He graduated from DAMU, after which he played for three seasons at the Vinohrady Theatre (then the Czechoslovak Army Theatre). He then anchored at the Drama Club until 1992, where his performances won him critical acclaim. He briefly performed at the National Theatre, but left the theatre permanently in August 1994.
He became popular with the public mainly thanks to his appearances in film and television. His first major film role was given to him in 1962 by director Brynych in the film Transport from Paradise (1962). This was followed by the roles of the expectant father in The Scream (1963) and the writer Hašek, whom he played in The Great Journey (1963). In the film Man Against Destruction (1989) he played the main role of the writer Karel Čapek. From 1990 to 1995 he performed in accompanying programmes at exhibitions (Herbert Masaryk, T. G. Masaryk - Man and Art) organised by the Masaryk Democratic Movement.
In 2006 he was nominated for the Czech Lion in the category of supporting actor.
After an eight-year relationship with Nadia Urbánková, he was married to actress Libuša Šafránková from 1976 (until her death in June 2021). They have a son Josef (* 1977), who has 4 children - two sons with his first wife Denisa Grimmová, a director, sons Josef (* 2006) and Antonín (* 2009) and a daughter Laura and a son Benjamin with his second wife Ludmila.
| 2016 | Anděl Páně 2 as Saint Joseph |
| 2016 | Jak básníci čekají na zázrak |
| 2015 | Korunní princ as Čaroděj Kruciatus |
| 2013 | Cyril a Metoděj – Apoštolové Slovanů |
| 2013 | Přijde letos Ježíšek? as José |
| 2013 | Hoteliér |
| 2011 | Odcházení as Vilém Rieger |
| 2009 | Fišpánská jablíčka as Král Ferdinand |
| 2008 | Kouzla králů as král Dobromil |
| 2007 | İngiltere Kralına Hizmet Ettim as Hotel Manager Brandejs |
| 2006 | Kráska v nesnázích as Evuen Benes |
| 2005 | Restaurace U Prince as král Filip I. |
| 2005 | Černá karta |
| 2004 | Konecná stanica |
| 2004 | Pánská jízda as soused Lupínek |
| 2003 | ELFilm |
| 2002 | O víle Arnoštce as král lesního palouku |
| 2001 | Elixír a Halíbela as král |
| 1999 | Všichni moji blízcí as Jakub Silberstein |
| 1999 | Návrat ztraceného ráje as Father |
| 1998 | Stůj, nebo se netrefím as Brandejs |
| 1998 | Proces s vrahy Martynové |
| 1995 | Městem chodí Mikuláš |
| 1995 | Pohádka o Faustovi as Faust |
| 1994 | Andělské oči as Dirigent |
| 1994 | Nesmluvená setkání as Evzen |
| 1993 | Šakalí léta as Prokop |
| 1993 | Noc rozhodnutí |
| 1991 | Kafka as Friend of Kafka |
| 1991 | Žebrácká opera as Macheath |
| 1991 | V žáru královské lásky |
| 1990 | Aksál as Aksál |
| 1990 | Audience as Vaněk |
| 1990 | Dětinské hry dospělých |
| 1990 | Pasiáns as Robert |
| 1989 | Člověk proti zkáze as Karel Čapek |
| 1989 | Konec starých časů as Duke Alexej |
| 1987 | Portrét krále komiků as Himself |
| 1986 | Experiment Eva |
| 1986 | Mladé víno |
| 1986 | Dokonalý muž, dokonalá žena |
| 1986 | Velká filmová loupež |
| 1986 | Výsledek testu |
| 1985 | Bandité as Falsacappa |
| 1985 | Princezny nejsou vždycky na vdávání |
| 1985 | Případ Platfus as JUDr. Smutný, prokurátor |
| 1985 | Žáku Kašíku, nežeň se! |
| 1984 | Rozpuštěný a vypuštěný as Profesor Žalud |
| 1984 | Svatební cesta do Jiljí as Tomáš Krchňák |
| 1984 | Záchvěv strachu |
| 1984 | Slavnosti sněženek as Narrator in Radio (voice) |
| 1983 | Jára Cimrman ležící, spící as divadelní vědec |
| 1983 | Švédská zápalka |
| 1983 | Plášť Marie Terezie |
| 1983 | Společnost s ručením omezeným |
| 1983 | Hráči as Icharev |
| 1982 | Spor herečky Kvapilové as Jaroslav Hilbert |
| 1981 | Netopýr as Eisenstein |
| 1981 | Zločin na poště |
| 1981 | Panenka as Steve Carella |
| 1981 | Trhák as pyrotechnik Jaroslav Ticháček |
| 1981 | Proč se lidé bojí zajíců as Narrator (voice) |
| 1981 | Vrchní, prchni as Dalibor Vrána |
| 1980 | Demokrati |
| 1980 | Tím pádem |
| 1980 | Upír ve věžáku as Tomáš Růžička, přítel Evy |
| 1979 | Polská krev as Count Boleslaw Barański |
| 1979 | Kulový blesk as Knotek |
| 1979 | Jak je důležité míti Filipa as Jack Worthing |
| 1979 | Silvestr svobodného pána as Petr |
| 1976 | „Marečku, podejte mi pero!“ as Učitel Janda |
| 1976 | Vilém Rozkoč |
| 1976 | Fata morgana |
| 1976 | Holka na zabití as MUDr Rendl |
| 1976 | Tetované časom as Engineer |
| 1975 | Operation: Daybreak |
| 1975 | Tři muži se žralokem |
| 1975 | Motiv pro vraždu as Capt. Havránek (segment "Kapsář") |
| 1975 | Zázrak as Commentary (voice) |
| 1974 | Princ Chocholouš |
| 1974 | Zbojník Ondráš |
| 1974 | Kvočny a Král as Pacovský (voice) |
| 1974 | Půlpenny |
| 1974 | Sen noci svatojánské |
| 1974 | Výstřely v Mariánských Lázních |
| 1973 | Pokus o vraždu |
| 1973 | Poslední dopis |
| 1972 | Morgiana as Marek |
| 1972 | Konfrontace |
| 1972 | Jeden ze soubojů |
| 1972 | Tím hůř, když padnou as Eddie |
| 1971 | Návrat pana Ryšánka |
| 1971 | Partie krásného dragouna as Poručík Rudi Macháček |
| 1971 | Šance |
| 1971 | Revizor |
| 1970 | 322 as Peter |
| 1970 | Езоп as Parrot Trader |
| 1970 | Kalif čápem |
| 1970 | O tlustém pradědečkovi |
| 1969 | Hvězda |
| 1969 | Bellevue as inspicient |
| 1969 | Pražské noci as (segment "Chlebové střevíčky") |
| 1969 | Ohnice |
| 1969 | Bahno |
| 1969 | Hádankář Vojta |
| 1968 | Natali as Vitalij (voice) |
| 1968 | Pension pro svobodné pány as Bernard Mulligan alias Bertík |
| 1968 | Dita Saxová as D.E. Huppert |
| 1967 | Noc nevěsty as Karel (voice) |
| 1967 | Happy End as Ptáček |
| 1967 | Návrat ztraceného syna as Zdeněk (voice) |
| 1966 | Sıkı Kontrol Edilen Trenler as Priest (voice) |
| 1966 | Lékař v rozpacích |
| 1965 | Pension pro svobodné pány |
| 1965 | Bubny as Honza (voice) |
| 1965 | Každý den odvahu as Borek |
| 1964 | Černý Petr as Mára (voice) |
| 1964 | Křik as Slávek |
| 1963 | Na laně as Kája Micka (voice) |
| 1963 | Большая дорога as Jaroslav Hašek |
| 1963 | Transport z ráje |
| 1962 | Černá dynastie |
| 1962 | Neschovávejte se, když prší |
| 1962 | Strop as Pepik |
| 1961 | Kde alibi nestačí as witness Jirka Ruml |
Duvar