Andrzej Teodor Seweryn (born 25 April 1946) is a Polish actor and director. One of the most successful Polish theatre actors, he starred in over 50 films, mostly in Poland, France, and Germany. He is also one of only three non-French actors to be hired by the Paris-based Comédie-Française. He is currently serving as director general of the Polski Theatre in Warsaw. He has three children with three different wives: a daughter, Maria Seweryn (born 1975) with his first wife, Polish actress Krystyna Janda, and two sons, Yann-Baptiste and Maximilien.

Life and career

Andrzej Seweryn was born on 25 April 1946 in

Heilbronn Heilbronn () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn (district), Heilbronn District. With over 126,000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. From the late Mid ...

, Germany. His parents, Zdzisław and Zofia, were captured and forced into slave labor in Germany during World War II. After the birth of Andrzej, they returned to Poland. In 1968 he graduated from the National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw and worked at Teatr Ateneum where he continued to act until 1980. Already in the 1970s he gained much fame following his appearance in numerous films directed by Andrzej Wajda, notably '' Without Anesthesia'', '' The Promised Land'' and the '' Man of Iron''. For his role in Wajda's 1980 ''

Dyrygent ''The Orchestra Conductor'' ( pl, Dyrygent, and also known as ''The Conductor'') is a 1980 Polish drama film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It was entered into the 30th Berlin International Film Festival, where Andrzej Seweryn won the Silver Bear fo ...

'' Seweryn received the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the

30th Berlin International Film Festival The 30th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 18–29 February 1980. The Golden Bear was awarded to the American film ''Heartland'' directed by Richard Pearce and West German film '' Palermo oder Wolfsburg'' directed by Werne ...

. In 1980 Seweryn also made his stage debut in France following the staging of Wajda's interpretation of plays by

Stanisław Witkiewicz Stanisław Witkiewicz ( lt, Stanislovas Vitkevičius) (8 May 1851 – 5 September 1915) was a Polish painter, art theoretician, and amateur architect, known for his creation of "Zakopane Style". Life Witkiewicz was born in Poszawsze in S ...

at the

Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers The Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers, also Théâtre des Amandiers, is a theatre in Nanterre and a known theatre outside of Paris. The present building opened in 1976. The company is a ''Centre dramatique national'' (National dramatic center), a natio ...

. The imposition of the martial law in Poland in 1981 found Seweryn in France. A sympathiser of the outlawed

Solidarity ''Solidarity'' is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It is based on class collaboration.''Merriam Webster'', http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictio ...

, he decided to stay abroad and settle in France. With time he also applied for French citizenship. During his stay in France he collaborated with some of the most renowned theatre directors. Among them were Claude Régy (''La Trilogie du revoir'' and ''Grand et Petit'' by Botho Strauss), Patrice Chéreau (''

Peer Gynt ''Peer Gynt'' (, ) is a five- act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen published in 1876. Written in Norwegian, it is one of the most widely performed Norwegian plays. Ibsen believed ''Per Gynt'', the Norwegian fairy tale on wh ...

'' by Ibsen), Peter Brook ('' The Mahabharata''), Bernard Sobel ('' Nathan the Wise'' by

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (, ; 22 January 1729 – 15 February 1781) was a philosopher, dramatist, publicist and art critic, and a representative of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the developmen ...

, ''

The Good Person of Szechwan ''The Good Person of Szechwan'' (german: Der gute Mensch von Sezuan, first translated less literally as ''The Good Man of Setzuan'') is a play written by the German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, in collaboration with Margarete Steffin and Ruth Ber ...

'' by Bertold Brecht, '' Tartuffe'' by Molière), Deborah Warner ('' A Doll's House'' by

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

), Antoine Vitez (''L'Échange'' by Paul Claudel), Jacques Rosner ('' The Cherry Orchard'' by

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

and ''Breakfast with Wittgenstein'' based on a novel by Thomas Bernhard), and Jacques Lassalle (''Jedermann'' by Hugo von Hofmannsthal and '' The Misanthrope'' by Molière). Since 1993 he has performed in Comédie Française in Paris (receiving full membership in 1995, as the third non-French in the history of that theatre) and taught at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1996 he received Witkacy Prize - Critics' Circle Award. For his contribution to French culture in 2005 was awarded with Légion d'honneur, in addition to

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

and Ordre national du Mérite. Andrzej Seweryn appeared in over 50 motion pictures, most them Polish, French and German productions. He is best known in the United States for his portrayal as Julian Scherner in the film '' Schindler's List''. Seweryn was allegedly chosen for the role of Scherner since he bore a striking physical resemblance to the actual Julian Scherner, based upon photographic evidence from World War II. He has also portrayed the French Revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre, in the film and

mini-series A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

La Révolution française (1989) ('The French Revolution'). His 2006 film '' Who Never Lived'' was entered into the

28th Moscow International Film Festival The 28th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 23 June to 2 July 2006. The Golden George was awarded to the Swedish film '' About Sara'' directed by Othman Karim. Jury * Andrzej Żuławski (Poland – Head of the Jury) * Alexei Uchite ...

. In 2016, he won the

Best Actor Award Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play. The term most often refers to the ...

at the Locarno International Film Festival for the film ''

The Last Family ''The Last Family'' ( pl, Ostatnia rodzina) is a 2016 Polish biographical film directed by Jan P. Matuszyński. The film won the Golden Lions for best film at the 2016 Gdynia Film Festival. Plot As renowned painter Zdzislaw Beksinski tapes every ...

''.

Filmography

* ''Beata'' (1965) as Pupil * ''Album polski'' (1970, a.k.a. ''Polish Album'') as Tomek * ''Przejście podziemne'' (1974, TV Short, a.k.a. ''The Underground Passage'') as Stach * ''

Ziemia Obiecana ''The Promised Land'' ( pl, Ziemia obiecana) is a 1975 Polish drama film directed by Andrzej Wajda, based on a novel by Władysław Reymont. Set in the industrial city of Łódź, ''The Promised Land'' tells the story of a Pole, a German, and a Je ...

'' (1975, a.k.a. ''The Promised Land'') as Maks Baum * '' Noce i dnie'' (1975, a.k.a. ''Nights and Days'') as Anzelm Ostrzenski * ''Opadły liście z drzew'' (1975, a.k.a. ''Leaves Have Fallen'') as Smukły * '' Zaklęte rewiry'' (1975, a.k.a. ''Hotel Pacific'') as Henek (voice) * ''Obrazki z życia'' (1975, a.k.a. ''Pictures From Life'') as Writer * ''Polskie drogi'' (1977, TV Series) as Sturmbannführer Kliefhorn * ''

Człowiek z marmuru ''Man of Marble'' ( pl, Człowiek z marmuru) is a 1977 Polish film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It chronicles the fall from grace of a fictional heroic Polish bricklayer, Mateusz Birkut (played by Jerzy Radziwiłowicz), who became the Stakhanovite ...

'' (1977) a.k.a. ''Man of Marble'' as Reader (voice) * ''Długa noc poślubna'' (1977, TV Movie a.k.a. ''Long Honeymoon'') * ''Granica'' (1978, a.k.a. ''The Limit'') as Zenon Ziembiewicz * ''

Bez znieczulenia ''Without Anesthesia'' (alternative English title: ''Rough Treatment'') is the English-language title for the Polish film ''Bez znieczulenia'', released in 1978, directed by Andrzej Wajda. It was entered in the 1979 Cannes Film Festival. Accordin ...

'' (1978) a.k.a. Without Anesthesia'' as Jerzy Rosciszewski * '' Bestia'' (1978, a.k.a. ''Beast'') as Ksiadz * ''Roman i Magda'' (1979, a.k.a. ''Roman and Magda'') as Roman Barwinski * ''Rodzina Połanieckich'' (1979, TV Series) as Bukacki * ''Kung-Fu'' (1979) as Marek Kaminski * ''

'' (1980, a.k.a. ''Orchestra Conductor'') as Adam Pietryk * '' Golem'' (1980) as Doctor Creating Pernat * '' Człowiek z żelaza'' (1981) a.k.a. ''Man of Iron'' as Kapt. Wirski * ''Dziecinne pytania'' (1981, a.k.a. ''Childish Questions'') as Bogdan * ''Peer Gynt'' (1981, TV Movie) as Le cuisinier / Le propriétaire d'Haegstad / Le père de la mariée * ''Najdłuższa wojna nowoczesnej Europy'' (1982, TV Series) as

Hipolit Cegielski Hipolit Cegielski (6 January 1813, Ławki – 30 November 1868, Posen (Poznań), Kingdom of Prussia) was a Polish businessman and social and cultural activist. He founded H. Cegielski – Poznań in 1846. References * Witold Jakóbczyk Wit ...

* ''Roza'' (1982) * '' Danton'' (1983) as Bourdon * ''Marynia'' (1984) as Edward Bukacki * ''Haute Mer'' (1985, TV Movie) * ''Qui trop embrasse...'' (1986) as Marc * ''

La Femme de ma vie ''The Woman of My Life'' (french: La Femme de ma vie) is a French film by Régis Wargnier released in 1986. Plot Simon is a famous violinist who became a drunkard. His wife Laura created seven years earlier a classical orchestra of which he wa ...

'' (1986, a.k.a. ''Women of My Life'') as Bernard * '' La Coda del diavolo'' (1986, a.k.a. ''The Malady of Love'') as The pedlar * '' Na srebrnym globie'' (1987, a.k.a. ''The Silver Globe'') as Marek * '' La Révolution française (film)'' (1989, 'The French Revolution') as Maximilien-Marie-Isidore De Robespierre * '' The Mahabharata'' (1989, TV Mini-Series) as Yudhishthira * ''

La bonne Âme de Setchouan ''The Good Person of Szechwan'' (german: Der gute Mensch von Sezuan, first translated less literally as ''The Good Man of Setzuan'') is a play written by the German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, in collaboration with Margarete Steffin and Ruth Berlau. ...

'' (1990, TV Movie) as Wang * ''Napoléon et l'Europe'' (1991, TV Series) * ''

La Condanna ''The Conviction'' ( it, La condanna) is a 1991 Italian drama film directed by Marco Bellocchio. It was entered into the 41st Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Silver Bear - Special Jury Prize. Cast * Vittorio Mezzogiorno as ...

'' (1991, a.k.a. ''The Conviction'') as Giovanni, Public attorney * '' Indochine'' (1992) as Hebrard * ''L'Échange'' (1992, Short) * '' * '' Schindler's List'' (1993) as Julian Scherner * ''Podróż na wschód'' (1994, TV Movie, a.k.a. ''A Journey East'') as Jakub * ''Le Fils du cordonnier'' (1994, TV Mini-Series) as Célestin * ''Ohnivé jaro'' (1994) * '' Total Eclipse'' (1995) as Mr. Maute De Fleurville * '' Lucie Aubrac'' (1997) as Lt. Schlondorf * ''

Généalogies d'un crime ''Genealogies of a Crime'' (french: Généalogies d'un crime, pt, Genealogias de um Crime) is a 1997 French-Portuguese film directed by Chilean filmmaker Raúl Ruiz. It was entered into the 47th Berlin International Film Festival where it won the ...

'' (1997, a.k.a. ''Genealogies of a Crime'') as Christian * ''Billboard'' (1998) as Agency Manager * '' Ogniem i mieczem'' (1999, a.k.a. ''With Fire and Sword'') as Jeremi Wiśniowiecki * ''

Pan Tadeusz ''Pan Tadeusz'' (full title: ''Mister Thaddeus, or the Last Foray in Lithuania: A Nobility's Tale of the Years 1811–1812, in Twelve Books of Verse'') is an epic poem by the Polish poet, writer, translator and philosopher Adam Mickiewicz. The b ...

'' (1999, a.k.a. ''Tadeusz or the Last Foray in Lithuania'') as

Judge Soplica A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility ...

* '' Prymas - trzy lata z tysiąca'' (2000, a.k.a. ''The Primate'') as Stefan Wyszyński * ''

Zemsta ''Zemsta'' ''(Revenge)'' is a Polish comedy by Aleksander Fredro, a Polish poet, playwright and author active during Polish Romanticism in the period of partitions. ''Zemsta'' belongs to the canon of Polish literature. It is a play in four acts, ...

'' (2002, a.k.a. ''The Revenge'') as Rejent Milczek * ''Par amour'' (2003, TV Movie) as François * ''

À ton image ''À ton image'' is a 2004 French film directed by Aruna Villiers. The story, based on the 1998 novel ''À ton image'' by Louise L. Lambrichs, is about a couple whose desire for a child leads them onto dangerous ground. Plot Haunted by painful me ...

'' (2004) as Professor Cardoze * ''Kto nigdy nie żył...'' (2006) as Ordynator * '' Ekipa'' (2007, TV Series) as President Juliusz Szczęsny * '' Laa rounde de nuit'' (2007, a.k.a. ''Nightwatching'') as Piers Hasselburg * '' La Possibilité d'une île'' (2008) as Slotan * '' Różyczka'' (2010, a.k.a. ''Little Rose'') as Adam Warczewski * ''Uwikłanie'' (2011) as Witold * '' You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet!'' (2012) as Marcellin * ''Sep'' (2013) as Reatorski * ''Zblizenia'' (2014) as Andrzej Milewski * ''Anatomia zla'' (2015) as Roman Szerepeta * ''

'' (2016) as Zdzisław Beksiński * ''

The Mire ''The Mire'' ('' pl, Rojst'') is a 2018 Polish-language television series starring Dawid Ogrodnik, Andrzej Seweryn and Zofia Wichłacz. Synopsis Series 1 (2018) A local politician and a prostitute are killed in a small town. A journalist start ...

'' (2018, TV series) as Witold Wanycz * ''Solid Gold'' (2018) as Tadeusz Kawecki * '' The Mire97'' (2021, TV series) as Witold Wanycz * '' Queen '' (2022, TV series) as Sylwester / Loretta

References

External links

Biography of Andrzej Seweryn
* {{{Polish Academy Award for Best Actor {{Witkacy Prize - Critics' Circle Award {{Silver Bear for Best Actor {{Authority control {{DEFAULTSORT:Seweryn, Andrzej 1946 births 20th-century Polish male actors 21st-century Polish male actors Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite Recipients of the Legion of Honour Living people People from Heilbronn Polish expatriates in France Polish film directors Polish male film actors Polish male stage actors Polish male television actors Polish Roman Catholics Silver Bear for Best Actor winners Sociétaires of the Comédie-Française Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw alumni