Czech film and theatre lost one of its most beloved, most fragile and at the same time brightest stars of the 1980s. Yes, Jana Brejchová, the actress whose face was forever imprinted on the memory of several generations of viewers, died after a long illness at the age of 86. The news of her death was confirmed by her daughter, actress Tereza Brodská, who also asked the public and the media to respect the family's privacy at this difficult time. A woman who could tell the whole human story without words has passed away.
The actress herself was very shy, fragile and sweet. Jana Brejchová was never pretentious, she never had to raise her voice to be heard. Her strength lay in her gentleness, in her gaze, in a slight gesture, in the silence between sentences. It was there that acting that was true and deeply human was born. On the screen, she became a symbol of feminine beauty and inner tension. The nickname „Czech Bardot“ was bestowed on her without her ever seeking it herself. She was not an actress of a single position - she could be girlish, vulnerable, passionate and tragic. Her roles carried emotions that touched the audience not in a primal way, but with a gradual, all the more powerful intensity. Each was an imprint of her personality: quiet, focused, deep.
A girl with big eyes, mixing innocence with a quiet depth, who gradually grew into an actress of extraordinary stature and became, at the age of 80, a symbol of the Czech and Slovak woman that everyone wanted to be. She portrayed women who were intellectually expressive and at the same time combative, a woman who could handle everything, her work, her family, her interests, and with the taste of a creative person. Her career as an actress was a time of joy and a time of hardship. She went through periods of glory, but also personal pain, which were reflected in her expression with extraordinary sincerity. She never set herself up as a star, yet she was one. She accepted the international recognition she earned through her talent with the humility and reserve that were her own. In addition to her artistic legacy, she left behind a human footprint - in the form of her daughter Tereza Brodská, who carries forward not only her acting genes, but also her sense of truth and depth of role.
Their relationship was quiet, firm and full of mutual respect. For Jana Brejchová, it was her family that was her home away from the spotlight. Her roles were inwardly lived because she herself experienced them inwardly. Acting was everything to her, even though she did not strive for fame herself. The passing of Jana Brejchová is not just the loss of a major actress. It is a farewell to an era of quality culture in which acting was based on a strong inner truth, not on effect. Her face will always remain a part of Czech cultural memory, her roles will continue to speak to those who seek emotion, silence and truth in art. She passed away quietly, just as she lived - but she remains forever.
Jan Vojtěch, Editor-in-Chief - General News















