Klára Issová

Klara was born in 1979 in Prague to a Czech mother and a Syrian father. Acting soon proved to be her calling, and she followed her early drama lessons by enrolling at the Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. Her first major role came when she was only 15 in the movie Indianske leto (Indian Summer, 1995), and she was instantly hailed as a unique talent by both critics and audiences, earning a Czech Film Academy Awards nomination. She eventually claimed that prize with her only second role, in the movie Nejasná zpráva o konci sveta (An Ambiguous Report About the End of the World, 1997). In her following movie Andel Exit (Angel Exit, 2000) she delivered an expressive performance, signaling departure from her previous acting style and cementing her reputation as one of the most sought after Czech actresses. She went on to play both major and minor roles in numerous Czech movies, as well as appearing in various foreign productions, most notably the TV miniseries Dune (2000-2002), Anna Frank - The Whole Story (2001), or The Mists of Avalon (2000). Her role in David Ondricek's acclaimed movie Grandhotel once again brought her nomination for the Czech Film Academy Awards and also won her the 2007 Shooting Star Award at the Berlinale film festival. In 2007, she appeared in the movie Medvídek (Teddy Bear) of the successful Czech director Jan Hrebejk, before having the honor to work with the legendary Jan Svankmajer on his latest movie Prezit svuj zivot (Surviving Life, 2010). All the while Klara has created numerous roles in TV films and series, ranging from historic epics such as Operace Silver A (Operation Silver A), for which has claimed the Elsa award, to long-running series Prvni krok (First step), Zazraky zivota (Miracles of life) and Spackovi v siti ztraceneho casu (The Spacek Family in the Web of Lost Time). She has continued to work with foreign productions, appearing appeared across two seasons of the TV series Crossing Lines, and more recently working on season 2 of Transporter: The Series. She has also expanded her acting career to the theatre stage, creating roles in a variety of plays, from timeless classics (King Lear) through modern pieces (Streetcar Named Desire) to contemporary drama and comedy (Closer, Dragon's Lair, Comedians), showing once again the versatility of her acting skills. Off screen, she is known for her continuous involvement in charities, promoting especially the protection of environment both in her home country and abroad.