HUBNER, ZYGMUNT

(1930-1989)

Accomplished theatrical and film actor, film and theater director, teacher at the State Acting School (PWST) in Warsaw since 1970, playwright, and author of several books on theater. After graduating from PWST in 1952, Hubner became associated with a number of theaters. He debuted in cinema playing episodic roles (not credited) as German officers inStanisław Rozewicz'sFree City(1958) andLeonard Buczkowski'sThe Submarine Eagle(1959). His first major role was inWitold Lesiewicz's contemporary dramaOne Position(1966), followed by the role of Major Henryk Sucharski in Stanisław Rozewicz's war dramaWesterplatte(1967).Later Hubner often played figures of authority—army and militia officers, prosecutors, and party apparatchiks—and became known for portraying the psychological depth of his characters. For example, he played Captain Siwy, a militia officer who searches for justice after his retirement, inJanusz Majewski'sThe Criminal Who Stole a Crime(1969) and an army officer, Major Niwiński, inJerzy Passen-dorfer'sOperation"Brutus" (1970). He acted as a medical doctor in Majewski'sThe Gorgon Affair(1977), inEdward Zebrowski'sThe Hospital of Transfiguration(1979), and as the dean of the medical department inKrzysztof Kieslowski'sBlind Chance(1981). He also played a prosecutor inAndrzej Trzos-Rastawiecki'sThe Convicted(1976) and party apparatchiks in Roman Zahiski'sRust(Rdźa, 1982) and Ryszard Ber'sThe Four-Star Hotel(Hotel klasy Lux, 1979).

In 1969 Hubner started his directorial career with the medium-lengthtelevision filmWhat Is Inside a Man(Co jest w człowieku w środku). In 1971 he produced another television film,The Chase(Gonitwa), and in 1972 a feature calledSex-Teens(Seksolatki), depicting a teenage love story within a harsh environment. In the 1980s, Hubner appeared mostly in television films, as in Hanka Włodarczyk'sIvy(Blusźcź, 1984) andStanisław Jedryka'sI Died to Live(1984). His last screen appearance was in 1988 in the television productionNo Man's Field(Pole niczyje, Jan Błeszyński). Apart from being an acclaimed theatrical actor, since 1974 Hubner had been the head of Popular Theater (Teatr Powszechny) in Warsaw, which was later named after him (Teatr Powszechny im. Zygmunta Hubnera).