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Polish actor Wojciech Pszoniak dies at 78

19.10.2020 10:30
One of Poland’s most outstanding actors, Wojciech Pszoniak, passed away on Monday morning in Warsaw at the age of 78. He suffered from cancer.
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Wojciech Pszoniak, pictured in June 2019.
Wojciech Pszoniak, pictured in June 2019.Photo: PAP/Darek Delmanowicz

He is best remembered for his roles in Polish director Andrzej Wajda’s films, notably that of Moryc Welt in the Oscar-nominated Land of Promise (1975).

Those paved the way for Pszoniak to launch an international career, with numerous performances in theatres in France (Paris, Nanterre) and in London (in Terence Rattigan’s The Deep Blue Sea, directed by Karel Reisz at the Almeida Theatre).

He appeared in about 100 films, working closely with such directors as Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Krzysztof Zanussi, Janusz Morgenstern and Janusz Majewski.

Born in Lviv (present day Ukraine) in 1942, he spent his youth in the town of Gliwice, southern Poland. Having graduated from the Drama School in the city of Kraków, he made his theatrical debut at the city’s Stary Theatre in 1968.

After several highly successful seasons there, he moved to Warsaw, where he became a leading star of the National and Powszechny Theatres.

In 1980 he left for France, where he lived for many years.

His honours included the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Reborn Poland, and France's Officer’s Order of Merit and the Order of Arts and Letters.

(mk/pk)

Click on the ‘Play’ icon above for an audio report by Elżbieta Krajewska