In the series Ulice, a new representative of little Kustík, the younger son of Karla and Mára, appeared for the first time this Tuesday. Until now, Vilémek Schön appeared in this role. Now Kustík is portrayed by twins Rafael and Samuel Martinic. What is the reason for recasting and how often does it happen in the series?
The series Ulice has been broadcast for over seventeen years. During that time, many children also played in it. Some of them grew up in it, others were recast over time or no longer appear in the series. Street stars include, for example, Matyáš Valenta, who has been associated with the role of František Hrubé for over seventeen years. His sister Anna-Maria Valentová has been seen by viewers of the series as Ema Toužimská since 2007. The role of Gábina’s son Šimon Urban has been played by Jakub Krause for over ten years.
However, some characters have been recast with child actors during the years that Ulice has been on the air. This happened, for example, with the character of Alex Nykl, who was initially played by little Vašík Motyčka. Now Filip Hornyak appears in this role in the series. The audience also now sees a new representative in the form of Chris van Ruyter. Originally, little Tomášek Kozdera was cast in the role of František and Skyler’s son, now Michael Lorenc plays Chris. In the case of Mirinka Hejlová, daughter of Jarda and Lenka, the cast was even recast several times. She was first portrayed by the twins Anežek and Michael Vavrochová, then by Anička Spáčilová, and since 2011 she has been played by Adélka Krauseová, the sister of Jakub, the serial Šimon. Why is recasting of children’s characters so common in Ulica?
The explanation is simple. The street is a long-term project. Its eighteenth season is now being broadcast. During that time, many babies were born in her. The creators decided to tell the stories of some of them and their parents, even with the knowledge of more demanding filming, because everything on the set is subordinated to these youngest reinforcements of the street acting team. While in the case of short-term projects, young children only shoot for a few days during a shorter period of time, in the case of long-term series, such as Ulice, filming is not limited to a certain period of time. And this is what brings the biggest complications when working with children.
“Filming with child actors is a sensitive matter. When we cast them in individual roles, they go through the casting process just like other actors. Unlike them, however, young children develop quickly, their needs and nature change, and their reaction to the studio environment may also change over time. Even if they already know this place intimately, they suddenly stop feeling comfortable in it. And we certainly don’t want to trouble any children. We try to make shooting a game for them, to have fun. As soon as we see in them that this is not the case, it is a signal for us to talk about it with their parents and our children’s acting coach. If this situation lasts for a long time, we will recast the child actor precisely with regard to his fragile soul.” says project producer Jana Maršíková about the changes in the casting of some children’s roles.
This is also the reason why the creators of Ulica decided to recast the representative of little Kustík, the son of Karla and Mára Marečková. From his birth to the present, he was portrayed by Vilémek Schön. Recently, however, he was no longer happy in the studios, so there was a change in the cast. Now the twins Rafael and Samuel Martinic will take turns in the role of Kustík. “We would like to thank the parents of little Vilémek once again for their impeccable cooperation and wish them that their son will be happy and bring them nothing but joy.” adds Jana Maršíková.
The premiere episodes of the Ulice series are broadcast by TV Nova from Monday to Friday in the early evening from 6:25 p.m. They are available to viewers a week in advance on Voyo.
