Somr started his acting career at various regional theatres, before becoming a part of
The Drama Club in
Prague. There, he received roles in productions directed by
Ladislav Smocek,
Jan Kačer, and
Jiří Menzel. Film critic
John Simon described Somr's performance as "so spontaneous, unconcerned, and complete ... that it affects our entire sensorium – finger tips, nostrils, and palate no less than eyes and ears". The film won the
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in
April 1968. Somr subsequently played scientist Ludvík Jahn in the lead role of
The Joke (1969) by
Jaromil Jireš. He went on to feature in
Poslední propadne peklu under director
Ludvík Ráža in 1982. According to Michal Bregant – who headed the
Czech Film Archive – Somr preferred acting in theatre, despite having roles in over 170 films. This was because he disliked revealing his face in profile, which was captured more easily on camera. He joined the
National Theatre drama ensemble in 1978, on the invitation of
Miroslav Macháček. He played the marshal in
The White Disease by
Karel Čapek, as well as the town councillor Jakub Busek in
Naši furianti. Somr's portrayal of Mister Frantisek in
Romance pro křídlovku garnered him a
Thalia Award in 1998. He also did
voice acting for radio, audiobooks, and poetry readings, and featured in film adaptations of Czech
fairy tales. ==Personal life==