LINDA, BOGUSŁAW

(1952-)

Generational actor in the 1990s who followed two acting personalities known for their roles inAndrzej Wajda's films:Zbigniew CybulskiandDaniel Olbrychski. Like his predecessors, and unlike the majority of Polish actors, Linda is known almost exclusively for his filmic roles. He started his acting career at the beginning of the 1980s in a series of acclaimed political films, includingAgnieszka Holland'sFever(1981) andA Woman Alone(1981/1988), Wajda'sMan of Iron(1981) andDanton(1983),Krzysztof Kieslowski'sBlind Chance(1981/1987), andJanusz Zaorski'sMother of Kings(1982/1987).He became one of the idols of the Solidarity generation, although most of the films he appeared in were shelved by thecensoruntil 1987. He also starred inFilip Bajon'sThe Magnate(1987).

At the beginning of the 1990s, Linda became an icon for another generation, the post-Solidarity generation, and represented its disillusionment with the new reality. He achieved star status by appearing in political action films directed byWładysław Pasikowski, such asThe Pigs(1992) and its sequel,The Pigs 2:The Last Blood(1994). Linda's tough and cynical characters aptly reflected the reality of the first period of Polish capitalism. Readers of the weeklyFilmvoted him the best Polish actor in 1987, 1991, 1992, and 1995. As a sign of Linda's popularity, at the 1994Festival of Polish Filmsin Gdynia he was honored with a special retrospective of his films. In recent years, he has continued his tough guy image in films by Pasikowski and starred in Maciej Slesicki'sSarah(Sara, 1997) and Piotr Weresniak'sStation(Stacja, 2001). He also appeared in prestigiousadaptationsof the national literary canon by Wajda (Pan Tadeusz, 1999) andJerzy Kawalerowicz(Quo Vadis, 2001).

Linda received several Best Actor prizes at the Festival of Polish Films. They include awards forFever(1981),Blind ChanceandThe Magnate(awarded in 1987),A Woman Alone(1988),The Pigs(1992), and Slesicki'sDaddy(Tato, 1995). In 1990 Linda directed his first feature film,Seychelles(Seszele), which was well received by young audiences, and in 2001 he directedThe Sucker Season(Sezon na leszcza), clearly influenced by Quentin Tarantino's films. In 2007 he madeClear Blue Windows(Jasne błękitne okna), a story of female friendship.