Jozef Kroner(1924-1998)

Slovak movie, theater and TV actor. He is also a passionate fisherman and author of books Actor on the Fishing Rod, Actor Not only on a Fishing Rod, With a Camera And a Fishing Rod and several others. He was born on March 20, 1924 in the village Staskov of central Slovakia. He never studied acting at an academy and his career started spontaneously in various volunteer theater groups. Due to his extraordinary talent for acting, he was offered a job as a professional actor in Martin. He got his start playing a variety of typically Slovak characters. His talent unfolded, however, only in playing complex, older and above all tragicomic characters. Comedy has always been close to his heart. Worldwide recognition came with his controversial leading role in the film of Janos Kadar and Elmar Klos Obchod na korze in 1965. This tragic story from the period of the first independent Slovak state and confiscation of Jewish property by Arians was in 1966 awarded an Oscar. Unfortunately, we do not have the opportunity to evaluate his whole career as an actor, but it is important to mention his unique expression and the color of his voice which has made so many of his film characters unique. The characteristic immediacy, humor, and presence of humanism breathed life into many characters of Slovak and world classical films. Jozef Kroner is one of those actors who do not know rest and whose passion for acting has not diminished in old age. In the recent years we have had a chance to see him in several Czech films.