Radziwiłowicz, Jerzy

(1950-)

   Prominent film and theater actor, the symbol of "Solidarity cinema," best known for his lead roles in Andrzej Wajda's influential political films Man of Marble (1977) and Man of Iron (1981). Radziwiłowicz is also a professor at the National Academy of Theater in Kraków, translator of French, and one of the leading figures of the renowned Old Theater (Teatr Stary) in Kraków (1972-1996) and National Theater (Teatr Narodowy) in Warsaw (since 1998). His dramatic roles onstage include those of Polish classics by Adam Mickiewicz, Stanisław Wyspiański, and Witold Gombrowicz directed by Konrad Swinar-ski and Andrzej Wajda, among others. After first appearing onstage in 1972, the year he graduated from acting school, Radziwiłowicz received international acclaim for his role in Wajda's Man of Marble. He played Mateusz Birkut, an honest model Communist bricklayer at the Nowa Huta steelworks near Kraków, who is courted and exploited by the Stalinist authorities as a national hero. He continued the portrayal of Birkut in Wajda's sequel, Man of Iron. Although Radziwiłowicz is a versatile actor, his role of Birkut overshadows his later Polish films. Krzysztof Kieślowski consciously typecast Radziwiłowicz in No End (1985) in the role of a person who is pure and dedicated to a cause. Waldemar Krzys-tek did likewise in Suspended (1987) by playing with the actor's public image. Radziwiłowicz appeared in several films produced by Poland's top directors, including Kazimierz Kutz (Death as a Slice of Bread, 1994), Filip Bajon (Street Boys, 1996), and Władysław Pasikowski (television series The Cop, 2003-2004). Radziwiłowicz also acted in several French films directed by Jean-Luc Godard (Passion, 1982), Jacques Rivette (Secret Defense, 1998, and Histoire de Marie et Julien, 2003), and Michel Piccoli (La plage noire, 2001).

   Historical Dictionary of Polish Cinema by Marek Haltof