▁spoke ▁Czech , ▁French , ▁German ▁and ▁English . ▁After ▁a ▁recommendation ▁from ▁his ▁cousin , ▁a ▁film ▁director ▁Karl ▁Anton , ▁he ▁was ▁h ired ▁in ▁V last a ▁Bur ian ' s ▁theatre ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 . ▁ ▁His ▁first ▁role ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁Milan ▁R ast is lav ▁Š te f án ik , ▁where ▁he ▁played ▁a ▁French ▁officer . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁he ▁was ▁often ▁type cast ▁as ▁a ▁rom antic ▁lead . ▁During ▁the ▁German ▁occupation ▁he ▁founded ▁his ▁own ▁cinema ▁in ▁Ch ot ě to v ▁called ▁V last ▁( lit . ▁Hom eland ). ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁Czech oslov ak ▁resistance ▁and ▁was ▁hiding ▁two ▁escaped ▁British ▁soldiers ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁After ▁the ▁commun ist ▁coup ▁he ▁was ▁arrested , ▁because ▁of ▁a ▁susp icion ▁that ▁he ▁wants ▁to ▁em migr ate . ▁He ▁spent ▁one ▁year ▁in ▁cust ody . ▁He ▁wasn ' t ▁allowed ▁to ▁be ▁h ired ▁by ▁the at res , ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁b our ge ois ▁orig ins . ▁He ▁had ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁labour er ▁until ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁find ▁work ▁in ▁a ▁cab aret ▁and ▁small ▁provincial ▁the at res . ▁He ▁died ▁in ▁Prag ue ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁ ▁His ▁daughter ▁X andra ▁Sch r án il ová ▁was ▁an ▁actress ▁in ▁S ema