Andy Hryc was one of the most prominent personalities of Slovak show business. A person with an unmistakable voice, enormous talent and a character that never put a napkin in front of his mouth. He became famous in the theater, in films and on television, where his energy and charisma could be felt for miles. He went through several difficult periods in his personal life, he writes.
Behind his smile was a story full of pain. Terrible tragedies accompanied him from an early age. He lived his childhood in modest circumstances, marked by the death of his older brother, who drowned. The tragedy affected the family so much that it fell apart. At that time, Hryc learned to take care of himself. His father died soon after and his mother struggled to keep the family afloat.
It was then that the strength and determination began to form in him, which then accompanied him throughout his life. He found an escape in art. He started reciting and later got into acting. He graduated from the University of Performing Arts in Bratislava and shortly after graduation, he appeared on stage for the first time.
His talent quickly amazed film directors. After 1989, he became an entrepreneur and the founder of Radio Twist, which became a symbol of the newly acquired freedom of speech and known for the courage to open topics that were previously silent.
The biggest blow came when his son Hugo died tragically. It happened just three days before Christmas in 2008. Hugo beat testicular cancer, but 4 days after the doctors gave him the good news, he had a fatal crash. The tragedy occurred at three o’clock in the morning in Bratislava’s Lamač. His former classmate was also riding in the car. After hitting the pole, the car literally split in half. Hugo died on the spot.
In addition to Hugo, he was the proud father of a daughter, Wanda, who became a producer. The death of Hugo affected the whole family so much that Christmas was never the most beautiful holiday of the year. Andy Hryc never came to terms with the tragic death of his son. He spoke about her openly, but with great pain.
Despite this, he tried to continue creating. He made movies, wrote books and cracked jokes. But in 2020, doctors gave him devastating news when they diagnosed him with acute leukemia. He underwent treatment, but the disease was relentless. Hryc died on January 31, 2021 at the age of 71.
