Film, television and theatre actor Lech Sołuba has died – known for his role as a member of the film crew in Stanisław Bareja’s comedy “Miś” and for his roles in the series “Plebania” and “Ranczo”. The actor died on September 18. He was 76 years old.
photo: Polish Film Materials
The news of the artist’s death was announced on Thursday on the FilmPolski.pl website.
Lech Sołuba was born on January 20, 1948. He was the son of TV editor Iwona Sołubina, brother of actress Monika Sołubianka, nephew of actor Roman Kłosowski. In 1969 he graduated from the Acting Department of the State Higher School of Theatre in Warsaw. He made his stage debut on April 15, 1969 in the roles of Patient II and Spectator I in “Little Comedy” by Henryk Bardijewski, directed by Kazimierz Rudzki.
In the years 1969-74 and 1980-83 he was a member of the ensemble of the Polish Theatre in Warsaw. In the years 1983-87 he was an actor of the National Theatre. He also collaborated with the Ochota Theatre in Warsaw (1974-75). He played almost 30 roles on the stages of Polish theatres.
He also appeared in over twenty Television Theatre performances. He played, among others, the role of Julian in the play “Żabusia” by Gabriela Zapolska, directed by Jerzy Słotwiński (1972) and the character of Iwroński in the play “Pijacy” by Franciszek Bohomolec, directed by Roman Kłosowski (1983). Lech Sołuba also took part in 50 radio plays of the Polish Radio Theatre.
The actor was known for his characteristic and supporting roles in film and television. He made his debut on the small screen in 1970 in the television play “The Spoon River Dead” based on Edgar Lee Masters, directed by Krystyna Berwińska. His first series role was a Slovak (a smuggler’s partner) in the fourth episode of “The Adventures of Cywil the Dog” directed by Krzysztof Szmagier.
Viewers remember his characteristic role as a member of the film crew in “Miś” directed by Stanisław Bareja (1980), where he played in the scene of “Count Barry Kent’s last sausage”. The audience also remembers him for his roles in such films as a journalist in “Człowiek z żelaza” directed by Andrzej Wajda (1981), minister Tadeusz Romer in “Katastrophe w Gibraltarie” directed by Bohdan Poręba (1983), Bończak in the film and series “Historia Roja” directed by Jerzy Zalewski (2016), Walczak’s colleague in “Hydrozagadka” directed by Andrzej Kondratiuk (1970). He often played supporting roles in popular television series: “Kolumbowie” (1970), “Czterdziestolatek” (1975), “Noce i dnie” (1977), “Tajemnica Enigma” (1979), “Do końca krew” (1979), “Dom” (1980), “Życie Kamila Kuranta” (1982), “Pan na Żuławach” (1984), “Ranczo” (2008) and “Plebania” (2008-09).
His last role was the character of Władysław Gomułka, which he played in the film “Gierek” (2021) and in the series of the same title directed by Michał Węgrzyn.
Apart from acting, in the years 1975-80 Lech Sołuba also worked as a second director and as a co-director on feature-television films and Television Theatre performances.
