She sat down at the café table as a lively woman – smiling, bright-eyed, and incredibly elegant. Just as when we last met four years ago at the Cannes Festival and much earlier during a shoot in Prague. It’s as if time barely touches her. “I just try to sleep well,” laughs Slovak actress Emília Vášáryová, who is as well known for her roles in Czech films, theaters, and television productions as she is for her work in Slovakia.
I admire that despite your age, you still regularly travel back and forth between Bratislava and Prague. Do you always manage to motivate yourself to get on a bus or in a car and go?
No more buses – that was in the past. Now I get in the car. And I’m grateful that Milan Kňažko, with whom I perform at Studio Dva in Prague, sometimes gives me a ride. He’s an excellent driver. I rode the bus for almost thirty years – I’ve had my fill.
Czech audiences can now see you from time to time in the play Love Letters, which you perform at Studio Dva with Milan Kňažko.
Yes – it’s a quiet conversation written by American author A.R. Gurney, a kind of testimony from two people about life’s transformations. Imagine – I first saw this play twelve years ago in Paris with Anouk Aimée, an actress I always admired deeply. I dubbed her into Slovak for every one of her films that came to our cinemas or TV. I wanted so much to see her live on stage. Her partner was portrayed by Philippe Noiret – he was already elderly and physically weak at the time. They sat at a table, just like us, and read letters. Back then, I thought: Oh come on – you can’t just sit and read to people on stage! Well – here we are. I’m doing the same thing – sitting and reading…
At least it’s comfortable – you don’t have to move around much on stage.
It’s true – I don’t have to move. But there’s a special magic in that play. Even sitting, the text is so strong that it captivates you. And apparently the audience too – we’re always sold out and always get big applause.
People don’t write letters anymore – let alone love letters. Does the play make you feel nostalgic?
Not really. I never wrote them myself. And if someone wrote them to me, they went straight out the door. They were usually some odd letters, and they made me a bit uneasy. I’m not sentimental at all – I don’t keep correspondence like some people do. I love open spaces – I don’t want to burden my apartment or myself with unnecessary things.
You still seem so full of vitality. How do you do it – where does the energy come from?
I don’t do anything special. It’s important for me to sleep well. But I don’t take any medication for it. Many people take sleeping pills, but I never wanted to do that. When I can’t sleep, I lie there and rehearse my lines. Maybe the energy also comes from having lived a somewhat ascetic life.
Do you need physical activity?
Very much! That’s why I loved theater – I could move, dance, sing – everything. So as long as I can, I want to keep acting. Right now, I’m rehearsing a new play at the National Theater with young director Kamila Polívková. Working with young people energizes me – since we’re speaking of energy. But the moment I realize I need help with lines or that I’m forgetting things, I’ll quit immediately. I would embarrass myself otherwise.
So far, you’re managing – even in front of the camera. But acting is a demanding profession, especially for a woman – it’s hard to balance with private life. What was your experience?
Acting is one of the least suitable professions if you want to keep a family together. It’s hard to find a partner who will accept it all. But I’m sure managers, lawyers, or doctors who work night shifts face the same struggle. It’s a battle – and I fought it too. I don’t even know how I managed everything. But I wouldn’t take back a single day of my life – every day has been beautiful.
You were lucky with your partner. Milan Čorba was a set and film designer – he knew your profession well. After his passing, you stayed alone. Do you miss him?
Yes – it’s already been twelve years since he passed. But I’m not looking for anyone else. Not at all.
Your husband had Czech roots. That must make the Czech-Slovak connection even more meaningful for you…
It does. I always liked reading your newspapers too. I’m very sad that Lidovky stopped publishing. I haven’t found a replacement – maybe just Respekt and Reflex. Reading news on a mobile phone and getting lost among all those pop-up ads is not for me. But I try to follow those magazines – I need to keep up with the social context, I can’t afford to be out of touch.
What about social media?
I’m not into it. Although, to be fair, a lady in the Czech Republic once made me a Facebook profile. I sometimes find interesting things there – even about myself – though, honestly, often things that amaze me and aren’t true. And yes, I probably have the oldest feature phone in the world – look at it – all taped up – embarrassing, isn’t it?
As long as you’re happy with it, that’s what matters.
I am. If it breaks, I can fix it and tape it up myself. My kids keep offering to buy me a new one for Christmas, and I always say: “Yes, yes – next year I’ll really replace it…” Just the other day, I even went to a store, but there was a huge line, so I left. I had a good reason – I was rushing to a play. And I was so happy I didn’t buy it!
You’ve shot many Czech-Slovak co-productions. Is there one film that’s closest to your heart?
Hard to say. It was always wonderful work. I even got roles where I had to speak Czech – I worked hard on those, sometimes practicing for half a year before filming. The early roles were smaller, which was easier, but later came the big character roles – those were harder. We also did a lot of TV dramas – the famous Mondays and so on. In recent years I’ve worked with young directors. I loved filming with Honza Hřebejk – we really understood each other. I adore my role in his film Up and Down. And I must mention Eva Nová, which we shot with Marko Škop. At first, I didn’t want to do it – I thought I wouldn’t have the strength anymore. But the story moved me. It was a good project – I traveled the world with it. It even won an award at the Toronto festival.
And now you don’t want to film anymore – not in Slovakia or here?
No, I’m tired, I can’t handle it anymore. I’ve decided I’m done appearing in front of the camera. During COVID, stuck at home, I solved a crossword puzzle with this well-known saying: A person should know when to start and when to stop. So I’m done with film. But I won’t disconnect from the Czech Republic – I see it as the country where I was born and where Prague was my capital city. Every time I come here, I rejoice at how beautifully restored it is. Recently, I walked down Národní třída, past the building where they used to sew film costumes, and I marveled at how gorgeous the surrounding buildings are. Prague is becoming a European hub – I really like it here – I feel at home here.
The author is a staff writer for Deník
CV BOX
Emília Vášáryová (born May 18, 1942, in Horná Štubňa) is a Slovak actress.
She grew up with her younger sister Magda in an educated family (both parents were teachers) and an enlightened cultural environment.
In 1963, she graduated in acting from the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. Since 1964, she has been a member of the Slovak National Theater Drama Company.
After 1989, she was briefly active in politics (elected for the Public Against Violence movement to the House of the People of the Federal Assembly).
She has appeared in numerous Czech films (When the Cat Comes, Cosy Dens, Up and Down, Václav, Eva Nová, Masaryk). She holds many awards, including the Czech Lion and the Medal of Merit. In 2000, she won the Slovak press poll for Actress of the Century and also holds the Martin Porubjak Award for artistic contribution to Czech-Slovak relations.
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