Janusz Gajos (; born 23 September 1939) is a Polish film, television and theatre actor as well as pedagogue and photographer. Professor of Theatre Arts and an

Honorary Doctor An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad ho ...

of the

National Film School in Łódź National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

, he is considered one of the greatest Polish actors.

Life and career

He was born in

Dąbrowa Górnicza Dąbrowa Górnicza is a city in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie, southern Poland, near Katowice and Sosnowiec. It is located in eastern part of the Silesian Voivodeship, on the Czarna Przemsza and Biała Przemsza rivers (tributaries of the Vistula, see ...

. At the age of 11, he moved to

Będzin Będzin (; also ''Bendzin'' in English; german: Bendzin; yi, בענדין, Bendin) is a city in the Dąbrowa Basin, in southern Poland. It lies in the Silesian Highlands, on the Czarna Przemsza River (a tributary of the Vistula). Even though p ...

where in 1957, he graduated from the High School No 3. In 1965 he graduated from the

as one of its best students despite having been rejected during entrance exams three times. He debuted while he was still in film school in

children's film A children's film, or family film, is a film genre that contains children or relates to them in the context of home and family. Children's films are made specifically for children and not necessarily for a general audience, while family films ar ...

'' Panienka z okienka'' directed by

Maria Kaniewska Maria Kaniewska (27 May 1911 in Kiev - 11 December 2005 in Warsaw)''Maria Kaniewska''
at the Filmpolski Datab ...

in 1964. Shortly afterwards he was cast in a role of Janek Kos in a widely popular TV

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 ...

series '' Czterej pancerni i pies'' (''Four Tank Men and a Dog''). He starred in numerous other films and theatrical plays, notably in

Krzysztof Kieślowski Krzysztof Kieślowski (; 27 June 1941 – 13 March 1996) was a Polish film director and screenwriter. He is known internationally for ''Dekalog'' (1989), ''The Double Life of Veronique'' (1991), and the ''Three Colours'' trilogy (1993 –1994) ...

's '' Three Colors: White'', Ryszard Bugajski's ''

Interrogation Interrogation (also called questioning) is interviewing as commonly employed by law enforcement officers, military personnel, intelligence agencies, organized crime syndicates, and terrorist organizations with the goal of eliciting useful i ...

'',

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 th ...

's '' Man of Marble'',

Wojciech Marczewski Wojciech Szczęsny Marczewski (born 28 February 1944) is a Polish film director and screenwriter. He directed twelve films between 1968 and 2001. His 1981 film '' Dreszcze'' won the Silver Bear - Special Jury Prize at the 32nd Berlin Internati ...

's '' Escape from the 'Liberty' Cinema'', Władysław Pasikowski's ''

Pigs The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus ''Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

'', Andrzej Wajda's '' The Revenge'',

Małgorzata Szumowska Małgorzata Szumowska (; born 26 February 1973) is a Polish film director, screenwriter and producer, born in Kraków. Her 2013 film ''In the Name Of'' received the Teddy Award for Best Feature at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival, ...

's '' Body'' and

Wojciech Smarzowski Wojciech Smarzowski (born 18 January 1963 in Korczyna near Krosno) is a Polish screenwriter and director. He studied filmmaking at the Jagiellonian University and the National Film School in Łódź (1990). His 2004 film, '' The Wedding'' (not t ...

's ''

Clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the t ...

''. He performed in numerous theatres throughout his acting career including

Stefan Jaracz Stefan Jaracz (24 December 1883 – 11 August 1945) was a Polish actor and theater producer. He served as the artistic director of Ateneum Theatre in Warsaw during the interwar period (1930–32), and within a short period raised its reputation ...

Theatre in

Łódź Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of cant ...

as well as the Komedia Theatre, Polish Theatre, Kwadrat, the Dramatic Theatre and the National 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 official ...

. In 2003, he became an academic teacher at the National Film School in Łódź. He is also known for performing in popular Olga Lipińska's Cabaret. In 2010, he officially endorsed the candidacy of

Bronisław Komorowski Bronisław Maria Komorowski (; born 4 June 1952) is a Polish politician and historian who served as President of Poland from 2010 to 2015. Komorowski served as Minister of Defence from 2000 to 2001. As Marshal of the Sejm, Komorowski exercis ...

in the 2010 Polish Presidential Elections as well as the 2015 Polish Presidential Elections. In 2007, he received the Golden

Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

. In 2011, he was awarded the Commander's Cross with Star of the

Order of Polonia Restituta , image=Polonia Restituta - Commander's Cross pre-1939 w rib.jpg , image_size=200px , caption=Commander's Cross of Polonia Restituta , presenter = the President of Poland , country = , type=Five classes , eligibility=All , awar ...

. He is a five-time winner of the Polish Film Awards including the Polish Film Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2016.

Filmography

* '' Solid Gold'' (2019), as CBŚ officer Nowicki * ''

'' (2018), as archbishop Mordowicz * '' Kamerdyner'' (2018), as Bazyli Miotke * '' Breaking the Limits'' (2017) * ''

Blindness Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

'' (2016) * '' Body'' (2015) * '' The Closed Circuit'' * '' Ekipa'', as former

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

Henryk Nowasz * ''

Pitbull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...

'' (2005) * ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depi ...

'' (2004/II) (TV), as Claudius * ''

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) ''The Revenge'', as Cześnik Raptusiewicz * ''

Chopin. Pragnienie miłości ''Chopin: Desire for Love'' ( pl, Chopin. Pragnienie miłości) is a film created by the director Jerzy Antczak based on the life story of the Polish pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin. The plot covers the affair between Chopin and feminis ...

'' (2002) ''Chopin: Desire for Love'', as Duke Konstanty Pawlowicz * '' Tam i z powrotem'' (2002) ''There and Back'', as Andrzej Hoffman * ''

Przedwiośnie The Polish novel ''Przedwiośnie'' (a title translated alternatively as ''First Spring'',

'' (2001) ''The Spring to Come'', as Seweryn Baryka * ''

Weiser Weiser may refer to: Places * Weiser, Idaho * Weiser State Forest * Weiser Township, North Dakota * Weiser River People * Conrad Weiser (1696–1760), German pioneer * Grethe Weiser (1903–1970), German actress * Johann Conrad Weiser, Sr. (1662� ...

'' (2001), as Antiquarian * '' Żółty szalik'' (2000) (TV) * '' To ja, złodziej'' (2000) ''It's Me, the Thief'', as Roman Wyskocz * '' Ostatnia misja'' (2000) ''The Last Mission'', as Police Inspector * ''

Egzekutor ''Egzekutor'' is a 1999 Polish-language drama thriller film directed by Filip Zylber, written by Mariusz Gawryś, and produced by Wiesław Łysakowski. It premiered on 22 October 1999. Plot Alex, a young student, falls in love with Maja, a f ...

'' (1999), as Kowalik * '' Fuks'' (1999), as Policeman * '' Szczęśliwego Nowego Jorku'' (1997) ''Happy New York'', as Professor * ''

Czas zdrady ''Czas zdrady'' (Time of Betrayal) is a Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and ...

'' (1997), as Messer Niccolo * ''

Poznań 56 Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint Joh ...

'' (1996), as Professor * '' Akwarium'' (1996) * '' Łagodna'' (1995) ''A Gentle Woman'', as He * ''

Śmierć jak kromka chleba ''Śmierć jak kromka chleba'' is a Polish historical film about pacification of Wujek The Pacification of Wujek was a strike-breaking action by the Polish police and army at the Wujek Coal Mine in Katowice, Poland, culminating in the massacr ...

'' (1994) ''Death like a Slice of Bread'', as Miodek * '' Trzy kolory: Biały'' (1994) ''Three Colors: White'', as Mikolaj * '' Straszny sen Dzidziusia Górkiewicza'' (1993) ''The Terrible Dream of Babyface Gorkiewicz'' * '' Szwadron'' (1993) ''Squadron'' * ''

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