Andrzej Grabowski – An Artist of Many Talents

Taking on a role in a long-running TV series often results in being typecast as an actor associated with one specific role or a particular type of character. However, Andrzej Grabowski skillfully avoided the fate that befell many of his peers and managed to establish himself not only as a versatile actor but as an artist in the broader sense.

Andrzej Grabowski – Life

The future actor was born in 1952 in Chrzanów, the son of Łucja and Bolesław. He grew up in Alwernia, where he was later named an honorary citizen. He has two brothers: Mikołaj (an actor and director) and Wiktor (an engineer, who passed away in 2019). In 1969, he began studying theater in Kraków, during which he performed in Janusz Rewiński’s cabaret “FIUT” (which translates to “DICK” in English) and made his small-screen debut with a minor role in the series Odejścia, powroty (Departures, Returns).

After completing his studies, he began working at the Tarnów theater, where he received his first recognition for his role as Belus in Przepraszam, czy tu biją (Excuse Me, Is This Where They Fight?). In 1977, he was awarded the SPATiF Award for Young Actors. A year later, he joined the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre in Kraków. During the 1980s, he also performed as a cabaret artist at the “Feniks” club. In 1989, he was cast in the film Kapitał, czyli jak zrobić pieniądze w Polsce (Capital, or How to Make Money in Poland).

However, it was his role as Ferdynand Kiepski in the popular TV series Świat według Kiepskich (The World According to the Kiepskis) that brought him immense fame. Over the following decades, he became strongly identified with this character, though this did not hinder his career or his ability to secure other roles, including those outside the comedy genre.

Andrzej Grabowski and His Roles

Andrzej Grabowski has an extensive repertoire of television and film roles. His first appearance was as Edward Marecki in the aforementioned series Odejścia, powroty (Departures, Returns), while his first film role was Stefan Sapieja in Kapitał, czyli jak zrobić pieniądze w Polsce (Capital, or How to Make Money in Poland). He has also acted in renowned productions such as Pułkownik Kwiatkowski (Colonel Kwiatkowski), Boża podszewka (God’s Lining), and Kariera Nikosia Dyzmy (The Career of Nikos Dyzma). Undoubtedly, one of his most prominent appearances was in Patryk Vega’s Pitbull and its sequels, where Grabowski portrayed Jacek Goc, nicknamed “Gebels.” His collaboration with Vega also led to roles in Służby specjalne (Special Forces) and Polityka (Politics).

The aforementioned Świat według Kiepskich (The World According to the Kiepskis) was not Andrzej Grabowski’s only long-term television role. He also appeared in the soap opera Złotopolscy from 2004 to 2010, as well as in several other TV series. Additionally, Grabowski is a skilled voice actor. He lent his voice to Polish-language versions of films such as Chicken Little, Toy Story 3, and three installments of the Harry Potter series, where he voiced the character Alastor Moody in The Goblet of Fire, The Order of the Phoenix, and The Deathly Hallows.

Beyond the Camera

In addition to his on-screen work, Andrzej Grabowski thrives – and perhaps even primarily – on the theater stage. He has been acclaimed for roles such as Argan in Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid and President Bartłomiej Czop in The 19th Meridian, a play written and directed by Juliusz Machulski for Teatr Telewizji (Television Theater). In fact, he has appeared in over 40 productions for Teatr Telewizji.

Grabowski’s artistic pursuits span across various fields, including film, television, cabaret, and theater. Over the past decade, he also ventured into music, releasing three albums. Three of his songs made it onto the Program Trzeci (Polish Radio Three) hit list. His first album, Mam prawo… czasami… banalnie (I Have the Right… Sometimes… Banally), was released in 2010, followed by Cudne jest nudne (Wonderful is Boring) in 2013. His most recent album, Pechy i peszki (Troubles and Mishaps), was released in 2019.

Undoubtedly, Andrzej Grabowski is one of the leading figures in Polish cinema. Yet he doesn’t stop there. He excels on theater stages, in cabaret performances, and – remarkably – has also carved out a space for himself as a singer. With such a broad spectrum of artistic achievements and talents, his popularity among fans – far exceeding the boundaries set by his role as Ferdek Kiepski – is hardly surprising.

Translation: Paweł Skarzyński

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The photos used in the article come from Wikipedia.