Andrzej Seweryn
Encyclopedia
Andrzej Seweryn is a Polish
and French
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
.
, 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 Academy of Dramatic Arts 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
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 at the Théâtre des Amandiers in Nanterre
.
The imposition of the Martial law in Poland
in 1981 found Seweryn in France. A sympathiser of the outlawed Solidarity, 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 renown theatre directors. Among them were Claude Régy (La Trilogie du revoir and Grand et Petit by Botho Strauss), Patrice Chéreau
(Peer Gynt
by Ibsen), Peter Brook
(Mahabhharata), Bernard Sobel
(Nathan the Wise by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
, The Good Person of Szechwan
by Bertold Brecht, Tartuffe
by Molière
), Deborah Warner
(A Doll's House
by Henrik Ibsen
), Antoine Vitez
(L'Échange by Paul Claudel
), Jacques Rosner (The Cherry Orchard
by Anton Chekhov
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
. For his contribution to French culture in 2005 was awarded with Légion d'honneur
, in addition to Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
and Ordre national du Mérite
.
Andrzej Seweryn appeared in over fifty 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 La Révolution française (1989) aka (The French Revolution).
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
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
Comédie-Française
The Comédie-Française or Théâtre-Français is one of the few state theaters in France. It is the only state theater to have its own troupe of actors. It is located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris....
.
Biography
Andrzej Seweryn was born April 25, 1946 in HeilbronnHeilbronn
Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is completely surrounded by Heilbronn County and with approximately 123.000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. His parents Zdzisław and Zofia were captured and forced into slave labor in Germany during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the birth of Andrzej, they returned to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. In 1968 he graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
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 Wajda
Andrzej Wajda is a Polish film director. Recipient of an honorary Oscar, he is possibly the most prominent member of the unofficial "Polish Film School"...
, notably Without Anesthesia
Without Anesthesia
Without Anesthesia 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....
, The Promised Land
The Promised Land
The Promised Land is a 1975 Polish 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 Jew struggling to build a factory in the raw world of 19th century capitalism.Wajda presents a...
and the Man of Iron
Man of Iron
Man of Iron 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....
. For his role in Wajda's 1980 Dyrygent
The Orchestra Conductor
The Orchestra 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 for Best Actor.-Cast:* John Gielgud - John Lasocki...
Seweryn received the Silver Bear for Best Actor
Silver Bear for Best Actor
The Silver Bear for Best Actor is the Berlin International Film Festival's award for achievement in performance by an actor.- Awards :- External links :*...
at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival
30th Berlin International Film Festival
The 30th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 18 to February 29, 1980.-Jury:* Ingrid Thulin * Betsy Blair* Mathieu Carrière* Alberto Isaac* Peter Kern* Károly Makk* Alexander Mitta* Alexandre Trauner...
. In 1980 Seweryn also made his stage debut in France following the staging of Wajda's interpretation of plays by Stanisław Witkiewicz at the Théâtre des Amandiers in Nanterre
Nanterre
Nanterre is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located west of the center of Paris.Nanterre is the capital of the Hauts-de-Seine department as well as the seat of the Arrondissement of Nanterre....
.
The imposition of the Martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, when the authoritarian government of the People's Republic of Poland drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law in an attempt to crush political opposition to it. Thousands of opposition...
in 1981 found Seweryn in France. A sympathiser of the outlawed Solidarity, 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 renown theatre directors. Among them were Claude Régy (La Trilogie du revoir and Grand et Petit by Botho Strauss), Patrice Chéreau
Patrice Chéreau
Patrice Chéreau is a French opera and theatre director, filmmaker, actor, and producer.-Biography:Patrice Chéreau was born in Lézigné, Maine-et-Loire, and went to school in Paris. At a young age he became well-known to Parisian critics as director, actor, and stage manager of his high-school theatre...
(Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt is a five-act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, loosely based on the fairy tale Per Gynt. It is the most widely performed Norwegian play. According to Klaus Van Den Berg, the "cinematic script blends poetry with social satire and realistic scenes with surreal ones"...
by Ibsen), Peter Brook
Peter Brook
Peter Stephen Paul Brook CH, CBE is an English theatre and film director and innovator, who has been based in France since the early 1970s.-Life:...
(Mahabhharata), Bernard Sobel
Bernard Sobel
Bernard Sobel was an American playwright, a drama critic for the New York Mirror, an author of a number of books on theatre and theatre history, and a publicist. Among his clients were Florenz Ziegfeld, Charles Dillingham, A. L...
(Nathan the Wise by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing was a German writer, philosopher, dramatist, publicist, and art critic, and one of the most outstanding representatives of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the development of German literature...
, The Good Person of Szechwan
The Good Person of Szechwan
The Good Person of Szechwan is a play written by the German theatre practitioner Bertolt Brecht, in collaboration with Margarete Steffin and Ruth Berlau. The play was begun in 1938 but not completed until 1943, while the author was in exile in the United States...
by Bertold Brecht, Tartuffe
Tartuffe
Tartuffe is a comedy by Molière. It is one of his most famous plays.-History:Molière wrote Tartuffe in 1664...
by Molière
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
), Deborah Warner
Deborah Warner
Deborah Warner CBE is a British director of theatre and opera known for her interpretations of the works of Shakespeare, Bertolt Brecht, Georg Büchner, and Henrik Ibsen, and for her long-term working relationship with the Irish actress Fiona Shaw.-Early years:Warner was born in Oxfordshire,...
(A Doll's House
A Doll's House
A Doll's House is a three-act play in prose by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premièred at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having been published earlier that month....
by Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
), Antoine Vitez
Antoine Vitez
Antoine Vitez was a French actor, director, and poet.He was born in Paris, France and became an actor at the age of 19. He was director of the Théâtre national de Chaillot for seven years before being named to head the Comedie Francaise, a French theater company.-References:...
(L'Échange by Paul Claudel
Paul Claudel
Paul Claudel was a French poet, dramatist and diplomat, and the younger brother of the sculptor Camille Claudel. He was most famous for his verse dramas, which often convey his devout Catholicism.-Life:...
), Jacques Rosner (The Cherry Orchard
The Cherry Orchard
The Cherry Orchard is Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's last play. It premiered at the Moscow Art Theatre 17 January 1904 in a production directed by Constantin Stanislavski. Chekhov intended this play as a comedy and it does contain some elements of farce; however, Stanislavski insisted on...
by Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
and Breakfast with Wittgenstein based on a novel by Thomas Bernhard
Thomas Bernhard
Thomas Bernhard was an Austrian novelist, playwright and poet. Bernhard, whose body of work has been called "the most significant literary achievement since World War II," is widely considered to be one of the most important German-speaking authors of the postwar era.- Life :Thomas Bernhard was...
), and Jacques Lassalle (Jedermann by Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal ; , was an Austrian novelist, librettist, poet, dramatist, narrator, and essayist.-Early life:...
and The Misanthrope
The Misanthrope
The Misanthrope is the first EP from metal band Darkest Hour. It was released in 1996 on the defunct label Death Truck Records. It is much more hardcore orientated metalcore unlike their later releases.- Track listing :# "Vise" - 5:30...
by Molière).
Since 1993 he has performed in Comédie Française in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(receiving full membership in 1995, as the third non-French in the history of that theatre) and taught at the Paris Conservatoire
CNSAD
The Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique is France's national drama academy in Paris...
. For his contribution to French culture in 2005 was awarded with Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, in addition to Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
and Ordre national du Mérite
Ordre National du Mérite
The Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
.
Andrzej Seweryn appeared in over fifty motion pictures, most them Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
productions. He is best known in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for his portrayal as Julian Scherner
Julian Scherner
Julian Scherner was a Nazi Party official who served in the SS as an SS-Oberführer...
in the film Schindler's List
Schindler's List
Schindler's List is a 1993 American film about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on the novel Schindler's Ark...
. 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
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
He has also portrayed the French Revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre
Maximilien Robespierre
Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre is one of the best-known and most influential figures of the French Revolution. He largely dominated the Committee of Public Safety and was instrumental in the period of the Revolution commonly known as the Reign of Terror, which ended with his...
, in the film and mini-series La Révolution française (1989) aka (The French Revolution).
Filmography
- Beata (1965) as Pupil
- Album polski (1970) aka Polish Album as Tomek
- Przejście podziemne (1974) (TV) aka The Underground Passage
- Zaklęte rewiryZaklęte rewiryZaklęte rewiry is a 1975 Polish drama film directed by Janusz Majewski. It was entered into the 26th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Marek Kondrat - Roman Boryczko* Roman Wilhelmi - Robert Fornalski* Roman Skamene - Fryc...
(1975) aka Hotel Pacific (voice) as Henek - Opadły liście z drzew (1975) aka Leaves Have Fallen as Smukły
- Noce i dnie (1975) aka Nights and Days as Anzelm Ostrzenski
- Ziemia Obiecana (1975) aka The Promised Land as Maks Baum
- Obrazki z życia (1975) aka Pictures From Life as Writer
- Długa noc poślubna (1977) (TV) aka Long Honeymoon
- Człowiek z marmuru (1977) aka Man of MarbleMan of MarbleMan of Marble is a 1976 Polish film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It chronicles the fall from grace of a fictional heroic Polish bricklayer, Mateusz Birkut , who became the Stakhanovite symbol of an over-achieving worker, in Nowa Huta, a new socialist city near Kraków...
(voice) as Reader - Polskie drogi (1977) TV Series as SturmbannführerSturmbannführerSturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
Kliefhorn - Bez znieczulenia (1978) aka Without AnesthesiaWithout AnesthesiaWithout Anesthesia 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....
as Jerzy Rosciszewski - Granica (1978) aka The Limit as Zenon Ziembiewicz
- Rodzina Połanieckich (1978) TV Series as Bukacki
- Kung-Fu (1979) as Marek Kaminski
- Bestia (1979) aka Beast as Priest
- Roman i Magda (1979) aka Roman and Magda as Roman
- DyrygentThe Orchestra ConductorThe Orchestra 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 for Best Actor.-Cast:* John Gielgud - John Lasocki...
(1980) aka Orchestra Conductor as Adam Pietryk - Golem (1980)
- Peer Gynt (1981) (TV) as Le cuisinier/Le propriétaire d'Haegstad/Le père de la mariée
- Człowiek z żelaza (1981) aka Man of IronMan of IronMan of Iron 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....
as Kapt. Wirski - Dziecinne pytania (1981) aka Childish Questions as Bogdan
- Najdłuższa wojna nowoczesnej Europy (1982) TV Series as Hipolit Cegielski
- DantonDanton (1983 film)Danton is a 1983 French language film depicting the last months of Georges Danton, one of the leaders of the French Revolution. It is an adaptation of the Polish play The Danton Case by Stanislawa Przybyszewska....
(1983) as BourdonFrançois Louis BourdonFrancois Louis Bourdon , also known as Bourdon de l'Oise, was a French politician of the Revolutionary period and procureur at the parlement of Paris.-Biography:... - Haute Mer (1984)
- La Coda del diavolo (1986) aka The Malady of Love as The pedlar
- La Femme de ma vie (1986) aka Women of My Life as Bernard
- Qui trop embrasse... (1986) as Marc
- Na srebrnym globieOn the Silver Globe (film)On the Silver Globe is a Polish film released in 1987, directed by Andrzej Żuławski and adapted from a novel by Jerzy Żuławski.-Plot:A group of astronauts leaves Earth to find freedom. Their spaceship crashes on the Earth-like unnamed planet. Astronauts, equipped with video-recording devices,...
(1987) aka The Silver Globe as Marek - La Révolution française (1989) aka The French Revolution as Maximilien-Marie-Isidore De RobespierreMaximilien RobespierreMaximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre is one of the best-known and most influential figures of the French Revolution. He largely dominated the Committee of Public Safety and was instrumental in the period of the Revolution commonly known as the Reign of Terror, which ended with his...
- The MahabharataThe Mahabharata (1989 film)The Mahabharata is a 1989 film version of the Indian epic, Mahabharata, directed by Peter Brook. Brook's original 1985 stage play was 9 hours long, and toured around the world for four years. In 1989, it was reduced to under 6 hours for television . Later it was also reduced to about 3 hours for...
(1989) (mini) TV Series as Yudhishthira - La Bonne âme du Setchouan (1990) (TV) as Wang
- La Condanna (1991) aka The Conviction as Giovanni, Public attorney
- Napoléon et l'Europe (1991) (mini) TV Series
- L'Échange (1992)
- IndochineIndochine (film)Indochine is a 1992 French film set in colonial French Indochina during the 1930s. It is the story of Éliane Devries, a French plantation owner, and of her adopted Vietnamese daughter, Camille, with the rising Vietnamese nationalist movement set as a backdrop...
(1992) as Hebrard - Schindler's ListSchindler's ListSchindler's List is a 1993 American film about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on the novel Schindler's Ark...
(1993) as Julian SchernerJulian SchernerJulian Scherner was a Nazi Party official who served in the SS as an SS-Oberführer... - Amok (1993) as Steiner
- Le Fils du cordonnier (1994) (mini) TV Series as Célestin
- Podróż na wschód (1994) aka A Journey East as Jakub
- Total EclipseTotal Eclipse (film)Total Eclipse is a 1995 film directed by Agnieszka Holland, based on a 1967 play by Christopher Hampton, who also wrote the screenplay. Based on letters and poems, it presents a historically accurate account of the passionate and violent relationship between the two 19th century French poets Paul...
(1995) as Mr. Maute De Fleurville - Généalogies d'un crime (1997) aka Genealogies of a Crime as Christian
- Lucie AubracLucie AubracLucie Samuel born Lucie Bernard , and better known as Lucie Aubrac, was a French history teacher and member of the French Resistance during World War II....
(1997) as Lt. Schlondorff - Billboard (1998) as Agency Manager
- Pan TadeuszPan Tadeusz (film)Pan Tadeusz: The Last Foray in Lithuania is a 1999 Polish film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It is based on the eponymous epic poem by Polish poet, writer and philosopher Adam Mickiewicz . In his film, Andrzej Wajda weaves the tangled passions of men and women into a handsome, expansive tapestry of...
aka Tadeusz or the Last Foray in Lithuania (1999) as Judge Soplica - Ogniem i mieczemWith Fire and Sword (film)With Fire and Sword is the English title of the Polish film Ogniem i Mieczem, a historical drama directed by Jerzy Hoffman, released in 1999...
(1999) aka With Fire and Sword as Jeremi WiśniowieckiJeremi WisniowieckiJeremi Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki was a notable member of the aristocracy of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Prince at Wiśniowiec, Łubnie and Chorol and a father of future Polish king Michał I... - Prymas - trzy lata z tysiąca (2000) aka The Primate as Stefan Wyszyński
- ZemstaZemstaZemsta is a Polish comedy by Aleksander Fredro.-The Play:Real events inspired Fredro to write the play. In November of 1828, Fredro married Zofia Skotnicka, whose dowry included the title to half of a castle located in Odrzykon in the province of Galicia...
(2002) aka The Revenge as Rejent Milczek - Par amour (2003/I) (TV) as François
- À ton imageÀ ton imageÀ ton image is a 2004 French film directed by Aruna Villiers. The story, based on the novel À ton image by Louise L. Lambrichs, is about a couple whose desire for a child leads them onto dangerous ground.-Plot:...
(2004) as Professor Cardoze - Ekipa as President Juliusz Szczęsny