One of the most distinctive voices of Polish dubbing has died. Wojciech Paszkowski, who may be known by entire generations as the voice of Mike Wazowski or Doctor Doofenshmirtz, has passed away at the age of 64.
Wojciech Paszkowski was born on February 28, 1960 in Warsaw. He began as a theater actor on the stage of the Warsaw Powszechny Theater. He was also associated with the Roma Musical Theater and the Rampa Theater. Despite the recognition of his theatrical and musical work, his greatest fame came from voice and dubbing roles. With so many iconic roles under his belt, he has repeatedly said that “the hardest thing for him was always to play with his own voice,” without hiding behind a character.
There are actors who deliver one-off, iconic roles with their vocal performances. And then there are those who truly can educate entire generations. Paszkowski happily belonged to both categories. He regularly educated, throughout his career; from his portrayals in “The Bear in the Big Blue House”, through “The World According to Ludwiczek” and “Ika the Cat!” to “The Cow and the Chicken” and “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends”. Animated series were Paszkowski’s domain, providing him with the opportunity to deliver incredibly diverse, distinctive portrayals. And, above all, staying in the viewers’ memories for much longer.
But he also created unforgettable characters in TV series. For example, the role of Dr. Doofenshmirtz in the Disney animated film “Phineas and Ferb” – his screeching, head-drilling voice of the super-villain is a display of dubbing inventiveness and a legendary incarnation for an entire generation of Poles.
Paszkowski’s voice roles are not limited to animated series, however. They are also cinematic, full-length incarnations. “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, the father-goose in the “Kung Fu Panda” series, Mike Wazowski in “Monsters Inc.”, or Timon in “The Lion King 3” (where he perfectly replaced Krzysztof Tyniec) – each of the roles was completely different, each also captivating to the film, incredibly memorable, and for Polish viewers – fully integrated with the animated, iconic characters. Paszkowski hid within himself an incredible enthusiasm and talent for extracting a characteristic color, making his characters the beating hearts of entire films.
Throughout his career, he has provided voice work for an incredible 703 productions, spanning both animated and live-action feature films, TV series, movies, and video games.
