Ivan Jiřík is a Czech theatre and film actor and voice actor who was born in Písek and grew up in Prague. He studied at a sports grammar school and then went on to study acting at DAMU, graduating in 1986. While still a student, he performed at Radim Vašinka’s experimental Orfeus Theatre in Prague and at the Little Czech Theatre. He received his first professional engagement at the Drama Studio in Ústí nad Labem, where he worked until 1989. He then moved to the then S. K. Neumann Theatre, today’s Divadlo pod Palmovkou, where he remains a permanent member to this day.
At Palmovka, he has portrayed dozens of roles across genres, from drama and comedy to fairy tales. These include, for example, Epstein in Biloxi Blues, Aram in Hunting Scenes from Lower Bavaria, Véna in Cat on the Rails, Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, Malvolio in Twelfth Night and Binet in Madame Bovary. His current roles include Jan Zelenka-Hajský in the production The 294 Brave, Matyáš Ides in The Žítková Goddesses, Gremio in The Taming of the Shrew and Mícha in The Bartered Bride.
In addition to theatre, he is also active in film and television. He made his screen debut in The Treasure of Count Chamaré (1984) and later appeared, for example, in the international co-production The Ninth Day (2004). Television audiences know him from the series Ordinace v růžové zahradě, in which he played guesthouse owner Jiří Brázda, and especially from the family series Cesty domů, where he portrayed the mobster Záviš. He has also appeared in other series, including Ulice and The Greatest of the Pierrots.
He is also a prominent voice actor and radio actor. His distinctive voice has accompanied audiences in many foreign series and films. He is known, for example, from Desperate Housewives and a number of telenovelas. He considers dubbing and radio work an important part of his profession, allowing him to develop his versatility as an actor.