If a crime was committed in a fictional town, Petra Buckova would be the detective, the ruling queen, an intriguing stranger or even the suspect themselves, brought to life by the actress' gifted sense of self-irony. Having a certain French air about her, she is also often cast to play a lover, a wife or a seductress. Her real passion, however, is for more unconventional characters. If she could choose, Heath Ledger's 'Joker' would be her first choice.
Like many born under communist rule, Petra, a Czechoslovakian child with Slovak-Hungarian roots, grew up in a time of change, so she is used to pushing the boundaries, both professional and personal. No stone has ever been left unturned.
In theatre, she has performed in leading roles spanning from classics like Shakespeare's Juliette and Lady Macbeth or Chekhov's Ranevskaya, to Lula in an adaptation of Barry Gifford's 'Wild at Heart' and Sarah Kane's '4.48 Psychosis'.
She graduated with a Master's Degree in Dramatic Acting (MA) at the Academy of Performing Arts in Brno (JAMU) and has worked in the city's leading playhouses including Divadlo Petra Bezruce, National Theatre Brno, Centre for Experimental Theatre, HaDivadlo, to finally be offered a permanent engagement from the late Vaclav Havel's flagship Prague playhouse Divadlo na Zábradlí. The theatre's long-running play 'The Golden Sixties' was also awarded the Radok National Award for Best Play in 2013.
Her rich experience in theatre has since attracted the attention of the film and television industry. The actress recently took on roles in Niki Caro's The Zookeeper's Wife and the recent Julius Sevcik film The Glass Room as well as television productions including a prominent role in Czech series The Zodiac Murders and upcoming Amazon fantasy series Carnival Row. She's also taken on supporting roles in German and Austrian productions including television series Brecht and feature film Home is Here.
With her diverse cultural background, Petra also has an ear for accents and languages. She regularly speaks and plays in English and occasionally in German and French.
While always fully immersing herself in her work (and being a scuba diver in real life), she's also learnt the value of coming up for air. Through her creativity, Petra constantly questions the world around her, and existence itself.
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