
Acting
Born April 28, 1925 · Třešť, Československo
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.
Podnájem na Champs Ellysèes
1991
Trezor
1989

Pan Tau – der Film
1988

Merry Christmas Octopus
1987
Kde bydlí štěstí
1987

The Octopuses from the Second Floor
1987

Ohnivé ženy se vracejí
1987
Statečný Azmun
1986

Young Wine
1986
Území strachu
1986
Santa Lucia
1985
Šach mat
1985
Stalo se jedné neděle
1985

...and again that Lucy!
1984

Lucy, the Menace of Street
1984
Poslední návrat
1983
Duch soudce Pauknera
1983
O bílém jadýrku
1983

Zelená vlna
1982
Kamenný orchestr
1982

Mature Wine
1981
Švec Janek v pohádkové zemi
1979

No Magic from Tomorrow
1979

Alarm in the Clouds
1978
Co je platno kárat, co je platno kázat
1978
Básník, služka a král
1977

Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea
1977

Panenka z vltavské tůně
1976

Wine Working
1976

Dva muži hlásí příchod
1975
Honza a Růžová panenka
1975

Three Wishes for Cinderella
1973

Touha Sherlocka Holmese
1972
Lásky Emanuela Přibyla
1971

One of Them Is the Murderer
1971

Svatby pana Voka
1971

You Are a Widow, Sir
1971
Kalif čápem
1970
Maryla
1969

Men About Town
1969
O kohoutovi, kose a kocourovi
1969
Vajíčko
1969
Vo modrým ptáčku
1968
Údolie večných karaván
1968

Přísně tajné premiéry
1968

Sedm žen Alfonse Karáska aneb Když holky berou, já nevím kterou
1967

The End of Agent W4C
1967

Ta naše písnička česká
1967
Bidýlko
1967
Svatební cesta aneb Ještě ne, Evžene!
1966
Sedm sestřiček
1966
Cesta řeky k moři
1966

Who Wants to Kill Jessie?
1966

Poslední růže od Casanovy
1966

The Phantom of Morrisville
1966

Every Young Man
1966

Crime at the Girls School
1966
A Prayer for Katerina Horovitzova
1965

Bubny
1965
Polka jede do světa
1965
Tři chlapi po roce
1964

Fear
1964

Začít znova
1964

The Hope
1964
Zajatci tmy
1964

Šlechetný cowboy Sandy
1964

Tři chlapi v chalupě
1963

Death Is Called Engelchen
1963

Světáci
1963
Táto, přečti to!
1963
Sganarel lékařem
1962

Malý Bobeš ve městě
1962

The Black Dynasty
1962

Objev na Střapaté hůrce
1962

The Fabulous Baron Munchausen
1962

Chicken on Travels
1962
Tvrdohlavá žena a zamilovaný školní mládenec
1962

Spadla s měsíce
1961

Where an Alibi Is Not Everything
1961

Policejní hodina
1961

Black Saturday
1961

Bajaja
1960

Všude žijí lidé
1960

Zkouška pokračuje
1960

Letiště nepřijímá
1960

Dařbuján a Pandrhola
1959
Dům na Ořechovce
1959

Desire
1958

The Fabulous World of Jules Verne
1958
Tlustý anděl z Rouenu
1958
Měšťáci
1958
Medvěd
1956

Shoesmachine
1954
Nedělní dostaveníčko
1954
I andělé ztrácejí trpělivost
1949