Marek Daniel

Biography

After completing the Industrial School of Woodworking in Volyně, he studied puppetry and subsequently drama at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno. Following his graduation, he was engaged at the HaDivadlo theatre in Brno, where he appeared in the productions Death of Hubert Perna, King Ubu, Stars on the Willow, King Oedipus, Deadwood, Lulu, etc. 
He appeared as a guest at the Dejvice Theatre (in Miroslav Krobot’s Syrup and the improvisational performance Sekec Mazec) and has performed on other stages in Prague (Archa, Theatre of Comedy) and Brno (Husa na provázku). 
His film career started with a minor role in Jan and Zdeněk Svěrák’s Oscar-winning film Kolja (1996) and he also appeared in the TV series Police Humoresques. The first more significant roles he was entrusted with were in Petr Václav’s psychological drama Parallel Worlds (2001) and Věra Chytilová’s Expulsion from Paradise (2001), followed by parts in Bohdan Sláma’s award-winning Wild Bees (2001), Happiness (2005) and The Country Teacher (2008). 
Marek Daniel also acted in Vladimír Morávek’s Bored in Brno (2003) and Jan Hřebejk’s film Up and Down (2004), in which he portrayed a dim-witted thief, and his adaptation of Patrick Marber’s play Closer at the Na Jezerce theatre in Prague (Larry). He also appeared in Jařab’s surrealistic film Vaterland – A Hunting Logbook (2004) and Vachler’s black comedy Over and Over! (2005).
Furthermore, he has performed in TV films (the football satire Ivan, My Pal, Can You Talk Now?, the comedies Gynaecology 2 and Stand-up) and series (Airport, Private Traps).
He dazzled in the role of Emil Vrbata in Marek Najbrt’s film Protector, for which he won the prestigious Czech Lion award in the Best Male Lead Role category. Robert Sedláček assigned him roles in the TV films Assholes (2011) and Long Live the Family (2011), and he also appeared in Tomáš Luňák’s movie Alois Nebel.