Bolek Polívka

2.1. Theater Career

Polívka began his active involvement in theater in the late 1960s. In 1969, he co-founded Divadlo Husa na provázku (Goose on a String Theatre) in Brno, which became an important platform for experimental theater. Later, in 1993, he established his own theater in the same city, named Divadlo Bolka Polívky (Bolek Polívka Theatre). He is widely regarded as one of the foremost exponents of Czech mime, often performing with international theater ensembles, including the Italian ensemble "Piccolo teatro di Pontadero." His distinctive work as a writer, director, and mime artist draws inspiration from various comedic traditions, notably clown comedy, Commedia dell'arte, and early comedy films. Polívka's performances are characterized by his occasional integration of voice and spoken words, transcending traditional mime into a broader form of "total acting."

2.2. Film and Television Career

Polívka's film career began in the 1960s, leading to appearances in more than 40 films. He frequently collaborated with Czech director Vladimír Sís^Czech until Sís's passing in 2001. A significant partnership also developed with director Věra Chytilová, with whom he worked regularly from the 1980s until her death in 2014. During this period, he played lead roles in several of her acclaimed "moralistic comedies."

His cinematic achievements include receiving the prestigious Czech Lion award in 1997. This honor was bestowed upon him for his performance as the priest Holý in the film Forgotten Light (Zapomenuté světlo^Czech), a role for which he was also voted Best Actor at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Polívka earned a second Czech Lion for his compelling role in the 2000 film Divided We Fall (Musíme si pomáhat^Czech), directed by Jan Hřebejk. This film also garnered international recognition by being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Beyond film, Polívka has hosted two popular television shows for Czech Television, Manéž Bolka Polívky (Bolek Polívka's Arena) and Bolkoviny.

3.1. Plays

Some of Boleslav Polívka's representative theater productions include:

• Am a Ea (Am and Ea)
• Pezza versus Čorba
• Pépe
• Poslední leč
• Šašek a královna (The Jester and the Queen)
• Trosečník (Castaway)

3.2. Filmography

Boleslav Polívka's major film appearances include:

• Balada pro Banditu (1978)
• Kalamita (Calamity) (1981)
• Poslední leč (1981)
• Šašek a královna (1987)
• Freckled Max and the Spooks (1987)
• Něžný Barbar (1989)
• Sedím na konári a je mi dobre (1989)
• Dědictví aneb Kurvahošigutntag (1992)
• Forgotten Light (Zapomenuté světlo^Czech; 1996)
• Suzanne (1996)
• Pelíšky (Cozy Dens) (1999)
• Divided We Fall (Musíme si pomáhat^Czech; 2000)
• My Beautiful Secret (2000)
• Out of the City (2000)
• Heavenly Exiles (2001)
• Pupendo (2003)
• Something Like Happiness (Štěstí^Czech; 2005)
• Roming (2007)
• Bathory (2008)
• Men in Hope (2011)
• The Magical Duvet (2011)
• To the Woods (2012)
• Revival (2013)
• Home Care (2015)
• Green Horse Rustlers (2016)
• The Angel of the Road 2 (2016)

4.1. Family and Relationships

Polívka has been married three times and is a father to six children. Among his children is the acclaimed actress Anna Polívková, who has followed in her father's footsteps into the performing arts.

4.2. Legal Disputes

Polívka has been involved in several significant legal and financial controversies. He previously operated a farm in Olšany, near Brno, where he organized various public events and entertainments. However, in 2013, his company declared bankruptcy, leading to the closure of the farm. Creditors subsequently sued him for a sum amounting to 56.00 M CZK.

Another notable legal dispute, described by BBC News as one of the Czech Republic's oddest, involved the fictional "Kingdom of Wallachia." In a 1993 television performance, Polívka had himself "crowned" as the "king" of this fictional entity, named after Moravian Wallachia. In 1997, he began collaborating with Tomáš Harabiš, who had independently created and officially registered a separate fictional "Wallachian Kingdom," complete with its own "passports." Polívka, leveraging his status as a well-known actor, became the public face of Harabiš's "Wallachian Kingdom," adopting the title "Wallachian King, Boleslav I the Gracious, Forever." This partnership significantly boosted the "Wallachian Kingdom" into one of the most successful tourist attractions in the Czech Republic.

Their working relationship remained amicable until 2000, when a dispute erupted over the legal ownership of the "kingdom." This was sparked by Harabiš's trademarking of the "kingdom's" name. In 2001, Harabiš "deposed" "King Boleslav." Polívka retaliated in 2002 by filing a lawsuit against Harabiš, accusing him of making unlawful profits from Polívka's persona as "King Boleslav." After several years, Polívka ultimately lost the case in 2008.