It’s been already fifteen years since one of the most distinctive Czech actresses died. Helena Ruzickova (†67) starred in many Czech films, including famous trilogies about Homolka family and Slunce, seno, ... Her appearance and the way of acting predetermined her for comedy roles, but during her career she proved her versatile talent. She was an everlasting optimist, who entertained and was supporting others even during her fight with cancer.
Helena Ruzickova, born Malkova, was born in 1936 and died on 4th January 2004. She is one of the best and well known Czech actresses. She started as a choreographer in theatre in Mlada Boleslav and later as a stage technician in theatre in Pribram. One of her first theatre characters was a Governor in the play Government Inspector (1967).
She became well known mainly thanks to her roles in successful Czech comedies. Most famous was trilogy about Homolka family - Behold Homolka/Ecce Homo Homolka Remastered (1969), Hogo Fogo Homolka Remastered (1970) and Homolka and Pocketbook/Homolka a Tobolka Remastered (1972). You can also remember her as Skopkova in Zdenek Troska’s films Sun, Hay, Strawberries/Slunce, seno, jahody Remastered (1983), Sun, Hay, Strawberries/Slunce, seno, jahody Remastered (1989) and Sun, Hay, Erotics/Slunce, seno, erotika (1991).
We should mention other films, i.e. Trhala fialky dynamitem (1992), The Fountain for Suzanne 2/ Fontana pro Zuzanu 2 (1993), Priste budeme chytrejsi, starousku! (1982).
She also played in favorite Czech fairy tale films, for example in Almost King/Honza malem kralem (1976), Three Wishes for Cinderella/Tri orisky pro Popelku Remastered (1973) or O princezne Jasnence a letajicim sevci (1987).
Her last film role was a greengrocer in Kamenak 2 (2003). She died after a long struggle with cancer at the beginning of year 2004. Her son Jiri Ruzicka (died in 1999) was also an actor. Together with his mother Helena, he played in comedy films Slunce, seno… and in the film Trhala fialky dynamitem.
Helena played in more than eighty films. Let’s recall the most famous ones.
- The White Lady/Bila pani Remastered (1965),
- Lady on the Tracks/Dama na kolejich (1965),
- The Sinful People of Prague/Hrisni lide mesta prazskeho 7x DVD (1968),
- All Good Citizens/Vsichni dobri rodaci Remastered (1968),
- I Killed Einstein, Gentlemen/Zabil jsem Einsteina, panove Remastered DVD (1969),
- You Are a Widow, Sir/Pane, vy jste vdova! Remastered (1970),
- Girl on the Broomstick/Dívka na koštěti (1971),
- What About Having Spinach/Coz takhle dat si spenat Remastered (1977),
- The Train of Childhood and Expectation/Vlak detstvi a nadeje 6x DVD (1984),
- O princezne Jasnence a letajicim sevci (1987),
- Pritelkyne z domu smutku 2x DVD (1993)
Her father was a linguist, he knew more than twenty languages and worked several years in Africa. He became acquainted with a tribe shaman there. They made a pact, when his child is born, he will send its birthday date and the shaman will foresee what will become of the child. And the prophecy said: Artist. Helena’s father then started to prepare his daughter for this career. When she was three years old, she attended ballet school, in four years she played in several theatres. National theatre, German theatre and Kleine Bühne (later called Minor theatre).