Slovak actor Marián Slovák (76) suffered a stroke in 2013 and had it not been for quick help, he might not have been here. He explained what happened on the fateful day in the show. “I was lucky, others can’t talk or move anymore. I haven’t smoked for 11 years now, it was the only thing I knew I shouldn’t be doing. Otherwise, I was satisfied from a professional and personal point of view, there was no problem there,” described the period before the defeat.
“I just sneezed at breakfast and passed out. Fortunately, my wife was with me, she called an ambulance and everything. That was also very lucky. My poor colleague Vladko Bartoň had the same thing, only he was alone at home. His wife came after about a 4-5 hour break and that’s already bad,” he added.
When the actor was released to home care, he had a problem with speaking, but thanks to experts, but especially to his own diligence and will, he started speaking at such a level that he could play again. He was helped by a speech therapist whom he met in the hospital, and the Slovak agreed with him that he would visit him privately. “He is no longer the Marián Slovák before, I have my own individual disorders that are also related to the disease. This means that I will no longer rush into it like that,” concluded the popular actor, who appears in various projects only sporadically.
Marián Slovák was born on January 8, 1949 in Bratislava. He comes from an artistic family, he is the son of the famous Slovak conductor Ladislav Slovák and the brother of the actress Kamila Magálova (74). In 1972, he studied acting at the Academy of Performing Arts (VŠMU) in Bratislava. In the same year, he joined the Andrej Bagar Theater in Nitra, where he worked for almost 20 years. He was one of the most outstanding personalities of the theater group there. In the years 1991-1995 he was a member of the New Stage drama in Bratislava, since 1996 he worked as a freelance actor.
Director Jozef Bednárik cast him as the main characters in several musicals on the boards of the Nová scéna Theatre. He was unforgettable as the milkman, Tovje’s father in the musical Fidlikant on the roof. For this role before, in the performance of the Andrej Bagar Theatre, he received the 1999 Dosky award for the best male performance. Together with his life partner Eva Matejková, they played a married couple in the musical. Other titles were added to his musical repertoire: Blood Brothers, The Gospel of Mary, Zorba the Greek. He also played the main character of Max Bialystock in the spectacular narrative show Producers.
The well-known actor’s film debut was the psychological drama Merciful Time (1975). He also accepted a role in a romantic film called Dangerous Acquaintances. The successful Slovak television adaptation of the well-known “leaf” novel by Choderlos de Laclos is the work of director Miloslav Luther. The Slovak adaptation of the literary classic was a pleasant surprise with a great cast, including Marián Slovák. The actor also appeared in the fairy tale directed by Ivan Petrovicky, The Most Beautiful Flower.
The versatile actor was also part of the acting team in the TV movie based on the author Jules Verne called The Secret of the Alchemist. The film, directed by Paweł Trzask, tells the story of an elixir of invisibility, thanks to which the flamboyant, but devilishly cunning alchemist Wilhelm Storitz, who uses his ability to become invisible, tries to thwart the wedding of young Marko with a local beauty. The TV movie belongs to the best works in the history of the original work of Slovak Television. Marián Slovák lent his voice to the central character Wilhelm Storitz, played by Henryk Talar.
In 1996, Marián Slovák played a role in the adaptation of Johannes Maria Simmel’s novel All Men Will Be Brothers. The retrospective narrative captures the period of World War II. Against the background of history, it reveals the nascent enmity of the two brothers, not only because of their professional motivations, but especially because of the common object of their interest – the attractive woman Lilien.
The actor also played one of the characters in the television production Kráľovská hra directed by Martin Hollé, which was filmed based on the Chess novella by Stefan Zweig. The chess game played by two men is not only the central event, but also a metaphor for the story of human aggression, guilt and liberation.
Over time, successful acting roles were joined by a role in the drama Unfulfilled Promise about the true fate of the Slovak Jew Martin Friedmann. The film was sent to the Oscars for Slovakia, because it combines a strong enough theme and an unprecedented execution skill within the framework of Slovak and Czech post-November creations.
The artist also acted in other TV films such as Ivko and his mother, Girl from the suburbs, Eygletiérovci, Rozruch na onkologii. He also appeared in the TV series Alžbetin dvor, Neighbors, Office in the Rose Garden, Second Breath, Wild horses, the ZOO or the Danube, at your service.
Marián Slovák has together with his wife, actress Eva Matejková (75), three children – Samuel is a former football player, another son Stanislav and daughter Svetlana followed the example of their parents and started acting.
