Joanna Szczepkowska (Polish pronunciation: [jɔˈanna ʂt͡ʂɛpˈkɔfska]; born 1 May 1953) is a Polish film and theatre actress and writer. She appeared in more than thirty films since 1975.

Joanna Szczepkowska
Joanna Szczepkowska, 2018
Born (1953-05-01) 1 May 1953 (age 71)
NationalityPolish
EducationNational Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw
Occupation(s)Actress, writer
Years active1975-present
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2007)

Life and career

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She made her debut on television in 1975 by appearing in episode 1 of the cult 1970s TV series Czterdziestolatek (The Forty-Year-Old). The same year, she graduated from the National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw. She worked as a theatre actress for such institutions as Teatr Współczesny in Warsaw (1975–1981), the Polish Theatre (1981–1988), Teatr Powszechny (1988–1992, 2000–2004) and Teatr Dramatyczny (2006–2010).[1]

Throughout her career she appeared in numerous films including Jan Batory's 1975 film Con amore, Janusz Zaorski's 1982 film The Mother of Kings, Andrzej Wajda's 1986 film A Chronicle of Amorous Accidents, Krzysztof Kieślowski's 1988 Dekalog: Three, Izabela Cywińska's 1996 film Boża podszewka, Paweł Komorowski's 1998 film Syzyfowe prace, Rafał Wieczyński's 2009 biopic Popiełuszko. Wolność jest w nas and Juliusz Machulski's 2017 film Volta.[1]

In 1997, she published a collection of poetry titled Miasta do wynajęcia.

In 2007, she was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.[2]

In 2010, she was elected President of the Union of Polish Stage Actors (ZASP), the first woman to hold this post.[3]

She runs her own theatre named Teatr Na dole.[4]

1989 interview

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On 28 October 1989, during a live interview on the main state-run evening news programme Dziennik Telewizyjny (Television Journal), she made a historic statement in which she publicly announced the end of communism in Poland:

Proszę Państwa, 4 czerwca 1989 roku skończył się w Polsce komunizm. (Ladies and gentlemen, on the 4th of June, communism ended in Poland.)

This statement went down in history as a symbol of the political changes which took place in the country after the 1989 Polish legislative election, the first partially free elections in Poland after the World War II.[5]

Personal life

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She is the daughter of actor Andrzej Szczepkowski, and Roma née Parandowska, and the granddaughter of Jan Parandowski.[6]

Selected filmography

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1987 The Mother of Kings Marta Król
1986 A Chronicle of Amorous Accidents Cecylia
1998 Syzyfowe prace Borowicz's mother
TV
Year Title Role Notes
1988 Decalogue III Janusz's wife

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Joanna Szczepkowska". culture.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Joanna Szczepkowska" (in Polish). Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Szczepkowska została nowym prezesem ZASP-u" (in Polish). 2 April 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  4. ^ "Wybieram samotność" (in Polish). Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Koniec komunizmu (Eng. The end of communism)". Retrieved 11 December 2022.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ [Joanna Szczepkowska o historii swojej rodziny w książce „Kto ty jesteś” [online], Wyborcza.pl, 19 lutego 2014]
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