Otto Šimánek
Acting • Born 1925-04-28 – Died 1992-05-08
Biography
Otto Šimánek (April 28, 1925 Třešť - May 8, 1992 Prague) was a Czech mime, film and theater actor. He has starred in a number of comedies and several fairy tales. Probably his most famous role was the title role in the series Pan Tau. He trained as an electrician at Tesla in Prague and has so far played the theater only amateuristically. He later got to the Theater on May 5 and also traveled for a few months at the Theater under the Placht of Jindřich Plachta. He gained acting experience in various theaters. He worked in theaters in Zlín, Ostrava and finally in 1958 he was engaged in the Municipal Theaters of Prague, where he lasted until 1990. He played a number of large roles on the stage. The character of the clown Jean Debureau remains unforgettable for the audience in the dramatization of Kožík's novel The Greatest of the Pierots, where he could fully use his love for pantomime. Acting in the Prague theater also meant an opportunity to win film and television roles. He mainly played smaller roles in about forty films. The most famous is probably the role from the movie I'll Get Up Tomorrow and Bake My Tea. His character, Mr. Tau, entered the European and, to some extent, world film consciousness in the co-production series of the same name by director Jindřich Polák and screenwriter Ota Hofman. He also taught pantomime at the Prague Conservatory and DAMU. Among his students was, among others, the actor Petr Čepek. On the site of the pharmacy where Otto Šimánek was born, an ash statue was installed in 2011 depicting an actor in the role of Mr. Tau with a typical hand movement near his hat. The author is Daniel Stejskal.
Filmography
121 credits
Měšťáci
Movie • 1958
Tlustý anděl z Rouenu
Movie • 1958
Dařbuján a Pandrhola
Movie • 1959
Where an Alibi Is Not Everything
Movie • 1961
Moravec
Básník, služka a král
Movie • 1977
Vo modrým ptáčku
Movie • 1968
Tři chlapi v chalupě
Movie • 1963
Dům na Ořechovce
Movie • 1959
The End of Agent W4C
Movie • 1967
Inventor
Švec Janek v pohádkové zemi
Movie • 1979
Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea
Movie • 1977
Patrick White
Kamenný orchestr
Movie • 1982
Matas
Black Saturday
Movie • 1961
Slávek (voice)
Šach mat
Movie • 1985
Policejní hodina
Movie • 1961
O kohoutovi, kose a kocourovi
Movie • 1969
The Black Dynasty
Movie • 1962
Mature Wine
Movie • 1981
Malý Bobeš ve městě
Movie • 1962
Objev na Střapaté hůrce
Movie • 1962
Death Is Called Engelchen
Movie • 1963
Začít znova
Movie • 1964
Bajaja
Movie • 1960
Táto, přečti to!
Movie • 1963
Sganarel lékařem
Movie • 1962
Tvrdohlavá žena a zamilovaný školní mládenec
Movie • 1962
Bubny
Movie • 1965
Zelená vlna
Movie • 1982
Poslední návrat
Movie • 1983
Lucy, the Menace of Street
Movie • 1984
Mall Detective
Zajatci tmy
Movie • 1964
Crime at the Girls School
Movie • 1966
Prop Man (segment "Jak se koupe žena")
Poslední růže od Casanovy
Movie • 1966
The Phantom of Morrisville
Movie • 1966
Sedm sestřiček
Movie • 1966
Who Wants to Kill Jessie?
Movie • 1966
Honza a Růžová panenka
Movie • 1975
táta
Sedm žen Alfonse Karáska aneb Když holky berou, já nevím kterou
Movie • 1967
Údolie večných karaván
Movie • 1968
Kalif čápem
Movie • 1970
Maryla
Movie • 1969
One of Them Is the Murderer
Movie • 1971
Adam (voice)
Svatby pana Voka
Movie • 1971
Pan Tau – der Film
Movie • 1988
Rudolf Karasek / Josef Novák
Letiště nepřijímá
Movie • 1960
Pilot Dvořák
Touha Sherlocka Holmese
Movie • 1972
Lásky Emanuela Přibyla
Movie • 1971
No Magic from Tomorrow
Movie • 1979
Pan Tau
Alarm in the Clouds
Movie • 1978
Pan Tau
Bidýlko
Movie • 1967
Světáci
Movie • 1963
Every Young Man
Movie • 1966
voják
Dva muži hlásí příchod
Movie • 1975
Duch soudce Pauknera
Movie • 1983
Wine Working
Movie • 1976
...and again that Lucy!
Movie • 1984
Mall Detective
Ohnivé ženy se vracejí
Movie • 1987
Vajíčko
Movie • 1969
The Hope
Movie • 1964
Fojtar
Chicken on Travels
Movie • 1962
Teacher
The Fabulous Baron Munchausen
Movie • 1962
Michal Ardan
Desire
Movie • 1958
Brother-in-law (segment "Lidé na zemi a hvezdy na nebi")
Men About Town
Movie • 1969
muž
The Fabulous World of Jules Verne
Movie • 1958
The Man on the Train
You Are a Widow, Sir
Movie • 1971
průmyslník Alfred Keletti
O bílém jadýrku
Movie • 1983
Kde bydlí štěstí
Movie • 1987
zlatník
Panenka z vltavské tůně
Movie • 1976
A Prayer for Katerina Horovitzova
Movie • 1965
krejčí
Fear
Movie • 1964
okrskář v Roudné
Merry Christmas Octopus
Movie • 1987
učitel
Trezor
Movie • 1989
Adámek
Spadla s měsíce
Movie • 1961
Shoesmachine
Movie • 1954
laborer
Stalo se jedné neděle
Movie • 1985
Šlechetný cowboy Sandy
Movie • 1964
Polka jede do světa
Movie • 1965
Cesta řeky k moři
Movie • 1966
Všude žijí lidé
Movie • 1960
Rehák
Svatební cesta aneb Ještě ne, Evžene!
Movie • 1966
Tři chlapi po roce
Movie • 1964
(uncredited)
Ta naše písnička česká
Movie • 1967
I andělé ztrácejí trpělivost
Movie • 1949
Statečný Azmun
Movie • 1986
Přísně tajné premiéry
Movie • 1968
lupič Mareček
Nedělní dostaveníčko
Movie • 1954
Co je platno kárat, co je platno kázat
Movie • 1978
Santa Lucia
Movie • 1985
Podnájem na Champs Ellysèes
Movie • 1991
Georges De Rillettes
Medvěd
Movie • 1956
Zkouška pokračuje
Movie • 1960
Inspicient
Three Wishes for Cinderella
Movie • 1973
King (voice) (uncredited)
The Octopuses from the Second Floor
Movie • 1987
Young Wine
Movie • 1986
Území strachu
Movie • 1986
Bakaláři
TV • 1972
Inženýrská odysea
TV • 1980
Pan Tau
TV • 1970
Pan Tau
Had z ráje
TV • 1981
Mr. Forchheim
Arabela
TV • 1980
Arabela
TV • 1980
(uncredited)
Malý pitaval z velkého města
TV • 1983
The Octopuses from the Second Floor
TV • 1986
Teacher
Tři chlapi v chalupě
TV • 1961
Arnošt Kacíř
Případy komisaře Mejzlíka
TV • 1965
Little Dorrit
TV • 1967
Bejvávalo
TV • 1966
Hříšní lidé města pražského
TV • 1969
Sňatky z rozumu
TV • 1968
Pinocchiova dobrodružství
TV • 1967
(voice)
Dobrodružství šesti trampů
TV • 1970
Pan Tau
TV • 1970
Pan Tau / Alfons
F. L. Věk
TV • 1971
Úsměvy světa
TV • 1969
Bambi
TV • 1948
Self
Muž na radnici
TV • 1976
The Visitors
TV • 1983
Tři mušketýři
TV • 1983
Poručík Petr
TV • 1981
Das Sonntagskonzert
TV • 1969
Self
The Train of Childhood and Expectation
TV • 1989