Siemion, Wojciech

(1928-)

   Character actor, known for numerous strong plebeian characters in Polish cinema. Siemion is also a respected stage actor and director and a stand-up comedian. After his 1951 debut in Jan Fethke's The Crew (Załoga), he played several episodic roles in films such as An Adventure at Marienstadt (1954). He also appeared in strong supporting roles in several influential Polish School films such as Andrzej Munk's Eroica (1958) and Bad Luck (1960) and gained popularity and critical acclaim thanks to Jerzy Pas-sendorfer's Answer to Violence (1958) and, in particular, Stanisław Różewiczs The Birth Certificate (1961). In the first part of Różewicz's film, which portrayed September 1939 through the perspective of a child, Siemion introduced an almost archetypal character in Polish cinema: a simple soldier entangled in the mesh of history. He almost repeated his role from The Birth Certificate in Passendorfer's later films: Bathed in Fire (1964), Direction Berlin (1969), and its sequel, The Last Days (1969). His portrayal of a regular soldier, infantry corporal Naróg, brought him critical recognition and popularity. In the 1970s, he continued his career appearing in, among others, supporting roles in Stanisław Bareja's comedies and in several popular television films.

   Historical Dictionary of Polish Cinema by Marek Haltof