Witold Sadowy

Witold Sadowy (7 January 1920 – 15 November 2020) was a Polish film and theatre actor as well as publicist and columnist of the Gazeta Wyborcza daily and Życie na gorąco magazine.

Witold Sadowy
Witold Sadowy, ca. 1950
Born(1920-01-07)7 January 1920
Warsaw, Second Polish Republic
Died15 November 2020(2020-11-15) (aged 100)
Konstancin-Jeziorna, Poland
NationalityPolish
OccupationActor, publicist
Years active1945–1990 (actor)
1985–2020 (publicist)
Partner(s)Jan Ryżow (1942–1996)

Life and career

He was born on 7 January 1920 in Warsaw. In 1944, during the Warsaw Uprising, he lost his father and brother. He returned to Warsaw with his mother after the Soviets gained control of the city.[1]

He made his theatre debut in 1945 by performing the role of Florian in Maurice Maeterlinck's play Le Bourgmestre de Stilmonde directed by Ryszard Wasilewski.[2] He worked at such Warsaw theatres as City Drama Theatre (1945, 1946–1949), Polish Theatre (1945–1946; 1949–1951), New Theatre (1951–1953), Młoda Warszawa Theatre (1953–1957), Classic Theatre (1957–1972) and TR Warszawa (1972–1988).[3] He gave his last performance in 1989 by playing the role of Field Marshal in Zygmunt Nowakowski's play The Rosemary Twig.

In the 1980s, he began working as a theatre columnist and publicist in such newspapers as Życie Warszawy, Życie Codzienne, Słowo, Express Wieczorny and the New York-based Nowy Dziennik. Since 1985, he also wrote articles in Gazeta Wyborcza. He published a number of books on theatre and film and came to be known as "the chronicler of Warsaw's theatre life".[4] The Polish Union of Stage Actors (ZASP), awarded him the title of distinguished member as a recognition of his work.[5]

Personal life

In January 2020, at the age of 100, he publicly came out as homosexual in a television reportage by TVP Kultura channel devoted to the celebration of the centenary of his birth. He lived in a relationship with Jan Ryżow, an engineer, from 1942 until Ryżow's death in 1996.[6] In March 2020, his coming out received a considerable national and international attention.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] He died on 15 November 2020.[17]

Filmography

Publications
  • Teatr za kulisami i na scenie, Oficyna wydawnicza "Rytm”, Warsaw 1995, ISBN 83-85249-98-2.
  • Teatr – plotki, aktorzy, wspomnienia zza kulis, Oficyna wydawnicza "Rytm”, Warsaw 1995, ISBN 83-85249-51-6.
  • Ludzie teatru – mijają lata, zostają wspomnienia, Oficyna wydawnicza "Rytm”, Warsaw 2000.
  • Czas który minął, Oficyna wydawnicza "Rytm”, Warsaw 2009, ISBN 978-83-7399-356-3.
  • Przekraczam setkę. Zapis wspomnień 2018-2019, Wydawnictwo ZASP, Warsaw 2020, ISBN 978-83-952549-1-8.

Honours and awards

See also

References
  1. "Witold Sadowy: Kler dzieli ludzi. I politycy, wśród których jest wielu homoseksualistów". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  2. "Burmistrz Stylmondu". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  3. "Witold Sadowy. KARIERA TEATRALNA". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  4. "Witold Sadowy". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  5. "99. urodziny Witolda Sadowego". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  6. "Sto lat Witolda Sadowego". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  7. "WITOLD SADOWY SKOŃCZYŁ 100 LAT. W TVP UJAWNIŁ, ŻE JEST GEJEM". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  8. "Stuletni Witold Sadowy wyznał w TVP: "Jestem gejem"". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  9. "Witold Sadowy w TVP: jestem gejem". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  10. "Witold Sadowy skończył 100 lat. W TVP przyznał, że jest gejem". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  11. "Witold Sadowy, najstarszy polski aktor, skończył 100 lat. I ogłosił w TVP Kultura: Jestem gejem". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  12. "Polish theatre legend comes out as gay at 100". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  13. "Renowned Polish actor comes out as gay aged 100". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  14. "Polnische Theater-Legende Witold Sadowy ist schwul". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  15. "POLNISCHE SCHAUSPIELLEGENDE WITOLD SADOWY Coming-out mit 100 Jahren". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  16. "100-Year-Old Famed Polish Actor Comes Out as Gay". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  17. "Witold Sadowy nie żyje. Był najstarszym polskim aktorem". Onet (in Polish). Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  18. "M.P. 2012 poz. 878". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  19. "Medal Pamiątkowy "Pro Masovia"". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
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