Miloš Forman.

Jan Tomáš Forman

Born 18 Feb 1932 Cáslav, Czech Republic

Died 13 Apr 2018 Danbury, United States

Citizenship United States

Would Be 94 yr If Living

18 min read

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Sep 22, 2026

Published

Awards

TL;DR

Miloš Forman, born Jan Tomáš Forman in 1932 in Czechoslovakia, lost both parents in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. He later won Academy Awards for Best Director for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 1975 and Amadeus 1984, both of which also won Best Picture. His films also include Hair 1979 and The People vs. Larry Flynt 1996. He became a U.S. citizen in 1975 and died in 2018 at age 86.

Identity & family.

KIN · 8

Names, aliases, and relatives of Miloš Forman — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name Jan Tomáš Forman

Aliases Milos Forman

Parents: Otto Kohn
Spouses: Martina Forman Věra Křesadlová Jana Brejchová
Children: Petr Forman Matěj Forman
Siblings: Joseph J. Kohn Pavel Forman

At a glance.

STATS

Miloš Forman by the numbers — life, work, and family.

86 Years lived

13 Awards

3 Marriages

2 Children

Who was Miloš Forman?

BIOGRAPHY

Miloš Forman — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

Miloš Forman arrived as Jan Tomáš Forman on February 18, 1932, in Cáslav, Czechoslovakia now Czech Republic. During World War II, his parents were arrested by the Nazis for allegedly participating in the underground resistance. His father Rudolf Forman, a professor, died in the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp, and his mother Anna Svabova died in Auschwitz, leaving Forman orphaned. He was raised by relatives and later learned his biological father was architect Otto Kohn, making him a half-brother of mathematician Joseph J. Kohn.

He studied screenwriting at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague FAMU, where he formed a lifelong friendship with cinematographer Miroslav Ondříček.

Career

Forman began his film career in Czechoslovakia with Black Peter 1964, Loves of a Blonde 1965, and The Firemen’s Ball 1967, developing a distinctive comedic style. After the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion ended the Prague Spring, he fled to the United States.

His American breakthrough came with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 1975, adapted from Ken Kesey’s novel. The film won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Forman. He then directed the musical Hair 1979. His biography of Mozart, Amadeus 1984, won eight Oscars, including another Best Director award for Forman. Later films include The People vs. Larry Flynt 1996 and Man on the Moon 1999.

Personal life

Forman wed three women: Jana Brejchová 1958–1962, Věra Křesadlová 1964–1999, and Martina Forman 1999–2018. With Věra he had twin sons, Petr and Matěj Forman, who both became filmmakers. He also had two sons, Andrew and James, named after Andy Kaufman and Jim Carrey. Forman became a U.S. citizen in 1975. He dated actresses Beverly D’Angelo, Catherine Deneuve, and Nastassja Kinski.

Legacy

Only three living directors at Forman’s death had directed two Best Picture Oscar winners: Forman, Francis Ford Coppola, and Clint Eastwood. He is one of ten directors to win the Golden Globe, Directors Guild of America, BAFTA, and Oscar for the same film for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Both films are preserved in the National Film Registry. He served as chair of Columbia University’s film division for many years and received the Directors Guild of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. Humanistic storytelling and direction of ensemble casts define Forman’s work.

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 12

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Miloš Forman — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

Czech Medal of Merit
Directors Guild of America Award
Academy Award for Best Director
BAFTA Award for Best Film
David di Donatello for Best Foreign Director
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Director
Golden Globe Award for Best Director
Golden Bear
César Award for Best Foreign Film
Honorary Citizen of Prague
European Film Academy Achievement in World Cinema Award
BAFTA Award for Best Direction

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 16

A wall of memorable lines from Miloš Forman — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

I Know This Sounds so Little, and Not Serious Enough, but I Believe That I Have to Have Fun. We All Have to Have Fun – Me, the Actors, the Cameraman, Everybody Should Feel as If We Are Making a Home Movie, Because That Is the Only Way to Open the Film to a Certain Kind of Lightness. If Everybody Involved Feels the Seriousness, the Heavy Weight of Money Being Stamped on Movies, It Somehow Influences the Result in a Way Which Is Anesthizing to Life.
The Theatre Is Different from the Movies, Which Is Very Right for the Theatre, Because You Know When the Curtain Goes Up, That Nothing Is Real, That Everything Is Stylized. the Tree Is Not a Real Tree, It’s Stylized. the Language Is Stylized and Must Be Stylized Because You Don’t Have Editing. You Have to Write Lines so That You Can Communicate to the Audience Everything so They Will Understand. It’s Stylized for That Purpose. but Film Is Very Different Because You See That Everything Is Real. the Trees Are Real, the Buildings Are Real, the Sky Is Real, so People Better Be Real Too and Not Stylized Like on the Stage.
Who Doesn’t Have Sympathy for the Underdog? of Course, I Do. We Create Institutions, Governments and Schools to Help Us Live, but Every Institution Has a Tendency, After a While, to Behave Not as If They Should Be Serving You, but That You Should Be Serving Them. That’s When the Individual Gets in Conflict, Because We Are Paying These Institutions with Our Taxes, We Are Paying Them to Serve Us and Help Us Live, and Not to Tell Us How to Live and Dominate Us. I Wouldn’t Say It’s the Underdog but It’s Always the Conflict Within the Individual and the Institutions. Instead of Underdogs, Let’s Talk About Dogs. If You Corner a Dog, He’s Ready to Bite You. That’s the Reality. Otherwise He’s a Loveable, Wonderful Creature. If You Corner Him, He Can Behave Abominably. and so Does a Human Being. When an Individual Is Cornered by Society or an Institution, Well, He Can Behave Abominably and I Can’t Really Hide It or Glorify It. Neither. It’s Just a Fact of Life.
Director Is Little Bit of Everything, Little Bit of the Writer, Little Bit of an Actor, Little Bit of an Editor, Little Bit of a Costume Designer. Good Director Is the Director Who Chooses for This Profession People Who Are Better Than He Is. Yes, I Can Write, but I Have to Have a Writer Who Is a Better Writer Than I Am, I Have to Have Actors Who Are Better Actors Than I Am, I Have to Have Sound Engineers Who Are Better Sound Engineer Than I Am, You Know. It’s a Strange Profession, ….Visually It’s Your Vision.
Some Scenes Have to Be Done Exactly as They Are Written in the Scripts Because Otherwise the Pace Would Suffer, Like That. but Then There Are Scenes Which Allow a Space for Improvisation and Then I Like to Encourage Improvisation, but You Have to Always Have Exact Script Because 90% of Improvisation Is Usually Very Boring, Unusable. but the 10% or Even Less, Even If You Have 1%, You Can Get Such a Gem of Unrepeatable Moments of Films That It’s Worth It to Try to Improvise. but If Improvisation Doesn’t Work You Have to Have a Solid Script to Go Back To.
Give Me $100,000 and I Will Make the Film for $100,000. Give Me $10M and I Will Make the Film for $10M. Give Me $100M and I Will Spend It.
It’s Funny to Realize, but in My Relatively Short Life I Have Lived Through Six or Seven Different Social and Cultural Systems. First the Democratic Republic of Czechoslovakia, Then the Limited Democracy Before World War II, Then the Nazi Regime. After the Nazi Regime There Was a Kind of Democracy Again for Three Years, Then Came the Stalinist Regime, Then the Reformed Communist Regime, and Now I Am Living in a Free Country.
When the Nazis and Communists First Came to Czechoslovakia, They Declared War on Pornographers and Perverts. Everyone Applauded: Who Wants Perverts Running Through the Streets? but Then, Suddenly, Jesus Christ Was a Pervert, Shakespeare Was a Pervert, Hemingway Was a Pervert. It Always Starts with Pornographers to Open the Door a Little, but Then the Door Is Opened Wide for All Kinds of Persecution.
It All Begins in the Script. If What’s Happening Is Interesting, It Doesn’t Matter Where You Shoot From, People Will Be Interested to Watch. If You Write Something Boring, You Can Film from Mosquitoes’ Underpants and It Will Still Be Boring.
I Hear the Word Socialist Being Tossed Around by the Likes of Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Others. President Barack Obama, They Warn, Is a Socialist. the Critics Cry, Obamacare Is Socialism! They Falsely Equate Western European-style Socialism, and Its Government Provision of Social Insurance and Health Care, with Marxist-Leninist Totalitarianism. It Offends Me, and Cheapens the Experience of Millions Who Lived, and Continue to Live, Under Brutal Forms of Socialism.
My Sister-in-law’s Father, Jan Kunasek, Lived in Czechoslovakia All His Life. He Was a Middle-class Man Who Ran a Tiny Inn in a Tiny Village. One Winter Night in 1972, During a Blizzard, a Man, Soaked to the Bone, Awakened Him at 2 in the Morning. the Man Looked Destitute And, While Asking for Shelter, Couldn’t Stop Cursing the Communists. Taking Pity, the Elderly Mr. Kunasek Put Him up for the Night. a Couple of Hours Later, Mr. Kunasek Was Awakened Again, This Time by Three Plainclothes Policemen. He Was Arrested, Accused of Sheltering a Terrorist and Sentenced to Several Years of Hard Labor in Uranium Mines. the State Seized His Property. When He Was Finally Released, Ill and Penniless, He Died Within a Few Weeks. Years Later We Learned That the Night Visitor Had Been Working for the Police. According to the Communists, Mr. Kunasek Was a Class Enemy and Deserved to Be Punished.
When I Was Moonlighting on Czech TV as a Moderator, Introducing Movies, in the Early ’50S. It Was Live, so There Was No Chance to Bleep Politically Undesirable Words. Every Utterance, Even in Supposedly Spontaneous Interviews, Had to Be Scripted, Approved by the Censors, Learned by Heart and Repeated Verbatim on the Air. When I Was Preparing to Interview One Comrade Homola, a Powerful Communist, I Sent Him Questions, but Didn’t Receive His Answers. My Boss, Also a Powerful Party Member, Told Me: He Is Lazy! Write His Answers for Him, and Remind Him to Learn Them by Heart. so I Did. Comrade Homola Arrived at the Last Moment. When the Red Light Went on and I Asked the First Question, He Reached into His Pocket, Took Out My Answers and Started to Read Them, Awkwardly and Obediently – Including My Inadvertent Grammatical Mistakes. and Thus, to My Consternation, Went the Whole Interview. in the Control Booth, My Boss Hit the Roof. I Was Fired the Next Day for Ridiculing a Representative of the State.
Because If You Lived, as I Did, Several Years Under Nazi Totalitarianism, and Then 20 Years in Communist Totalitarianism, You Would Certainly Realize How Precious Freedom Is, and How Easy It Is to Lose Your Freedom.
Casting Is Enormously Important Because That’s Finally Who the Audience Sees. My Ideas or the Writer’s Ideas Mean Nothing If What I See on the Screen I Don’t Believe.
Each Time You Make a Connection Between a Scene and a Moment from Your Own Life, You’re Likely to Make It Something That’s More Credible and Resonates More Richly. All My Films Abound in Covert Allusions and Reinterpretations of Obscure Events in My Own Life.
You Can Take the Same Story to Two Different Directors, You Can Even Ask Them to Use the Same Cameraman, the Same Set Designer, Costume Designer, Even the Same Actors, and You Will End up with Two Totally Different Films, One of Which Might Put You to Fall Asleep, the Other Which Might Move You to Tears, Make You Laugh, Enlighten Your Spirit. It’s the Music of Images That Finally Gets to Your Heart and Mind.

Did you know?

FACTS · 31

Little-known facts about Miloš Forman — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

Only three living directors at Forman’s death had directed two Best Picture Oscar winners: Forman, Francis Ford Coppola, and Clint Eastwood.
Forman named his sons Andrew and James after Andy Kaufman and Jim Carrey; Carrey portrayed Kaufman in Man on the Moon.
His parents Anna Svabova and Rudolf Forman died in concentration camps, leaving him an orphan. He later learned his biological father was architect Otto Kohn, making him a half-brother of mathematician Joseph J. Kohn.
Reportedly, Forman considered adapting The Lord of the Rings into a live-action film early on, one of the first directors to do so.
His top ten films according to Sight and Sound are: City Lights 1931, Citizen Kane 1941, Children of Paradise 1945, Miracle in Milan 1951, Giant 1956, The Godfather 1972, Amarcord 1973, American Graffiti 1973, The Deer Hunter 1978, and Raging Bull 1980.
He became a U.S. citizen in 1975.
His first name is pronounced Mee-losh and his last name is pronounced Forre-mahn with a rolling r.
Forman is one of ten directors to win the Golden Globe, DGA, BAFTA, and Oscar for the same movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The group includes Mike Nichols, Richard Attenborough, Oliver Stone, Steven Spielberg, Ang Lee, Danny Boyle, Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, and Guillermo del Toro.
The Directors Guild of America announced on November 28, 2012, that Forman would receive its Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction.
He directed eight actors to Oscar-nominated performances: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Brad Dourif, Howard E. Rollins Jr., Elizabeth McGovern, F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, and Woody Harrelson. Nicholson, Fletcher, and Abraham won Oscars.
The National Film Registry selected two of his films: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Amadeus.
Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas and producer Irwin Winkler first chose Forman to direct Basic Instinct, but the project went to Paul Verhoeven.
For many years, he chaired Columbia University’s film division, taking sabbatical years for filmmaking.
Forman directed two Best Picture Oscar winners: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Amadeus.
His films Loves of a Blonde 1965 and The Firemen’s Ball 1967 are in the Criterion Collection.
He studied at FAMU film school in Prague; other graduates include Jiří Menzel, Agnieszka Holland, Emir Kusturica, and Vera Chytilová.
In the early 1990s, Forman planned to direct Hell Camp, a film about a military-style camp in Japan starring Dylan Walsh, but it was cancelled after the Sumo Association objected to the script.
Michael Crichton hand-picked Forman to direct Disclosure, but Forman left due to creative differences.
Forman dated actresses Beverly D’Angelo, Catherine Deneuve, and Nastassja Kinski.
In Milan Kundera’s short story La pomme d’or de l’éternel désir, the narrator introduces himself as Miloš Forman to a naive country girl.
Pavel Forman was his brother.
The Artists Rights Foundation awarded Forman the fourth annual John Huston Award for Artists Rights.
He served as a member of the Official Competition jury at the 25th Cannes International Film Festival in 1972.
In 1995, Warner Bros. announced Forman would direct a remake of Dodsworth starring Harrison Ford, but it never materialized.
He presided over the Official Competition Jury at the 38th Cannes International Film Festival in 1985, which awarded the Palme d’Or to When Father Was Away on Business.
He and Věra Křesadlová had twin sons Matej and Petr.
He studied direction at FAMU together with his friend Giorgos Skalenakis.
John Wakeman’s World Film Directors, Volume Two, includes a biography of Forman.
He presided over the Official Competition Jury at the 7th Marrakech International Film Festival in 2007.
The London Film Critics named Forman Best Director in 1971 for Taking Off.
Hana Brejchová is his former sister-in-law.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 52

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Miloš Forman.

When was Miloš Forman born?

Miloš Forman arrived on February 18, 1932, in Cáslav, Czechoslovakia now Czech Republic.
What was Miloš Forman's real name?

Miloš Forman’s birth name is Jan Tomáš Forman.
Where was Miloš Forman born?

Miloš Forman’s birthplace is Cáslav, then part of Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic.
When did Miloš Forman die?

He died on April 13, 2018.
Where did Miloš Forman die?

He died in Danbury, Connecticut, USA.
How old was Miloš Forman when he died?

He lived to 86 years old.
What was the cause of Miloš Forman's death?

The cause of his death was undisclosed.
Is Miloš Forman a U.S. citizen?

Yes, he became a U.S. citizen in 1975.
What occupation did Miloš Forman have?

He worked as a director, writer, and actor.
How tall was Miloš Forman?

He stood 5 feet 10 inches 1.78 meters tall.
Why was Miloš Forman sometimes called Milos Forman?

He used the spelling Milos Forman as an alias, which is the anglicized form of his name.
What did Miloš Forman study?

He studied screenwriting at the Prague Film Academy FAMU.
Where did Miloš Forman go to school?

He attended the Academy of Performing Arts and the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.
Who were Miloš Forman's parents?

His mother Anna Svabova ran a summer hotel; his father Rudolf Forman was a professor. Architect Otto Kohn was his biological father.
Did Miloš Forman have siblings?

He had a half-brother, mathematician Joseph J. Kohn, and a brother, Pavel Forman.
Who was Miloš Forman married to?

He married three times: Jana Brejchová 1958–1962, Věra Křesadlová 1964–1999, and Martina Forman 1999–2018.
Did Miloš Forman have children?

Yes, he had four sons: twin sons Petr Forman and Matěj Forman with Věra Křesadlová, and two younger sons Andrew and James Forman.
What awards did Miloš Forman win?

He won two Academy Awards for Best Director, for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Amadeus, as well as multiple Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and other honors.
How many Oscars did Miloš Forman win?

He won two Oscars for Best Director, and both of his winning films also won Best Picture.
Is Miloš Forman in the Criterion Collection?

Yes, two of his films are in the Criterion Collection: Loves of a Blonde 1965 and The Firemen’s Ball 1967.
What was Miloš Forman known for?

His best-known works are One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 1975 and Amadeus 1984, both multiple Oscar winners.
Did Miloš Forman direct any musicals?

Yes, he directed the musical film Hair 1979, based on the Broadway show.
Why did Miloš Forman leave Czechoslovakia?

He fled the country after the Warsaw Pact invasion of 1968, which ended the Prague Spring.
What is Miloš Forman's nationality?

He became a U.S. citizen after naturalization in 1975; his original nationality was Czechoslovak.
Did Miloš Forman act in any films?

He had cameo acting roles, such as playing Dimitri in Heartburn 1986 and Father Havel in Keeping the Faith 2000.
What was Miloš Forman's first American film?

His first American film was Taking Off 1971.
Who was Miloš Forman's cinematographer?

He frequently collaborated with Miroslav Ondříček, a fellow FAMU graduate.
Did Miloš Forman teach at a university?

Yes, for many years he chaired Columbia University’s film division.
Was Miloš Forman a Fremch citizen?

No, he was a U.S. citizen.
What was Miloš Forman's first feature film?

His first feature was Black Peter 1964, a Czech film.
Did Miloš Forman ever direct a Lord of the Rings adaptation?

No, but reportedly, Forman was among the first directors considered for a live-action adaptation.
What is the pronunciation of Miloš Forman's name?

His first name is pronounced Mee-losh and his last name is pronounced Forre-mahn with a rolling r.
How many times did Miloš Forman win the DGA Award?

He won the Directors Guild of America Award for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and also received a lifetime achievement award.
Who did Miloš Forman name his sons after?

He named his sons Andrew and James after Andy Kaufman and Jim Carrey; Carrey played Kaufman in Forman’s Man on the Moon.
Did Miloš Forman make any documentary appearances?

Yes, he appeared in documentaries like Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond 2017 and A Decade Under the Influence 2003.
What was Miloš Forman's highest-grossing film?

His highest-grossing film was One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which earned over $100 million domestically.
How many films did Miloš Forman direct?

He directed over 15 feature films spanning his career in Czechoslovakia and the United States.
Did Miloš Forman win any awards for his TV work?

He won a London Film Critics Award for Best Director for Taking Off, which was his early American film.
What was Miloš Forman's connection to the Cannes Film Festival?

He served as president of the jury at the 38th Cannes Film Festival in 1985 and served as a jury member in 1972.
Why was Miloš Forman's family persecuted?

The Nazis arrested his parents for allegedly participating in the anti-Nazi resistance during World War II.
What is the name of Miloš Forman's twin sons?

His twin sons are Petr Forman and Matěj Forman, both of whom are involved in filmmaking.
Was Miloš Forman related to anyone famous?

His half-brother Joseph J. Kohn was a renowned mathematician.
What actors received Oscar nominations under Miloš Forman?

He directed eight actors to Oscar-nominated performances, including Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, and F. Murray Abraham.
Did Miloš Forman ever direct a film about sumo wrestling?

He planned to direct Hell Camp about a Japanese military-style camp, but it was cancelled due to objections from the Sumo Association.
What was the last film Miloš Forman directed?

His final directorial effort was Goya’s Ghosts 2006.
Where did Miloš Forman go to film school?

He studied at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague FAMU.
What was the name of Miloš Forman's first Czech film?

His first Czech film was Black Peter 1964, also known as Audition.
How many BAFTA awards did Miloš Forman win?

He won two BAFTA awards: one for Best Film and one for Best Direction for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Did Miloš Forman work with Michael Crichton?

Michael Crichton hand-picked Forman to direct Disclosure, but he left due to creative differences.
What was Miloš Forman's favorite film?

He listed City Lights 1931 by Charlie Chaplin as one of his top ten films of all time.
How did Miloš Forman's parents die?

His father died in Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp and his mother died in Auschwitz.
What is the legacy of Miloš Forman?

Forman’s legacy includes two films in the National Film Registry and multiple Oscars, remembered for humanistic stories.

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Audited & updated by

Olivia has 6 years of experience writing biographical profiles and still approaches every subject like it's the first one. She covers everyone from debut musicians to Hall of Fame athletes to novelists most people have never heard of. She finds something worth reading in all of them. Her drafts tend to come in already clean, which her editor appreciates. She says good writing is just good thinking written down. Hard to argue with that.

Published on September 22, 2026

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