Pazura, Cezary

(1962-)

   One of the most popular and prolific actors in the 1990s who was voted the best Polish actor in 1993, 1997, and 2003 by the readers of weekly Film. A 1986 graduate of the acting department of the Łódź Film School, Pazura's breakthrough came with his roles in the films directed by Władysław Pasikowski: Sergeant Wiaderny in Kroll (1991) and young policeman Nowy in The Pigs (1992) and The Pigs 2 (1994), all films starring Bogusław Linda. At the beginning of the 1990s, Pazura was often typecast as a simple-minded policeman, security (UB) officer, and street-wise character. He appeared as the businessman-crook in Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colors: White (1994). Andrzej Wajda cast him well in the role of the ruthless secret police (UB) lieutenant Kosior in The Ring with a Crowned Eagle (1992) and as a primitive blackmailer in Holy Week (1996). Pazura strengthened his popularity starring in Juliusz Machulski's box-office successes—the gangster comedy Kiler (1997) and its sequel, Kiler 2 (1999)—and in Marek Koterski's bitter comedies Nothing Funny (1996) and I Love You (1999). He also appeared in Janusz Zaorski's Happy New York (1997), playing an unhappy Polish migrant in New York. Pazura maintained popularity in recent years appearing in leading roles in films that were commonly ridiculed by Polish critics, but liked by audiences, as in the case of Olaf Lubaszenko's films. He also played a lead role in Jacek Bromski's popular comedy The Career of Nikoś Dyzma (2002).

   Historical Dictionary of Polish Cinema by Marek Haltof