Jakub Prachař stars as a manipulative romance fraudster in the six-part miniseries Sériový manžel, which premiered on the streaming platform Oneplay on Friday, November 13, according to Netflixer.
The six-part series from Oneplay tells the story of three women connected by one man, Milan Bareš, who appears as an ideal partner at first by listening, giving attention, and promising a future while actually operating as a romance fraudster who maintains multiple relationships at once and extracts money from women under various pretexts.
The Czech Republic ranks among the top five European countries where such crimes flourish the most, according to Médium.cz.
The series breaks from typical true-crime formulas by focusing primarily on the perspectives of the victims rather than profiling the criminal mechanics, Seznam Zprávy reported.
Prachař gained weight for the role
Prachař gained between 15 and 17 kilograms for the role of Milan Bareš, relying on a diet of meat pastries and pâtés from a local butcher shop near his former city center apartment, according to Netflixer.
“Zničil jsem si všechny orgány,” Prachař told Médium.cz, describing how the rapid weight gain led to the accumulation of interorgan fat.
Prachař said that he had a nutritionist and that it was great at first, but after the show finished he went straight into filming a movie without proper recovery, noting that he would never do it again because it is really complicated.
The actor also wanted to shave his head completely into a bald spot, but director Tereza Kopáčová told him that would be too ridiculous, so they settled for shaving it and bleaching the hair to make it look sparse, Netflixer reported.
“Vůbec se vlastně nedivím lidem, kteří s tím mají psychické problémy,” Prachař said, according to Médium.cz, noting the psychological toll of not feeling comfortable in his own body.
Táňa connects with Milan through a dating app
The plot opens by following Táňa, played by Nataša Bednářová, a single woman in a small town who connects with Milan through a dating app, as detailed by Seznam Zprávy.
Milan appears attentive and modest, but viewers quickly learn he is simultaneously managing multiple relationships, including one with a butcher named Mirka, played by Jindřiška Dudziaková, who is pregnant with his child, medium.seznam.cz reported. Mirka expects to move with him into a shared home far away from her commanding mother, Barbara Lukešová, according to Médium.cz.
The miniseries was directed by Tereza Kopáčová, with scripts written by Jakub Votýpka and Irena Nadažy, according to Médium.cz Zprávy.
The cast also includes Petra Hřebíčková, Martina Preissová, Pavel Řezníček, Jakub Štáfek, and Petr Buchta, as reported by Médium.cz Zprávy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can viewers watch Sériový manžel?
The six-part miniseries is available for streaming on the platform Oneplay, which released the show on Friday, November 13, according to Netflixer.
Worth a look