Gustav Opočenský was the son of a renowned Bohemian poet and journalist, Gustav Roger of Opočenský, who lived from 1881 to 1949. Initially, Gustav Opočenský pursued a career in law, but following the closure of Nazi colleges in 1939, he shifted his focus towards the theatre, largely due to his father's influence. Despite lacking professional training, he secured his first permanent engagement at the Realistic Theater in Prague from 1945 to 1946.
Gustav's life took a dramatic turn in the mid-1950s when his family's unbridled inheritance led to a confrontation with the Communist power. As a result, he was forced to relocate to Cologne from Pardubice and eventually faced a ban on his artistic activities in 1956. To make ends meet, he took up jobs as a miner and a worker in Stalin's races in Záluží near Most.
It wasn't until the beginning of the following decade that Gustav managed to return to the theatre. His subsequent ban on activity remained in effect for twelve years, during which time he re-emerged in the film MARATÓN in 1968. Additionally, he is also remembered for his comedic role as an old Nazi in the movie ZÍTRA VSTANU AND I WILL BE TEA, released in 1977.
Gustav Opočenský was married to actress Eva Strupplová, who was born in 1926. The couple's artistic and Bohemian family heritage was passed down to their two sons, Petr Opočenský, an artist and musician born in 1950, and Pavel Opočenský, a sculptor born in 1954.
