František Velecký (often credited as Fero Velecký, 8 March 1934 – 5 October 2003) was a
Slovak actor.
Velecký was a very particular figure of Slovak acting, being antipode to venerated mainstream showbiz celebrities. Although he had never received any formal training (in acting) he managed to earn a great respect of both filmmakers and audience members. He performed in some 50 Slovak, Czech, German, Hungarian and UK/US movies, but he will be most remembered for portraying the lead character of Mikoláš in the Czech movie ''
Marketa Lazarová''.
Biography and career
Velecký was born 8 March 1934 in
Zvolen. He originally studied civil engineering (highschool) and worked as a designer for few years. However, since his early age he was attracted by the world of cinema and finally in his 30s managed to get his first major roles. Practically at the beginning of his acting career, after a few minor films including ''Každý týždeň sedem dní'' (1964) and ''Nylonový mesiac'' (1965), he received the role of his lifetime in ''
Marketa Lazarová'' (1966). This experience deeply influenced the rest of his life. In interviews, he described with gratitude how the director
František Vláčil
František Vláčil (19 February 1924 – 27 January 1999) was a Czech film director, painter, and graphic artist.
From 1945 to 1950, he studied aesthetics and art history at Masaryk University in Brno. Later, he worked in various groups an ...
completely changed his way of seeing the world during the long production of this movie.
Despite the impact the role had on the film (widely considered the best
Czech cinema) and on his life, Velecký would probably be more recognized by Western audiences for his appearances in ''
The Brothers Grimm'' (released 2005) and the
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
-nominated ''
Želary
''Želary'' is a 2003 Czech/Slovak film directed by Ondřej Trojan and starring Anna Geislerová. The film received a 2004 Academy Award nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category. It was produced by Barrandov Studios in Prague.
T ...
'' (2003). For most of his career, Velecký was free of any theatre company ties except being briefly associated with the Theatre of Spišká Nová Ves in the 1980s.
During his professional career, Velecký was not limited to acting. He was assistant director to
Juraj Jakubisko on the film ''Zbehovia a pútnici'' (1968) and he applied his talent in fine arts during the 1990s.
Velecký died of cancer 5 October 2003 in
Bratislava
Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
.
Selected filmography
*''
Skalní v ofsajde'' (1960) – debut, uncredited
*''
Každý týždeň sedem dní'' (1964)
*''
Prípad pre obhajcu'' (1964)
*''
Nylonový mesiac'' (1965)
*''
Marketa Lazarová'' (1967)
*''
Stopy na Sitne'' (1968)
*''
Pražské noci'' (1968)
*''
Virágvasárnap'' (1969)
*''
Sladké hry minulého leta'' (1969) TV
*''
Noc s mačkou'' (1970)
*''
Princ Bajaja'' (1971)
*''
Red Psalm (Még kér a nép)'' (1972)
*''
Zločin v Modré hvězde'' (1973)
*''
Láska'' (1973)
*''
Szerelmem, Elektra'' (1974)
*''
Horúčka'' (1975)
*''
Pacho, hybský zbojník'' (1975)
*''
Na veliké řece'' (1976)
*''
Bludička'' (1977)
*''
Na konci diaľnice'' (1982)
*''
Na druhom brehu sloboda'' (1984)
*''
Iná láska'' (1985)
*''
O živej vode'' (1987)
*''
Let asfaltového holuba'' (1990)
*''
Lepšie je byť bohatý a zdravý ako chudobný a chorý'' (1992)
* ''
Želary
''Želary'' is a 2003 Czech/Slovak film directed by Ondřej Trojan and starring Anna Geislerová. The film received a 2004 Academy Award nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category. It was produced by Barrandov Studios in Prague.
T ...
'' (2003)
* ''
The Brothers Grimm'' (2005)
Notable TV appearances
*Rajský plyn (1970)
*Plamene (1972)
*Vrchárska balada (1973)
*Naši synovia (1974)
*Vivat Beňovský (1975)
*Smrť chodí po horách (1979)
*Na baňu klopajú (1980)
*Cukor (1982)
*Štúrovci (1991)
External links
Fero Velecký*
*Bio fro
Slovak Film Institute''(Slovenský filmový ústav)''
*Many pictures o
nostalghia.czplus anothe
bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Velecky, Frantisek
1934 births
2003 deaths
People from Zvolen
Slovak male film actors
Deaths from cancer in Slovakia
Slovak male television actors
20th-century Slovak male actors
21st-century Slovak male actors
Slovak male stage actors