Top 100 Eastern European Actors
The most important actors from the countries of the former Eastern Bloc. 28 Polish, 21 Serbian/Bosnian/Croatian, 18 Hungarian, 14 Czech, 9 Romanian, 3 Bulgarian, 2 Albanian/Kosovar, 2 Georgian, one Belarusian, one Estonian, one Kazakh, one Slovak and one Ukrainian actor.
List activity
14K views
• 19 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
100 people
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Oscar-winning actor Paul Lukas was born in Hungary and graduated from the School for Dramatic Arts. In 1916 he went to Kosice (Kassa) to be an actor; in 1918 he became an actor specializing in comedy. For ten years he was the most popular character player and romantic lead of the company. In 1918 he began making movies in Budapest and in the 1920s he began appearing in films in Austria as well. He journeyed to Hollywood in 1927, where he finally settled down. He wasn't untrue to the stage--he played Dr. Rank to Ruth Gordon's Nora in Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House" in the Morosco Theatre in New York in 1937--but concentrated on films until 1948. In the '50s he started appearing on stage more and more, and worked in films and on TV only sporadically.- Actor
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Additional Crew
Bela Lugosi was born Béla Ferenc Dezsö Blaskó on October 20, 1882, Lugos, Hungary, Austria-Hungary (now Lugoj, Romania), to Paula de Vojnich and István Blaskó, a banker. He was the youngest of four children. During WWI, he volunteered and was commissioned as an infantry lieutenant, and was wounded three times.
A distinguished stage actor in his native Hungary, Austria-Hungary, he began his stage career in 1901 and started appearing in films during World War I, fleeing to Germany in 1919 as a result of his left-wing political activity (he organized an actors' union). In 1920 he emigrated to the US and made a living as a character actor, shooting to fame when he played Count Dracula in the legendary 1927 Broadway stage adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel. It ran for three years, and was subsequently, and memorably, filmed by Tod Browning in 1931, establishing Lugosi as one of the screen's greatest personifications of pure evil. Also in 1931, he became a U.S. citizen. Sadly, his reputation rapidly declined, mainly because he had been blacklisted by the main studios and had no choice but to accept any part (and script) handed to him, and ended up playing parodies of his greatest role, in low-grade poverty row films. Due to shady blacklisting among the top Hollywood studio executives, he refused to sell out or to compromise his integrity, and therefore ended his career working for the legendary Worst Director of All Time, Edward D. Wood Jr..
Lugosi was married to Ilona Szmik (1917 - 1920), Ilona von Montagh (? - ?), and Lillian Arch (1933 - 1951). He is the father of Bela Lugosi Jr. (1938). Lugosi helped organize the Screen Actors Guild in the mid-'30s, joining as member number 28.
Bela Lugosi died of a heart attack August 16, 1956. He was buried in a Dracula costume, including a cape, but not the ones used in the 1931 film, contrary to popular--but unfounded--rumors.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Miklós Gábor was born on 7 April 1919 in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary. He was an actor and writer, known for Mágnás Miska (1949), Állami áruház (1953) and Torquato Tasso (1984). He was married to Éva Ruttkai, Éva Vass and Mária Rákosi. He died on 2 July 1998 in Budapest, Hungary.- Wienczyslaw Glinski was born on 10 May 1921 in Astrakhan, RSFSR [now Russia]. He was an actor, known for Orzel (1959), Echo (1964) and Dziadek do orzechów (1967). He died on 8 July 2008 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.
- Tadeusz Janczar was born on 25 April 1926 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Zamach stanu (1980), Chlopi (1972) and A Generation (1955). He was married to Malgorzata Lorentowicz and Elzbieta Habich. He died on 31 October 1997 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.
- Kazimierz Opalinski was born on 22 February 1890 in Prömsel, Galicia, Austria-Hungary [now Przemysl, Podkarpackie, Poland]. He was an actor, known for Television Theater (1953), Ludzie Wisly (1938) and Gangsterzy i filantropi (1963). He died on 6 June 1979 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.
- Zygmunt Listkiewicz was born on 17 March 1932 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Trzy opowiesci (1953), The Hours of Hope (1955) and Man on the Tracks (1957). He died on 10 May 1989 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.
- Won international fame with the leading role of Maciek Chelmicki in Andrzej Wajda's Ashes and Diamonds (1958). He created a character which was imitated not only in Poland; often compared with James Dean.
Graduated from the Higher State School of Acting in Cracow; also studied journalism. From 1953 to 1960 worked with Wybrzeze Theatre, Bim-Bom Student Theatre and Teatr Rozmow (all in Gdansk). From 1961 to 1967 acted and directed in Theatre Ateneum in Warsaw, Poland.
Major leading roles: Kostek in Wajda's A Generation (1955) ("Generation"), Maciek Chelmicki in Wajda's Ashes and Diamonds (1958), Jacek in Janusz Morgenstern's A demain (1961) ("See You Tomorrow", co-scr.), Edmund in Wajda's Innocent Sorcerers (1960) ("Innocent Sorcerers"), Wiktor Rawicz in Wojciech Has's Jak byc kochana (1963) ("How to Be Loved"), Alfons Van Worden in Has's The Saragossa Manuscript (1965), trainer Janczak in Aleksander Scibor-Rylski's Jutro Meksyk (1966) ("Mexico Tomorrow"), Rodecki in Scibor-Rylski's Morderca zostawia slad (1967) ("The Killer Leaves a Trace"). - Waclaw Zastrzezynski was born on 22 March 1900 in Vilna, Russian Empire [now Vilnius, Lithuania]. He was an actor, known for Ashes and Diamonds (1958) and Poscig (1954). He died on 22 November 1959 in Katowice, Slaskie, Poland.
- Actor
- Director
Edward Dziewonski was born on 16 December 1916 in Moscow, Russian Empire [now Russia]. He was an actor and director, known for 5 dni z zycia emeryta (1985), Television Theater (1953) and Adventure in Marienstadt (1954). He died on 17 August 2002 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.- Actor
- Music Department
- Composer
Adam Pawlikowski was a multi-talented individual, known for his work as an actor, journalist, film critic, musicologist, and composer. He was also a virtuoso of the ocarina. Pawlikowski began his medical studies in Italy after World War II, but later returned to Poland to study musicology. He was involved in film and music criticism from 1948 to 1957. His acting career included many Polish films, with his most notable role being in Ashes and Diamonds (1958).- Leon Niemczyk was born on 15 December 1923 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Knife in the Water (1962), Inland Empire (2006) and Das unsichtbare Visier (1973). He was married to Diana, Krystyna, Dorit, Jadwiga and Tatiana Zuanar. He died on 29 November 2006 in Lódz, Lódzkie, Poland.
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Zygmunt Malanowicz was born on 4 February 1938 in Wilno, Wilenskie, Poland [now Vilnius, Lithuania]. He was an actor and writer, known for Knife in the Water (1962), Jaroslaw Dabrowski (1976) and Bez ulik (1992). He died on 4 April 2021 in Poland.- Iurie Darie (real name Darie Maximciuc) was a famous Romanian film and theater actor.He was born on March 14, 1929 in Vadul Rascov, Romania. He graduated from Institute of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography in 1952.In 1953, he plays first role in the movie Nepotii gornistului. Other notable roles in Brigada Diverse în alerta! (1971), Dimitrie Cantemir (1973), Fratii Jderi (1974). Play on the stage of the theater ''Teatrul de Comedie '' in Bucharest.He was married with Consuela Rosu and with Anca Pandrea .He had a son ,director Ducu Darie.He was decorated on May 30, 2002 with the National Order of the Faithful Service in the rank of Knight.He died on November 9, 2012 in Bucharest, Romania.
- Actor
- Make-Up Department
- Additional Crew
Rade Markovic was born in Belgrade where he studied at the College of Engineering and Philosophical Faculty. For the first time he set his foot on the stage as a member of a cultural artistic company "Ivo Lola Ribar" and the Youth Theatre and since the season 1946 to 1949 he was acting in performances of the Academic Theatre. Since 1959 he is a professional actor, attached to Belgrade Drama Theatre (to 1961). Thereafter, as an independent artist he appears on Atelje 212, National Theatre and Yugoslav Drama Theatre stages. During his sixty years long and fruitful artistic career, he has created over hundred (100) theater roles, took part in seventy eight (78) national and international film productions, acted in over sixty dramas and series made by TV Belgrade. Some of his outstanding roles in theater in "A Dubious Character" by Branislav Nusic, "Nikoletina Bursac" by Branko Copic (also TV drama Nikoletina Bursac (1958)), "Lodgings" by Milos Crnjanski, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" by Tennessee Williams, "Oblomov" by Goncharov and, finally, Pozzo in "En attendant Godot" by Samuel Beckett in which he was appeared with Ljuba Tadic, Mihajlo 'Bata' Paskaljevic and Milivoje 'Mica' Tomic and that was first performance of Bekcett's play in East Europe (1956, Atelje 212).
He was a professor of acting at Novi Sad Academy of Arts (since September 1981) and at "Braca Karic" Academy in Belgrade (since 1997). For his theatre creations he repeatedly received recognition: Belgrade October Award (1963), award for acting at Sterija's Theatre Festival (1958), two awards for acting at Festival of Small Scenes in Sarajevo (1962, 1971), three "Arena" awards at Yugoslav Film Festival in Pula (1955, 1957, 1963), award at the Festival of Bulgarian Film in Varna (1964), Seventh July Award (1981), "Slavica" award for life work at Film Encounters in Nis (1989) etc.
Rade Markovic was one of the most distinguished protagonists of modern acting expression that made crucial influence of development of Yugoslav and Serbian theatre arts after WW II and he is a model of a successful multimedia artist.- Jan Vostrcil was born on 3 December 1903 in Príluka, Austria-Hungary. He was an actor, known for The Firemen's Ball (1967), Loves of a Blonde (1965) and Black Peter (1964). He died on 25 January 1985 in Kolín, Czechoslovakia.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
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.- Karel Blazek was born on 10 April 1926. He is an actor, known for Intimate Lighting (1965).
- Zdenek Bezusek is known for Intimate Lighting (1965).
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Janez Vrhovec was born on 19 January 1921 in Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia. He was an actor and assistant director, known for Man Is Not a Bird (1965), Denovi na iskusenie (1965) and Love and Fashion (1960). He died on 7 October 1997 in Belgrade, Serbia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.- Art Department
- Actor
- Production Designer
Zdenek Lstiburek was born on 8 December 1951 in Vyskov, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. He is an actor and production designer, known for Der Wixxer (2004), Maigret (1991) and Durch diese Nacht sehe ich keinen einzigen Stern (2005).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Václav Neckár was born on 23 October 1943 in Prague, Protectorate Bohemia and Moravia [now Czech Republic]. He is an actor, known for Closely Watched Trains (1966), Malé letní blues (1968) and Blues pro EFB (1980).- In Hungary lots of people said that he had been the king in the movies in the 20th century. Latinovics was born in his grandfather's restaurant at 12:30pm. His mother, Katalin Gundel, was the daughter of the well-known restaurant owner in Pest. His father, Oszkár Latinovics, was a landowner in South-Hungary and he left his family some days after Zoltán was born. When he was 10 his mother married again. His stepfather was a doctor. 2 brothers were born, István Bujtor (this is his stage-name) and Károly Frenreisz. He loved the cinema, the theatre and he painted a lot. He collected and read books. First he learnt the joiner profession and he graduated as an architect before became an actor. He learnt 4 languages fluently: English, French, German, and Italian. But he was a strange, curious person, he "wanted" the life and he didn't want it, finally committing suicide. He liked the truth. His famous romance and love with Éva Ruttkai was well-known.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
László Szabó was born on 24 March 1936 in Budapest, Hungary. He is an actor and director, known for Sortüz egy fekete bivalyért (1985), The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988) and Az ember, aki nappal aludt (2003).- János Görbe was born on 15 November 1912 in Jászárokszállás, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]. He was an actor, known for Föltámadott a tenger (1953), Becsület és dicsöség (1951) and Ének a búzamezökröl (1947). He was married to Juszt, Erzsébet and Megyeri, Éva. He died on 5 September 1968 in Budapest, Hungary.