Andrzej Teodor Seweryn (born 25 April 1946) is a Polish actor and director. One of the most successful Polish

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

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 The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

. He is currently serving as director general of the Polski Theatre in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

. He has three children with three different wives: daughter Maria Seweryn (born 1975) with his first wife, Polish actress

Krystyna Janda Krystyna Jolanta Janda (born 18 December 1952) is a Polish film and theater actress best known internationally for playing leading roles in several films by Polish director Andrzej Wajda, including '' Man of Marble'' (''Człowiek z marmuru'', 197 ...

, and two sons, Yann-Baptiste and Maximilien.

Life and career

Andrzej Seweryn was born on 25 April 1946 in

Heilbronn Heilbronn () is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn District. With over 126,000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. From the late Middle Ages, it developed into an important trading centre. A ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

. His parents, Zdzisław and Zofia, were captured and forced into slave labor in Germany during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. After the birth of Andrzej, they returned to Poland. In 1968 he graduated from the National Academy of Dramatic Art in

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 Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the ...

, notably '' Without Anesthesia'', '' The Promised Land'' and the ''

Man of Iron ''Man of Iron'' ( pl, Człowiek z żelaza) is a 1981 film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It depicts the Solidarity labour movement and its first success in persuading the Polish government to recognize the workers' right to an independent union. Th ...

''. For his role in Wajda's 1980 '' Dyrygent'' Seweryn received the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival. 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 ...

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/dicti ...

, 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 Patrice Chéreau (; 2 November 1944 – 7 October 2013) was a French opera and theatre director, filmmaker, actor and producer. In France he is best known for his work for the theatre, internationally for his films '' La Reine Margot'' and ...

(''

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 ...

'' by Ibsen),

Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Sha ...

(''

The Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Ku ...

''), Bernard Sobel (''

Nathan the Wise ''Nathan the Wise'' (original German title: ', ) is a play by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing from 1779. It is a fervent plea for religious tolerance. It was never performed during Lessing's lifetime and was first performed in 1783 at the Döbbelinsch ...

'' 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 develop ...

, ''

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 Berlau ...

'' by Bertold Brecht, '' Tartuffe'' by

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...

Deborah Warner Deborah Warner (born 12 May 1959) is a British director of theatre and opera, known for her interpretations of the works of Shakespeare, Bertolt Brecht, Benjamin Britten and Henrik Ibsen. Early life Warner was born in Oxfordshire, England, to ...

(''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' ( Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having be ...

'' 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 pla ...

Antoine Vitez Antoine Vitez (; 20 December 1930 – 30 April 1990) was a French actor, director, and poet. He became a central character and influence on the French theater in the post-war period, especially in the technique of teaching drama. He was also tr ...

(''L'Échange'' by Paul Claudel), Jacques Rosner (''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...

'' 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 Nicolaas Thomas Bernhard (; 9 February 1931 – 12 February 1989) was an Austrian novelist, playwright and poet who explored death, social injustice, and human misery in controversial literature that was deeply pessimistic about modern civiliza ...

), and Jacques Lassalle (''Jedermann'' by

Hugo von Hofmannsthal Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal (; 1 February 1874 – 15 July 1929) was an Austrian novelist, librettist, poet, dramatist, narrator, and essayist. Early life Hofmannsthal was born in Landstraße, Vienna, the son of an upper-cl ...

and ''

The Misanthrope ''The Misanthrope, or the Cantankerous Lover'' (french: Le Misanthrope ou l'Atrabilaire amoureux; ) is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Molière. It was first performed on 4 June 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris ...

'' by Molière). Since 1993 he has performed in Comédie Française in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

(receiving full membership in 1995, as the third non-French in the history of that theatre) and taught at the

Paris Conservatoire The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

. In 1996 he received Witkacy Prize - Critics' Circle Award. For his contribution to French culture in 2005 was awarded with

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

, 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 The Ordre national du Mérite (; en, National Order of Merit) is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. The reason for the order's estab ...

. Andrzej Seweryn appeared in over 50 motion pictures, most them Polish, French and German productions. He is best known in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

for his portrayal as Julian Scherner in the film ''

Schindler's List ''Schindler's List'' is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the 1982 novel ''Schindler's Ark'' by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. The film f ...

''. 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

. He has also portrayed the French Revolutionary leader

Maximilien Robespierre Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman who became one of the best-known, influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. As a member of the Esta ...

, 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 ...

La Révolution française (1989) ('The French Revolution'). His 2006 film '' Who Never Lived'' was entered into the 28th Moscow International Film Festival. In 2016, he won the Best Actor Award at the

Locarno International Film Festival The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, s ...

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 everyt ...

''.

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'' (1975, a.k.a. ''The Promised Land'') as Maks Baum * ''

Noce i dnie ''Nights and Days'' ( pl, Noce i dnie) is a 1975 Polish film directed by Jerzy Antczak. This epic family drama was based on Maria Dąbrowska's novel ''Noce i dnie'', and was described by ''The Washington Post'' as "Poland's Gone With the Wind". S ...

'' (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'' (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'' (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 * '' Dyrygent'' (1980, a.k.a. ''Orchestra Conductor'') as Adam Pietryk * ''

Golem A golem ( ; he, , gōlem) is an animated, anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is entirely created from inanimate matter (usually clay or mud). The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th-century ...

'' (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 * ''Roza'' (1982) * ''

Danton Georges Jacques Danton (; 26 October 1759 – 5 April 1794) was a French lawyer and a leading figure in the French Revolution. He became a deputy to the Paris Commune, presided in the Cordeliers district, and visited the Jacobin club. In August ...

'' (1983) as Bourdon * ''Marynia'' (1984) as Edward Bukacki * ''Haute Mer'' (1985, TV Movie) * ''Qui trop embrasse...'' (1986) as Marc * '' La Femme de ma vie'' (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) ''La Révolution française'' is a two-part 1989 historical film co-produced by France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Canada for the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution. The full film runs at 360 minutes, but the edited-fo ...

'' (1989, 'The French Revolution') as Maximilien-Marie-Isidore De Robespierre * ''

'' (1989, TV Mini-Series) as

Yudhishthira ''Yudhishthira'' ( Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, IAST: ''Yudhiṣṭhira'') is the eldest among the five Pandava brothers. He is mentioned in the ancient epic Mahabharata. He was sired by King Pandu of the Kuru Dynasty and his fir ...

* '' La bonne Âme de Setchouan'' (1990, TV Movie) as Wang * ''Napoléon et l'Europe'' (1991, TV Series) * '' La Condanna'' (1991, a.k.a. ''The Conviction'') as Giovanni, Public attorney * '' Indochine'' (1992) as Hebrard * ''L'Échange'' (1992, Short) * '' * ''

'' (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 Lucie Samuel (29 June 1912 – 14 March 2007), born Lucie Bernard, and better known as Lucie Aubrac (), was a French history teacher and member of the French Resistance during World War II. In 1938, she earned an agrégation of history (somethi ...

'' (1997) as Lt. Schlondorf * '' Généalogies d'un crime'' (1997, a.k.a. ''Genealogies of a Crime'') as Christian * ''Billboard'' (1998) as Agency Manager * ''

Ogniem i mieczem ''With Fire and Sword'' ( pl, Ogniem i mieczem, links=no) is a historical novel by the Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz, published in 1884. It is the first volume of a series known to Poles as The Trilogy, followed by ''The Deluge'' (''Potop'' ...

'' (1999, a.k.a. ''With Fire and Sword'') as

Jeremi Wiśniowiecki Prince Jeremi Wiśniowiecki ( uk, Ярема Вишневецький – Yarema Vyshnevetsky; 1612 – 20 August 1651) nicknamed ''Hammer on the Cossacks'' ( pl, Młot na Kozaków), was a notable member of the aristocracy of the Polish–Lith ...

* ''

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. Th ...

'' (1999, a.k.a. ''Tadeusz or the Last Foray in Lithuania'') as Judge Soplica * '' Prymas - trzy lata z tysiąca'' (2000, a.k.a. ''The Primate'') as

Stefan Wyszyński Stefan Wyszyński (3 August 1901 – 28 May 1981) was a Polish prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the bishop of Lublin from 1946 to 1948, archbishop of Warsaw and archbishop of Gniezno from 1948 to 1981. He was created a cardinal on ...

* ''

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'' (2004) as Professor Cardoze * ''Kto nigdy nie żył...'' (2006) as Ordynator * '' Ekipa'' (2007, TV Series) as

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

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'' (2018, TV series) as Witold Wanycz * ''Solid Gold'' (2018) as Tadeusz Kawecki * '' The Mire97'' (2021, TV series) as Witold Wanycz * ''

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

'' (2022, TV series) as Sylwester / Loretta

References

External links

Biography of Andrzej Seweryn
* {{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