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Peter Lorre was born László Löwenstein in Rózsahegy in the Slovak area of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the son of Hungarian Jewish parents. He learned both Hungarian and German languages from birth, and was educated in elementary and secondary schools in the Austria-Hungary capitol Vienna, but did not complete. As a youth he ran away from home, first working as a bank clerk, and after stage training in Vienna, Austria, made his acting debut at age 17 in 1922 in Zurich, Switzerland. He traveled for several years acting on stage throughout his home region, Vienna, Berlin, and Zurich, including working with Bertolt Brecht, until Fritz Lang cast him in a starring role as the psychopathic child killer in the German film M (1931).

After several more films in Germany, including a couple roles for which he learned to speak French, Lorre left as the Nazis came to power, going first to Paris where he made one film, then London where Alfred Hitchcock cast him as a creepy villain in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), where he learned his lines phonetically, and finally arrived in Hollywood in 1935. In his first two roles there he starred as a mad scientist in Mad Love (1935) directed by recent fellow-expatriate Karl Freund, and the leading part of Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment (1935), by another expatriate German director Josef von Sternberg, a successful movie made at Lorre's own suggestion. He returned to England for a role in another Hitchcock film, Secret Agent (1936), then back to the US for a few more films before checking into a rehab facility to cure himself of a morphine addiction.

After shaking his addiction, in order to get any kind of acting work, Lorre reluctantly accepted the starring part as the Japanese secret agent in Thank You, Mr. Moto (1937), wearing makeup to alter his already very round eyes for the part. He ended up committed to repeating the role for eight more "Mr. Moto" movies over the next two years.

Lorre played numerous memorable villain roles, spy characters, comedic roles, and even a romantic type, throughout the 1940s, beginning with his graduation from 30s B-pictures The Maltese Falcon (1941). Among his most famous films, Casablanca (1942), and a comedic role in the Broadway hit film Arsenic and Old Lace (1944).

After the war, between 1946 and '49 Lorre concentrated largely on radio and the stage, while continuing to appear in movies. In Autumn 1950 he traveled to West Gemany where he wrote, directed and starred in the critically acclaimed but generally unknown German-language film The Lost Man (1951), adapted from Lorre's own novel.

Lorre returned to the US in 1952, somewhat heavier in stature, where he used his abilities as a stage actor appearing in many live television productions throughout the 50s, including the first James Bond adaptation Casino Royale (1954), broadcast just a few months after Ian Fleming had published that first Bond novel. In that decade, Lorre had various roles, often to type but also as comedic caricatures of himself, in many episodes of TV series, and variety shows, though he continued to work in motion pictures, including the Academy Award winning Around the World in 80 Days (1956), and a stellar role as a clown in The Big Circus (1959).

In the late 50s and early 1960s he worked in several low-budget films, with producer-director Roger Corman, and producer-writer-director Irwin Allen, including the aforementioned The Big Circus and two adventurous Disney movies with Allen. He died from a stroke the year he made his last movie, playing a stooge in Jerry Lewis' The Patsy (1964).

Cornel Wilde was born Kornel Lajos Weisz on October 13, 1912 in Prievidza, Hungary (now part of Slovakia) to a Jewish family. In 1920, he immigrated to New York City with his parents, Rayna (Vid) and Vojtech Béla Weisz, and elder sister, Edith. His family Anglicized their names. Kornel took the name Cornelius Louis Wilde. He spent much of his youth traveling in Europe, developing a continental flair as well as an affinity for languages. He received a scholarship for medical school, but turned it down in favor of his new love, the theatre.

A natural athlete and a champion fencer with the U.S. Olympic fencing team, he quit the team just prior to the 1936 Berlin Olympics in order to take a role in a play. In 1937, he married Marjorie Heintzen (later known as Patricia Knight), and they both shaved a few years off their ages in order to get work, Wilde thereafter claiming publicly he was born in New York in 1915 while continuing to list his correct place and year of birth on government documents.

Shortening his name to Cornel Wilde for the stage, he appeared in the Broadway hit "Having a Wonderful Time", but it wasn't until he was hired in the dual capacities of fencing choreographer and actor (Tybalt) in Laurence Olivier's 1940 Broadway production of "Romeo and Juliet" that Hollywood spotted him. He played a few minor roles before leaping to fame and an Oscar nomination as Frederic Chopin in A Song to Remember (1945). He spent the balance of the 1940s in romantic, and often swashbuckling, leading roles.

During the 1950s, his star dimmed a little, and aside from an occasional blockbuster like The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), he settled mainly into adventure films. A growing interest in directing led him to form his own production company with the goal of directing his own films. Several of his ventures into film noir in this period, both his own and those of other directors, are quite interesting (The Big Combo (1955) and Storm Fear (1955), for example). He produced, directed and starred in The Naked Prey (1965), a tour-de-force adventure drama that brought him real acclaim as a director. His later films were of varying quality, and he ended his career in near-cameos in minor adventure films. He died of leukemia in 1989, three days after his 77th birthday, leaving behind an unpublished autobiography, "The Wilde Life".

Vladimir 'Furdo' Furdik was born on 1 July 1970 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia [now Slovakia]. He is an actor, known for Skyfall (2012), Game of Thrones (2011) and Robin Hood (2010).

Vica Kerekes (nee Eva Kerekes) is a citizen of Slovakia and is a Hungarian actress. She was born in Filakovo (Hungarian: Fulek) and is noted for her various roles in Slovakian, Czech and Hungarian films. She is also famous for her performances on stage.

"Vica" is a nickname widely used by Hungarians for the name Eva.

Natalia Germani (born 27 January 1993 as Natalia Germaniova) is a television, movie and stage actress from Slovakia. When she was offered a big role in international TV project in 2015, Natalia has changed her last name from Germaniova to Germani. She is attending a drama school - University of performing arts in Bratislava.

Born in Martin, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) in 1974, Barbora Bobulova graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Arts of Bratislava and briefly studied in New York before moving to Italy in the mid-1990s. Her first major role was in Marco Bellocchio's The Prince of Homburg (1997) but her breakthrough role came almost a decade later, when she played the greedy businesswoman who finds her true vocation in Sacred Heart (2005). Her outstanding performance won her every major award of the Italian film industry: David di Donatello, Silver Ribbon, Golden Globe, Golden Ciak and Flaiano Prize.

He was born in Piestany, Hungary, going to the United States in 1940 having studied at the Sorbonne and working in still and motion picture photography. After studying acting at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon Virginia, he made his 1943 debut on Broadway in "Dark Eyes" under the name Geza Korvin. It was then than movie producer Charles K. Feldman signed him to a contract with Universal Studios. There, with the new stage name Charles Korvin, he played the title role, a French thief, in "Enter Arsene Lupin" (1944). His next three movies paired him romantically with Merle Oberon. After a contract dispute with Universal, and though blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1951, he played a number of villain, thief and philanderer roles for different studios, including the part of the evil Russian agent Rokov in Lex Barker's "Tarzan's Savage Fury" (1952). He also appeared in many TV episodes, notably as The Eagle in the "Zorro" series (1957) and as the Latin dance instructor Carlos in "The Honeymooners". He returned to Hollywood in Stanley Kramer's "Ship of Fools" (1965). He had homes in Manhattan, USA and Klosters, Switzerland, and died, aged 90, at the Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, survived by his wife, Natasha; a daughter, Katherine Pers of Budapest; a son, Edward Danziger Dorvin of Santa Monica, California; and three grandchildren.

The daughter of a Hungarian baroness and a military officer, Lya De Putti went on to perform classical ballet in Berlin, Germany, after a brief stint in Hungarian vaudeville. She later made several films at the German UFA studios, most notably Variety (1925), before going to Hollywood in 1926. While in America she starred in several movies, mostly in vamp roles.

Katarina Morhacova is an Award-winning stage and TV/film actress. Originally from ex-Czechoslovakia, she lives in LA and NYC. She speaks English, French, Italian, Russian, Czech and Slovak. Katarina is also a writer, producer and philanthropist. She's an avid dancer and traveler.

Educated at MXAT, Moscow, Russia, she's also studied with world renowned acting coaches Larry Moss and Ivana Chubbuck.

Her most recent TV and film credit include: Big Dogs (Amazon, Tubi), starring Brett Cullen, Lincoln Rhyme (NBC), The Knick (Cinemax), directed by Steven Soderbergh, staring opposite Clive Owen, Madam Secretary (CBS), Bull (NBC), The Blacklist (NBC), Signs (Canal Plus), a bilingual (English, Italian) lead role in feature film The Journey of a Dragonfly directed by Claudia LaBianca, a finalist in Steven Spielberg's "On the Lot", Married Young (Amazon Studios). She's a recipient of 16 awards for performance in a short film Rendez-Vous for Best Actress.

In theater, she played roles from Shakespeare plays to original work, working Off-Broadway in NYC, in American repertory theaters, UK, Italy, Czech Republic and Russia, often performing in multiple languages (Italian, French and Russian). After a successful run of one-woman show, The Gilded Red Cage at the Edinburgh Theater Festival, Katarina returned to Edinburgh in a critically acclaimed new play Adele's Heart, where she gained significant recognition among the UK critics and media.

In addition to her acting credits, Katarina has written, acted in and co-produced several shorts and one feature film The Journey of a Dragonfly. She's developing two TV shows and a feature film.

She also uses her skill sets and privilege to raise awareness about social issues with a focus on empowering young girls and women. She's on board of non-profit organization Plus 421 Foundation.

Juraj Herz was born on 4 September 1934 in Kezmarok, Czechoslovakia [now Slovakia]. He was a director and actor, known for Habermann (2010), The Cremator (1969) and Beauty and the Beast (1978). He was married to Therese Herz. He died on 8 April 2018 in Prague, Czech Republic.

Simona Roman, born Brhlikova, hails from Slovakia. She was bitten by the entertainment-bug in her early childhood and at the young age starred in several stage and musical productions.

Known not only for her striking aesthetic appeal - Simona also speaks 7 languages.

Leaving the family nest at 17 Simona embarked on the bold adventure across Northern America and Africa for some 'fun' and life experience. During her audacious journey, Simona lived with Eskimos in Alaska, learned some warrior-techniques from Masai tribe in Kenya and eventually followed her creative dreams to London where she diligently honed her academic and dramatic skills at prestigious London institutions such as UCL and RADA.

Simona's natural talent lead her to star in terrific theatre productions like 'Much Ado About Nothing', 'As You Like It', 'Queen of Spades' amongst others. Naturally standing out from the crowd Simona was soon invited to play in prime-time Television shows and features like 'IT Crowd', 'Life Begins', the ever popular 'Footballers' Wives', the national favorite 'Bad Girls' and 'Casanova's Love Letters' as well as string of independent films and major international features such as Casino Royal, Gallowwalkers in which she excels as the villainous Kiss-Cut, and highly popular British action thriller Vendetta.

When not working, chasing outdoor thrills or cooking, Simona keeps herself grounded by meditating in the nature and animal rescue.

Tereza Nvotová's (1988, Czechoslovakia) sophomore feature, Nightsiren (Svetlonoc, 2022), premiered in Locarno IFF - "Cineasti del presente", where it won the Golden Leopard for the Best Film. Following, in Sitges IFF the film won the Silver Melies for the Best European Production. The film traveled to more than 40 international film festivals around the world. It has been released in Czech Republic and Slovakian theaters, sold to US, Germany, South Korea, Poland, Japan, Portugal and others, and appeared on major streamers like Netflix, Amazon or Apple TV. Her debut feature, Filthy (Spina, 2017), premiered at IFF Rotterdam and has won many awards at festivals worldwide. HBO co-produced her feature debut and two documentaries. Her latest, The Lust For Power (Meciar, 2017) was critically acclaimed and has caused heated debate about populism and corruption in politics. Tereza is teaching students of direction at Film Academy in Prague (FAMU). She lives between Prague and New York.

Jana Kolesárová was born on 15 February 1976 in Kosice, Czechoslovakia [now Slovakia]. She is an actress, known for Flightplan (2005), Blur (2007) and Bonds of Redemption.

Gabriela Marcinková was born on 2 April 1988 in Presov, Czechoslovakia [now Slovakia]. She is an actress, known for 360 (2011), Intimate Enemy (2018) and Byzantium (2012).

Jana Bittnerova took her first steps on the boards at the age of ten in her hometown of Zlaté Moravce. At the age of 21, she obtained a master's degree in dramatic art at the Academy of Dramatic Art and Music in Bratislava, following which she was engaged in the troupe of the National Theatre Andrej Bagar in Nitra (in Slovakia) and performed in many cities such as Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, Krakow, Zakopane, Saint Petersburg and Moscow, interpreting the roles of Catherine de Heilbronn by H. von Kleist, Nicole in Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, Sonetka in Lady Macbeth de village de Leskov, etc. In 1990, she founded, with a group of artists, the Teatro Tatro, where she played the double role of the mother in Sir Halewyn by Michel Ghelderode. She made a tour of 150 performances with Salome by Jana Juranova in Czechoslovakia.

It was in 1992 that Jana decided to leave for Paris where she perfected her skills with Stuart Seide and Mario Gonzales at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art in Paris. She met Philippe Adrien, under whose direction she performed in Ivanov by Anton Chekhov and Rêves by J.L. Bauer. She played in various prestigious Parisian theatres, particularly at Théâtre du Châtelet (with Fanny Ardant in "Passion" and Yannis Kokos), at Théâtre de Chaillot (with J.C. Galotta in 99 duos) and at the Opéra National de Paris where she performed, among others, Manuelita in Carmen under the direction of Yves Beaunesne, and collaborated with Robert Wilson, Zabou Breitman, Guillaume Galienne, André Engel and Robert Johnson as an actress-mime.

She also appeared in television films and at the cinema, where she worked under the direction of Luc Besson, J. P Salomé, Nina Companeez, Yann Gozlan, J.P. Mocky, Mario Andreacchio, François Ozon, Peter Kassovitz, Gérard Verger, Noémie Lvovsky, Cécile Telerman, Jacques Audiard and others. She played Olga in "Le cri du homard" by Nicolas Guiot, César 2013 for the best short film.

In 2014, she played Aglaé in K. Kwahulé's play "Misterioso119", and the mother in Michel Gondry's film "Microbe and Gasoil".

In 2016, she played in "Telle mère telle fille" by Noémie Saglio with Juliette Binoche as Russian ballet teacher Madame Stanlova, in "The Melody" by Rachid Hami as Yaël's mother and in "La Colle" by Alexandre Castagnetti as Vivianne.

In 2017, she performed in "I feel good" by B. Délépine and G. Kervern as Béatrice with Jean Dujardin and Yolande Moreau.

In 2019, she appeared in the film "L'Étreinte" by L. Bergery, where she played the role of faculty secretary. The following year, she performed Vladi in Clovis Cornillac's film "Couleurs de l'incendie" and in 2022, the role of Maria in C. Fargeat's "The Substance".

David Dobrik was born in Kosice, Slovakia. He is known for his work on An Interrogation (2015), FML (2016) and Airplane Mode (2016). He has a successful channel on YouTube with over 6 million subscribers, where he posts vlogs about skits and his daily life. He is dating fellow Youtuber and actress, Liza Koshy (as of 2015).

Kamil Kollarik was born on 4 February 1981 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia [now Slovakia]. He is an actor and director, known for Behind Enemy Lines (2001), Zlo (2012) and The Cleaner (2015).

Antonia Liskova is a Slovak actress. She lived in Slovakia until her 17th birthday. After graduating in pharmacology and medicinal chemistry her father offered her a trip to Italy; here she worked as a waitress in a small bar of Rome. Later on she started a modeling career in Milan. After successful casting for her first role, she acted in several TV series and movies including : Good and Evil (2009) (Il Bene e il Male) and Tutti pazzi per amore (2008). She married Italian plastic surgeon Luca Ferrarese, they have a daughter, Lilian (born in 2005) and live in Rome. Antonia and Luca separated in 2012.

Adriana Tarábková was born on 28 May 1966 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia [now Slovakia]. She is an actress, known for Konec básníku v Cechách (1993), Jak básníci pricházejí o iluze (1985) and Král Drozdia brada (1984). She is married to Zdena Romana. They have three children.

Born in Bratislava and raised in Canada, Ingrid Veninger formed pUNK Films in 2003 with a 'nothing is impossible' manifesto. Since 2008, Ingrid has directed six narrative fiction feature films, Only (2008), Modra (2010), I Am a Good Person/I Am a Bad Person (2011), The Animal Project (2013), He Hated Pigeons (2015), Porcupine Lake (2017), and one feature documentary, The World or Nothing (2019), with premieres at festival worldwide including, TIFF, Rotterdam, Slamdance, Busan and Hot Docs. In addition to directing, Ingrid has produced features with Charles Officer (Nurse.Fighter.Boy (2008)), Anais Granofsky (Re-Generation (2004)), Peter Mettler (Gambling, Gods and LSD (2002), The End of Time (2012)). She is the winner of the TFCA Jay Scott Prize, EDA Award for Best Director, and the Women's International Film & Television Showcase (WIFTS) International Visionary Award. Ingrid is a filmmaking mentor at the Canadian Film Centre and full-time faculty in Cinema and Media Arts at York University in Toronto. She has participated in the Berlinale Talent Campus, Rotterdam Lab, and the inaugural TIFF Studio. In 2014, Ingrid initiated the pUNK Films Femmes Lab to foster more competitive feature films written and directed by Canadian women, sponsored by Academy Award winner Melissa Leo. Ingrid continues to champion gender parity in the entertainment industry.

Dana Droppová was born on 21 June 1998 in Liptovský Mikulás, Slovakia. She is an actress, known for The Chambermaid (2022), Scumbag (2020) and Duch (2023).

Juraj Jakubisko was born on 30 April 1938 in Kojsov, Czechoslovakia [now Slovakia]. He was a director and writer, known for Perinbaba (1985), Bathory: Countess of Blood (2008) and Kristove roky (1967). He was married to Deana Horváthová. He died on 24 February 2023 in Prague, Czech Republic.

When Michal Suchanek was 12, he got his first break -- a part in the Nutcracker. Michal's career accelerated after he signed with Evangelista in Vancouver, and he received many offers to do commercials which were broadcast in Canada and the USA. Michal, born in Slovakia, also appeared on television programs, e.g., Sleepwalkers, X-Files and Hope Island. Television films are an important part of his resume: Zalinda's Story, Dirty Little Secret, Noah, Unconditional Love, and Y2K. Probably more important, Michal appeared in 'Edison: Wizard of Light' (HBO). For his outstanding role, he received an Emmy nomination. Success with awards continued as Michal was nominated for a Young Artist Award in connection with his performance in 'Aftershock: Earthquake in New York', mini-series produced by CBS. Michal's father, who holds a master's in performing arts, helps Michal and acts as his coach. When Michal isn't at work, he enjoys such things as computers, playing tennis, swimming, chess, snow skiing, and 'voice impersonations'. He resides in Los Angeles and Vancouver (B.C.) and is a citizen of Canada.

Karl Slover was 21 years old when he auditioned for the "Wizard Of Oz" movie and met the other 123 little people with whom he worked through a grueling two-month production schedule. "Standing four feet four inches tall, I was the smallest Munchkin," recalls Karl. "I couldn't even reach the doorknob." He is best known for being the first trumpeter in the film, but that was only one of his four roles in it: he was also one of the Munchkin soldiers, the only sleepyhead boy in the nest of Munchkin eggs, and one of the singers who led Dorothy down the Yellow Brick Road. After completing the "Wizard of Oz" he joined the "Original World Famous Singers Midget Show" and sang and danced across America. He also appeared in several films. His advice for having a long life: "Just do the best you can. Enjoy what you have. Enjoy where you live. Most of all, remember what Judy Garland said in the movie: 'There's no place like home.'"

Juraj Loj was born on 20 February 1983 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia [now Slovakia]. He is an actor, known for Charlatan (2020), Crack (2019) and Za sklom (2016).