SEWERYN, ANDRZEJ

(1946-)

Respected film and theater actor, living since 1980 in France and later associated with the Comedie Francaise. From 1984 to 1988, Seweryn was also a member of the Peter Brook theater troupe. His first major role in cinema was inJan Rybkowski'sPolish Album(1970), two years after graduating from the Warsaw State Acting School (PWST). He achieved recognition later for his starring role as Maks Baum inAndrzej Wajda'sThe Promised Land(1975). At that time he also appeared in strong supporting roles inNights and Days(1975,Jerzy Antczak) andLeaves Have Fallen(1975,Stanisław Różewicz).The late 1970s brought him several important roles in films directed by Rybkowski (TheLine, 1978) andJerzy Domaradzki(TheBeast, 1979), but above all in other films by Wajda. He played the greedy opportunist Rościszewski inRough Treatment(1978), the overambitious conductor of a provincial orchestra inThe Orchestra Conductor(1980), the security service (SB) captain Wirski inMan of Iron(1981), and Bourdon inDanton(1983). In several films made during theCinema of Distrustperiod, he played generational characters, for example inSylwester Chęciński'sRoman and Magda(1978),Janusz Kijowski'sKung-fu(1980), andJanusz Zaorski'sChild's Questions(1981). Seweryn became known not only as a talented actor but also as a hardworking perfectionist.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Seweryn played several strong supporting roles in films made mostly in France, including Marco Belocchio'sLa condanna(1990), Regis Wargnier'sIndochina(Indochine, 1992), and Claude Berri'sLucie Aubrac(1997). He also acted inSchindler's List(1993, Steven Spielberg) andTotal Eclipse(1995,Agnieszka Holland). Recent years have brought him acclaim in Poland for his appearances in several prestigiousadaptations, such asWith Fire and Sword(1999,Jerzy Hoffman) andPan Tadeusz(1999) andRevenge(2002), both directed by Wajda. His role as Primate Stefan Wyszyński inTeresa Kotlarczyk'sThe Primate:Three Years out of the Millenium(2000) was also praised. The readers of weeklyFilmvoted him the best Polish actor in 2000. In 2006 he made his directorial debut with the contemporary psychological dramaWho Never Lived(Kto nigdy nie żył, 2006).