Ян Гаєк

Jan Hájek was born in 1978 in Moravská Třebová and is one of the most prominent Czech actors today. After studying at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU) in Brno, he caught the public's attention at the Polárka Theatre and soon landed the title role in Hamlet (2002) at the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre in Ostrava. This breakthrough paved the way for major roles and earned him the 2006 Thalia Award in the Talent of the Year category. In 2006, he accepted an engagement at the National Theatre in Prague, where he shone in productions such as The Celebration (Rodinná slavnost) and Chekhov's Ivanov. Since 2011, he has been a member of the Činoherní klub (The Drama Club), and since 2014, he has also been part of the Theatre on the Balustrade (Divadlo Na zábradlí), where he is a core member of the ensemble and regularly collaborates with director Jan Mikulášek. He has also made appearances at the Reduta Theatre in Brno. His acting style combines a natural, understated delivery with deep intensity and a strong personal energy—which is why critics often describe him as one of the best Czech stage actors of our time.