. ↑ "Golden Goblet Award – Winners 2008". SIFF. Shanghai International Film Festival. Retrieved 31 March 2011. (Chinese)/(English)
  9. ↑ "Emília Vášáryová – Doctor Artis Dramaticae Honoris Causa". Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (in Czech). Janáčkova akademie múzických umění v Brně. 8 January 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  10. ↑ "ELSA – Winners 2010". Czech Television (in Czech). Czech Film Television Academy. 20 December 2010. ceskatelevize.cz. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  11. ↑ Churaň, Milan (1998). Who Was Who In Our History In The 20th Century (in Czech). Libri Publishing. pp. 482, 2nd ed. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  12. ↑ Kočičková, Kateřina (1 April 2006). "Vášáryová se nestylizuje do zvláštních osudů". Mladá fronta DNES (in Czech). MAFRA. kultura.idnes.cz. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  13. ↑ Mikovíny, Samuel. "Magda Vášáryová". The City of Banská Štiavnica (in Slovak). Mesto Banská Štiavnica. banskastiavnica.sk. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  14. ↑ Svoboda, Otakar (5 April 2006). "Culture ČT24 interview with Vášáryová". ČT24 (in Czech). Czech Television. ceskatelevize.cz. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  15. ↑ "Emília Vášáryová – Biography". Filmovízia (in Slovak). Šablóna Awesome. filmovizia.com. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  16. ↑ "The Cassandra Cat – Distribution Sheet" (PDF). National Film Archive in Prague (in Czech). Národní filmový archiv v Praze. nfa.cz. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Čorná, Tina (18 December 2008). "Life Is Too Hard To Remember It As Such Romantic". Týždenník Žurnál (in Slovak). TV Tip. izurnal.sk. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  18. ↑ Donovalová, Katarína (2009). "Emília Vášáryová – Actress, Teacher, Meritorious Artist" (PDF). Peter Klinec (in Slovak). Banská Bystrica: Mikuláš Kováč's Public Library. vkmk.sk. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  19. ↑ "The Jester's Tale – Distribution Sheet" (PDF). National Film Archive in Prague (in Czech). Národní filmový archiv v Praze. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  20. ↑ "Namestie Svätej Alžbety". Czech and Slovak Film Database (in Czech). Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  21. ↑ "Majster Kat". Czech and Slovak Film Database (in Czech). Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  22. ↑ "Lidé z maringotek". Czech and Slovak Film Database (in Czech). Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  23. ↑ "Drak se vrací". Czech and Slovak Film Database (in Czech). Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  24. ↑ "Niet inej cesty". Czech and Slovak Film Database (in Czech). Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  25. ↑ "Profil Emílie Vášáryovej". Slovak National Theatre (in Slovak). Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  26. ↑ "La musica". Czech and Slovak Film Database (in Czech). Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  27. ↑ "Hazard". Czech and Slovak Film Database (in Czech). Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  28. ↑ "Vyššia moc". Czech and Slovak Film Database (in Czech). Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  29. ↑ "Divadlo Na Zábradlí-Archiv inscenací". webová prezentace Divadla Na Zábradlí. Divadlo Na Zábradlí. Retrieved 16 Apr 2015.
  30. ↑ "Ceny Alfréda Radoka 1996". Ceny Alfréda Radoka 1996. Aura-Pont s.r.o. 2005 - 2010. Retrieved 16 Apr 2015.
  31. ↑ "Orbis Pictus (Awards)". Internet Movie Database. IMDb. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  32. ↑ "Slovak Film Database-> Blue Heaven-> Awards". Slovak Film Database (in Slovak). SFD. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  33. ↑ "Blue Heaven -> Awards". Internet Movie Database. IMDb. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  34. ↑ "Cosy Dens -> Awards". Internet Movie Database. IMDb. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  35. ↑ (PDF) http://www.snd.sk/swift_data/source/fotogalerie/ludia/cinohra/Vasaryova_Emilia/Vasaryova_.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  36. ↑ Čahojová, Adriána. "Emília Vášáryová Interview – I Have My Wimps". TV Tip (in Czech). Mojcasopis.sk. soubiz.sk. Retrieved 29 March 2011. 8.I.2010 udělen čestný doktorát JAMU významné slovenské herečce a profesorce herectví Emílii Vášáryové
  37. ↑ "Emília Vášáryová – The Slovak Actress of the Century". Total HelpArt. THA. p. 23. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  38. ↑ "Majstrovská lekcia Marie Callas". Slovak National Theatre.
  39. ↑ "Matka Guráž a jej deti". Slovak National Theatre.
  40. ↑ "August: Stratení v Oklahome". Slovak National Theatre.
  41. ↑ "Koza aneb kto je Sylvia?". Divadlo Aréna.
  42. ↑ "Život na trikrát". Štúdio L+S.
  43. ↑ "Rybárik kráľovský". Štúdio L+S.
  44. ↑ "Odvrátená strana mesiaca". Divadlo GUnaGU.
  45. ↑ "Studio DVA - Repertoár-hosté". Studio DVA.
  46. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Em%C3%ADlia_V%C3%A1%C5%A1%C3%A1ryov%C3%A1_filmography. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 47.3 47.4 "50 Years of LitFond – 1954–2004" (PDF). Slovak Literature Fond (in Slovak). SLF. pp. 233, 250, 255, 258, 288. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  48. ↑ "Czech Lion 2008 -> Results". Czech Film and Television Academy (in Czech). Vachler Art Company. kinobox.cz. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 49.3 49.4 "Television Screen Personality (OTO – Osobnosť televíznej obrazovky) -> Emília Vášáryová Awards". Art Production Agency (in Slovak). Ringier Axel Springer Slovakia. anketaoto.sk. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  50. ↑ "Mesto a jeho správa > Bratislavská čučoriedka > Kategória Osobnosť". Hlavné mesto SR Bratislava (in Slovak). BKIS. bratislava.sk. Retrieved 16 May 2013.

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