"I personally like both boys and girls and it's never been anything dramatic for me," says actor Vojtěch Franců, who talks openly about his identity and his journey to the Prague stage
The actor Vojtěch Franců belongs to the youngest generation of Czech theatre makers. A native of Turnov, he is a member of the Geisslers Hofcomoedianten ensemble, a guest on several Prague stages and is also known to audiences from television projects such as the series TBH. In addition to acting, he is also a writer - he has contributed to scripts and lyrics for theatre productions and has recently completed his studies in drama at DAMU.
In the interview, he talks about his journey from a small town to the Prague stage, why theatre remains a joy for him even when it becomes a profession, and his experience with the role of a young man searching for his own identity. He also openly describes his own relationship to bisexuality, the changes in society's perception of queer issues, and how young actors today think about portraying identity on stage.
I read that no one in your family was involved in the arts and that your parents enrolled you in drama school more because you were constantly making up and acting out stories. When did you first realize that acting could be your career path?
Probably when I first came to drama school. I really enjoyed it and felt like it could somehow be my path. And then, of course, at the Brno Conservatoire, where I started doing it on a daily basis. There I realized that I couldn't be without it.
But you studied at the conservatoire at the same time as the grammar school. Does that mean that you studied at the conservatory by distance learning?
On the contrary. When I was in my second year at grammar school, I decided to go to the conservatory. Because at the grammar school in the quint, learning was becoming so cyclical and I felt I needed to do something more. I did get into the conservatory, but I didn't say so at home until before the third round of entrance exams, so it was a bit of a defiance. Eventually, though, we agreed that I would finish high school by distance learning. I went there once a month for exams, while I was at the conservatory every day.
That must have been pretty tough, huh? After all, there's a greater volume of teaching at the grammar school, whereas at the conservatory the teaching is more focused on artistic subjects.
I'm sure. But it was an interesting balance for me. For example, during the train journeys I had a lot of time to learn things that I didn't really pay attention to at the conservatory. And in retrospect, I think it was quite a brave move, especially on the part of my teachers, to allow me to do that at all.
My mother also studied at the grammar school first and then went to the conservatory. She told me that it was a great relief for her because she didn't like mathematics and similar subjects, which are not so much at the conservatory anymore.
I didn't really like mathematics either, but I had more trouble with physics. On the other hand, I did miss some subjects at the conservatory. I'm quite a studious type, so I was interested in things that weren't directly related to art.
You come from a small town in the north of Bohemia, you studied in Prague and today you are working in prominent Prague venues. What did coming from the region to the centre of the theatre scene mean to you personally?
For me it meant first of all the opportunity to devote myself to theatre even more intensively. My journey actually led me through Turnov and Brno to Prague, and each of those stops meant a further deepening of my relationship with theatre. In Prague, for example, I started to perform at the Geisslers Hofcomoedianten, about five times a month, which is quite a high frequency. Gradually, I stopped being a person who had theatre as a hobby, and it started to turn into a profession.
But isn't there ever a danger that you will stop enjoying it? After all, it's not just a hobby anymore, it's a job.
Not at all. If I don't play for a few days, I miss it a lot. I still think of it as a hobby that's just turned into a profession. But the joy of it remains.
You recently finished your studies in drama at DAMU. What do you think is the biggest difference between the school environment and professional theatre?
The main difference is that the school environment is still to some extent a simulation of reality - with all its advantages and disadvantages. The demands of the teachers or the atmosphere between classmates can sometimes be very heated, other times very friendly, but it's still a slightly different world from practice. In a professional environment, one quickly learns that everything depends on oneself - on one's discipline and whether or not one prepares. Of course, you can get fired, and DAMU is quite famous for that, but the real theatre works differently. But for me, the transition into practice was actually pleasant because I had already acted a lot during my studies, so I was rather relieved.
But you are not only devoted to theatre, you have also appeared in the Czech Television series TBH. If you compare these two worlds, how does acting in the series and in the theatre differ?
Theatre is essential in that it takes place in the here and now. There is an immediate reaction from the audience, which is very important to me. That's what I enjoy about theatre, maybe even more, because it's live. Making a TV show or a film works differently - there's a lot of waiting around and things don't usually get rehearsed that much in advance. TBH was an exception, where there was a lot of rehearsal, almost theatrically. But otherwise the world is much more "instant".
In TBH, you portrayed the character of Luky, who is going through a search for his own sexual identity and uncertainty about where he belongs. What was most important to you in preparing for this role? Was it authenticity, empathy, or some personal experience?
The series was created in really close dialogue with the director, who guided us to be as authentic as possible. We did a lot of research together and looked at individual situations and characters. We even created a fictional group chat on WhatsApp where everyone communicated on behalf of their character with the others. We really bonded a lot because of that and the work was unique in that way. I don't think it's very often that you get the chance to experience something like that. Plus, we became great friends during the shoot. Some personal experience was also important for me personally - I come from a smaller town and I know that being different in some way can sometimes be a challenge.
Can you elaborate on that a bit?
I personally like guys and girls and it's never been anything dramatic for me.
Plus, I have a great mom, so I've always taken it fairly naturally. Sometimes I'm a little surprised at how easy it's actually been for me.
Have you ever faced bullying or prejudice because of your orientation?
If that ever happened, I either didn't perceive it or it didn't come to me at all.
Bisexual people are often said to face prejudice from both sides - both from heterosexuals and sometimes from the LGBT community. Some don't believe they can be attracted to both genders, while others see them as "too queer." Do you ever feel similar pressure?
Honestly, not at all. And I don't really like the word community. Sometimes I joke about it - I say that if a window breaks in my house, I'll call someone from the "community" and they'll come fix it. But seriously, I don't feel any such pressure personally.
You were born in 2001, we're actually almost the same age. I'm curious to know how you felt about the treatment of minorities in school. Was it a commonplace topic in our generation?
I remember other things more than sexuality issues. For example, we had several Vietnamese classmates at school. When we were kids, there were sometimes conflicts in the city. But I think it changes a lot over time. Nowadays I feel that skin color doesn't play such a big role for most people, fortunately.
Do you think the generations growing up today have it easier than ours in some ways? It's often said that society is changing very quickly.
It's hard to say whether it's easier or more complicated. I think every generation has it difficult at a certain age - when you're ten or fifteen years old, it's just difficult no matter what time you grow up in. People who have been through that period tend to say that the next generation has it easier or harder. But maybe the problem today is that there is a huge amount of information and different pressures. I see it in my younger sister, for example, who faces a lot of pressure, especially on social media, about how one should look, how one should behave or dress. It can be paradoxically more challenging for them in that regard.
When you talk about the pressure to look the part, have you encountered anything similar as an actor? Have you ever dealt with such things in yourself?
Apart from having crooked teeth when I was a kid, probably not. Personally, I haven't encountered it much. But I know that, for example, when I was studying acting, it sometimes happened that one of my classmates was told that he should lose weight and so on. The question is whether such things belong in the public space at all. I myself have never experienced anything like that. Maybe it's also because if someone had suggested something about my appearance, I would probably have just said: thank you for the information, and not pursued it further.
How do you think young actors today think about portraying their identity on stage? Is it natural to you for an actor to play a character who is dealing with similar issues to themselves?
I don't think it's necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. On the contrary, from the point of view of the acting profession, it's often very interesting to play the complete opposite of who one really is. I, for example, love roles that are completely out of my nature. In the great comedy Horribilicribrifax, which can be seen in Villa na Štvanici, we play ridiculous, tough, even macho soldiers, and I enjoy it very much, even though I am not like that in my everyday life. I think that's what this profession is all about - the possibility to try different positions and find new means of expression.
There has been a lot of discussion in the past about the fact that queer characters in films and TV shows are often portrayed in stereotypical ways. Do you feel that this is improving today?
It depends on the specific case. I've certainly seen portrayals that I didn't find entirely tasteful. But at the same time, I've sat in an auditorium where everyone was laughing about it - except me. And then you start to wonder where the line actually lies. I think it's everyone's responsibility to some extent - not just the creators, but the audience as well. As long as there is a demand for a certain type of humour, there will be a supply. Personally, I would like to see our humour move on, but of course everyone has different tastes.
With Orlando, you mentioned that the main theme for you is not so much gender change, but rather love and loneliness. Why did you choose to interpret the character in this way?
It's partly due to my knowledge of the subject. Virginia Woolf dedicated the character of Orlando to her great love, who was the direct inspiration for the character. So I think there is a great deal of love and loneliness in the text. Over the centuries, Orlando changes, but it's not as if the character actively decides this - the text simply says that she will one day wake up as a woman, and there's no doubt about it. There's no big polemic about gender. Much more interesting to me is how Orlando tries to be an ideal for the people he meets. To the old queen he is a son, to the beautiful princess a knight, to the sailor a loving partner. The range of roles is enormous. I think every human being has a similar capacity for adaptability - and the engine of that adaptability is love for others. So I think the main theme of the production is finding a balance between when we want to be an ideal for others and when we can be an ideal for ourselves.
As an actor, do you feel a responsibility for how you convey such themes on stage, especially as issues of gender and identity are so debated today?
I definitely do. In fact, I feel a certain responsibility for every topic I present on stage. I see it as a kind of service - a chance to talk about these things and share them with the audience. Every time we rehearse a new production, I ask myself why we are doing it, what we want to say or open up. That's really important to me.
How do you take a break from theatre in your spare time? Do you go back to Turnov, for example?
I love coming back to Turnov. I also travel a lot - to Budapest, for example, where I go just for a spin, because I absolutely love that city. And I also write a lot. Often I write directly for the theatre, so I actually relax a bit in that way.
Do you have any new projects or performances coming up soon that you could invite readers to?
Yes, we are preparing a big project with Geisslers Hofcomoedianten at the Hybernia Theatre. It's called Theatre of Light and it's thematically about self-acceptance and especially forgiveness. It is an opera inspired by a novel, which tells the fictional story of the first illuminator in history. As a young boy, he was walking on Charles Bridge when he was hit by Count Spork's carriage. After the accident, he became paralysed and spent his life coping with the fact that he would never walk again. Eventually, however, he becomes an illuminator - and it is through this that he discovers something he would never have found otherwise. It's a beautiful story and an acting challenge. The premiere will take place at the Hybernia Theatre on 14 and 15 September 2026, and I'm really looking forward to it and cordially invite you to see it. I also invite you very much to the City Theatres of Prague, where I have been engaged as an actor since 2025 and where we are performing not only Orlando but many other shows.
If you had a message for a young person who is afraid to openly declare their identity, what would you say to them?
Maybe I'd give more advice to my younger self. I would say to myself: don't be afraid and trust that everything will work out.
