Miloslav Simek, Czech actor, moderator and political satirist, died Monday of leukemia. He was 63.
Simek rose to prominence in 1967 as co-founder of the Semafor Theater, the seminal cabaret that typified the rich and witty Czech arts scene of the late-'60s Prague Spring period. Following the 1989 Velvet Revolution, the building that housed Semafor was sold.
In 1990, Simek founded the Jiri Grossmann Theater, named for his Semafor co-founder who had died of leukemia in 1971. During the 1970s and '80s Simek played small character roles in several Czech films, working with some of the leading actors and directors of the period.
In 1995, he became co-host of a popular TV program, "I Don't Dance With Politics," a political satire show which launched on pubcaster Czech Television.
He defected to leading commercial station Nova TV in 2001 to co-host "Political Harassment," the top-rated TV show of the past two years. His illness worsened at the end of 2003, curtailing his appearance on the show.
Simek is survived by his wife and three daughters.
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