Jerzy Stuhr facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jerzy Stuhr
Stuhr in 2018
Born	Jerzy Oskar Stuhr (1947-04-18)18 April 1947 Kraków, Poland
Died	9 July 2024(2024-07-09) (aged 77) Kraków, Poland
Education	Jagiellonian University National Academy of Theatre Arts in Kraków
Occupation	Actor, Director
Years active	1971–2024
Spouse(s)	Barbara Kóska ​ (m. 1971)​
Children	2 including Maciej

Jerzy Oskar Stuhr (born 18 April 1947 – died 9 July 2024) was a very famous Polish actor for both films and plays. He was known as one of Poland's most popular and talented actors. He also wrote movie scripts, directed films, and taught drama at a university. He was even the head (called the Rector) of the Ludwik Solski Academy for the Dramatic Arts in Kraków twice, from 1990 to 1996 and again from 2002 to 2008.

Life and Acting Career

Jerzy Stuhr was born in the city of Kraków, Poland. His family had moved to Kraków from another part of Austria-Hungary back in 1879.

He first studied Polish literature at the Jagiellonian University and finished in 1970. After that, he spent two years learning acting at the Ludwik Solski Academy for the Dramatic Arts in Kraków. Later, he became a professor there, teaching new actors.

Early Acting Roles

Stuhr started acting in Polish plays and movies in the early 1970s. His first big role was as Beelzebub in a play called Dziady.

He met the famous film director Krzysztof Kieślowski in the mid-1970s. They worked together on many projects until Kieślowski passed away in 1996.

Famous Film Roles

Internationally, many people know Stuhr from his small but memorable role as Jurek, a hairdresser, in Kieślowski's movie Three Colors: White. He acted alongside stars like Julie Delpy.

In Poland, he is probably most famous for playing Max in the 1984 comedy Seksmisja. This movie is one of the most popular Polish films ever! Younger audiences might know his voice best as the talking Donkey in the Polish versions of the Shrek movies.

He also appeared in other important films like Kieślowski's The Scar (1976), Camera Buff (1979), and a part of The Decalogue series (1988). He worked with other well-known Polish directors such as Agnieszka Holland and Andrzej Wajda.

Directing Films

In 1985, Jerzy Stuhr started directing plays. His first play was a Polish version of The Double Bass, where he was the only actor. It was a big success!

He began directing movies in 1995. His film Love Stories (1997) was praised by critics and compared to Kieślowski's work. In this movie, Stuhr played four different main characters in separate stories.

He also directed Big Animal (2000), which was based on a script by Kieślowski, and Tomorrow's Weather (2003). For these films, he even worked with the Polish rock band Myslovitz, who made the music and appeared in Tomorrow's Weather. Stuhr said that the Italian director Nanni Moretti inspired his filmmaking style.

Teaching and Family

From 1990 to 1997, and again from 2002, Stuhr was the head (rector) of the Kraków National Drama School. This was the same school where he had studied acting many years before. He officially became a professor of Dramatic Arts in 1994.

Jerzy Stuhr's son, Maciej Stuhr (born 1975), is also a well-known actor. They acted together in several films, including Decalogue X, Tomorrow's Weather, and Love Stories. His daughter, Marianna (born 1982), is an artist and painter.

Stuhr was also involved in charity work. He was the chairman of the board for Kraków's Józef Tischner Children's Hospice, helping this foundation since 2004.

Health and Recovery

In 2011, Jerzy Stuhr was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer, which is a type of throat cancer. He spent about eight months in hospitals, getting treatments like surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. His daughter, who had also survived cancer, encouraged him to write a diary during this tough time.

His diary was published in 2012 as Tak sobie myślę... (which means So I am thinking...). His journey with cancer was widely reported in Poland, and many other cancer patients found comfort in his openness. He even called his cancer "the most important role of my life." By April 2013, his cancer was gone, and he returned to acting on stage and doing voice work.

Awards and Recognition

Jerzy Stuhr received many awards for his amazing contributions to Polish culture and cinema.

• In 1997, the President of Poland gave him the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, a very high honor.
• In 2008, he won the Złota Kaczka (Golden Duck) award, being named the century's best actor of comedy.
• He was nominated for a European Film Award for his four roles in Love Stories.
• He also won an award at the famous Venice Film Festival.

Some of his other awards include:

• Polish Academy Life Achievement Award (2018)
• Order of the Smile (2014) – an award given by children!
• Special Award at the Gdynia Film Festival for his film Obywatel (2014)
• Golden Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis (2005)
• Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2000)
• Golden Lions Award at the Gdynia Film Festival for Love Stories (1997)

Voice Acting for Kids

Jerzy Stuhr at the GoEast Festival in Wiesbaden, 2015

Jerzy Stuhr became super popular with younger audiences because he lent his voice to some very famous animated characters in Polish versions of movies!

He was the voice of Donkey in the Polish dub of Shrek, Shrek 2, and Shrek the Third, as well as in video games based on the movies. He also voiced Mushu the dragon in Disney's Mulan and Mulan 2.

Filmography

Actor

Director and Screenwriter

Voice in Polish Dub

See Also

In Spanish: Jerzy Stuhr para niños