POLISH FILM ACADEMY

Film, theatre and television actor. Born on June 8, 1946 in Łódź, he made his debut as a twelve-year-old in Wolne miasto/Free City by Stanisław Różewicz. Later, he played a number of minor roles in TV theatre. A graduate of the Warsaw Theatre Academy (1968). Well-known not only as a film and theatre actor, but also for his comedy work, and especially his cynical, ironic character of Lord Peter. In the 1980s, he released two albums of disco music under the pseudonym Franek Kimono.
He started off with interesting supporting roles – as a doctor in Ocalenie/Salvation by Edward Żebrowski (award at the Łagów Film Festival for best supporting actor), Horn in Ziemia obiecana/Promised Land by Andrzej Wajda, Wiktor, brother of the title character in Dr. Judym by Włodzimierz Haupe, or Lieutenant Anton in Janusz Zaorski’s Partita na instrument drewniany/Partita for a Wooden Instrument.
His career flourished during the era of the cinema of moral anxiety. He played his most important, iconic role of the nonconformist Witek in Kung Fu by Janusz Kijowski. As a villain, he was Gustaw Holoubek’s opponent in Pokój z widokiem na morze/A Room With A Seaside View by Janusz Zaorski. He played an in-depth psychological role in Andrzej Kostenko’s Sam na sam/Alone, co-starring Jadwiga Jankowska.
In the 1980s, he turned to lighter entertainment, although he did not lower his professional standards, for example in Baryton/The Baritone by Janusz Zaorski, written by Feliks Falk. Here, as well as in Janusz Rzeszewski’s films, Fronczewski proved to be an actor gifted with an extraordinary sense of style. He was undoubtedly helped by his distinctive deep voice and natural affinity for stage work. He played several major dramatic roles in films by Wiesław Saniewski (Dotknięci/Touched, Obcy musi fruwać [The alien must fly]).
He earned enormous popularity for his performance as Mr. Blot in Krzysztof Gradowski’s films based on the children's novel by Jan Brzechwa. Fronczewski is also a great voice actor, both in film and computer games. He has also recorded radio dramas and voice-overs in documentaries.
He has a great acting range: among over seventy film roles he has played, there are noble idealists and villains, gangsters and doctors, censors, party apparatchiks and aristocrats, brazen crooks endowed with an irresistible charm (Konsul/Consul by Mirosław Borek), as well as artists (Łóżko Wierszynina/Vershenin’s Bed by Andrzej Domalik – nomination for the “Eagle” Polish Film Award).
He appeared in over one hundred television theatre productions.
As a theatre actor, he has worked in several theatres, including Narodowy (1968-969), Współczesny (1969-1973), Dramatyczny (1973-1983) and Studio (1984-1987). Since 1991, he has been associated with the Ateneum Theatre, as well as a number of private theatres.

Magda Sendecka