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.

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.

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. 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). 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". The Polish Union of Stage Actors (ZASP), awarded him the title of distinguished member as a recognition of his work.

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. In March 2020, his coming out received a considerable national and international attention. He died on 15 November 2020.

Filmography 1946: Zakazane piosenki – violinist 1960: Bad Luck – soldier 1970: Pogoń za Adamem – officer 1973: Wielka miłość Balzaka – Victor Hugo (episode 7) 1978: ... Gdziekolwiek jesteś panie prezydencie 1980: Zamach stanu 1980: Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson – man in a hotel (episode 24) 1980: Punkt widzenia (episode 5) 1981: Przyjaciele (episode 4)

Publications Teatr za kulisami i na scenie, Oficyna wydawnicza "Rytm”, Warsaw 1995. Teatr – plotki, aktorzy, wspomnienia zza kulis, Oficyna wydawnicza "Rytm”, Warsaw 1995. Ludzie teatru – mijają lata, zostają wspomnienia, Oficyna wydawnicza "Rytm”, Warsaw 2000. Czas który minął, Oficyna wydawnicza "Rytm”, Warsaw 2009. Przekraczam setkę. Zapis wspomnień 2018-2019, Wydawnictwo ZASP, Warsaw 2020.

Honours and awards Medal of the Centenary of Regained Independence, 2020 Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, 2012 Pro Masovia Medal, 2012 Warsaw Feliks Award, 2011 Officers Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, 2001 Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, 1987 Medal of the 40th Anniversary of People's Poland, 1986 Golden Cross of Merit, 1979