Otto Šimánek – Pan Tau… and more

Pan Tau. The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name Otto Šimánek. It's as if this exceptionally talented and hard-working actor never played anyone else! This character became both his destiny and his curse. It made him popular, but it also overshadowed all his other roles. And there were so many of them! For instance, the factory owner Keletti in the timeless film “You Are a Widow, Sir!”, Mr White in the sci-fi comedy “Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea”, the fairy-tale character Dlouhý in the series “Arabela”, or the unbeatable mime Deburau in “The Greatest of the Pierrots”, which František Kožík adapted from his own book specifically for Šimánek. And that's not to mention his brilliant, long-standing work in theatre, voice-over, and radio…
The actor who brought joy and laughter in most of his roles was, in reality, a melancholic, shy man, constantly doubting his acting abilities. He never pushed himself forward, always preferring to stand modestly aside. This is also why he sometimes faced snubs… and blows of fate that could be described as below the belt. You will read about all this – as well as many little-known facts connected to this unforgettable, smiling, yet always slightly sad actor – in this very first biography dedicated to him.