POLISH FILM ACADEMY

One of the most popular and talented Polish actors. Born on August 27, 1964 in Gryfów Śląski. A graduate of the Acting (1987) and Directing Departments (1994) of the Warsaw Theatre Academy. A turning point in his career was his role in Krzysztof Krauze’s Dług/The Debt, in which Chyra played the demonic Gerard, the embodiment of the fears of early capitalism. Almost simultaneously, he had enormous success in theatre with his role as Dionysus in Euripides’ The Bacchae directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski (2001).
As a result of his success in Dług/The Debt, he was typecast as dangerous, soulless, confident characters (for example in Komornik/The Collector by Feliks Falk). However, he was also offered roles that allowed him to showcase the full spectrum of his skills: bitter, almost cynical Dawid in Symetria/Symmetry by Konrad Niewolski, Dzieciak in Tulipany/Tulips by Jacek Borcuch, or a man of success struggling to cope with being a father, in Zmruż oczy/Squint Your Eyes by Andrzej Jakimowski.
Chyra is cast in dramatic roles – as Jerzy in Katyń by Andrzej Wajda, Jakub in Daas by Adrian Panek, or W imię …/In the Name ... by Małgorzata Szumowska, although his film credits also include comedies (Pieniądze to nie wszystko/Money is Not Everything), family films (Magiczne drzewo/The Magic Tree) and even – unfortunately unsuccessful – melodramas (Samotność w sieci/Loneliness On the Net). He plays a security service officer (Mistyfikacja/Mystification) and an alcoholic (Wszyscy jesteśmy Chrystusami/We're All Christs), but also characters that are clearly positive, like the father in Wszystko co kocham/All That I Love by Borcuch.
He has received numerous accolades both from audiences and judges at various festivals: he has won three awards at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia (for Dług/The Debt, Komornik/Collector, and W imię …/In the Name ...), as well as the Polish Film Award “Eagle” (for Dług/The Debt and Komornik/The Collector) and several nominations and awards at foreign festivals.
He has also won acclaim for his TV and theatre roles. Associated with the Rozmaitości Theatre in Warsaw and (since 2008) with Nowy Theatre, he has given outstanding performances in plays directed by Grzegorz Jarzyna and Krzysztof Warlikowski.
In 2013, he made his debut as an opera director.

Magda Sendecka