Pawel Szajda
Encyclopedia
Pawel Szajda (born January 13, 1982 in Farmington, Connecticut
) is a first-generation Polish-American screen and stage actor. He is most recognized for his roles in Under the Tuscan Sun, Generation Kill
, and Tatarak
.
for Chicago
in 1912, two years prior to World War I
. He married Pawel's Polish grandmother, had children, and, after the war ended, moved to Poland. In 1964, the family moved back to the United States
, which is where Pawel's mother graduated from university and then returned with the family to Poland. In Poland, she met Pawel's father, and they had Pawel's older sister, Barbara, and two older brothers, Marcin and Adam. Following the introduction of martial law
in Poland in 1981, Pawel's family relocated to the United States. Pawel was born and raised in Farmington, Connecticut
on January 13, 1982. Pawel also has a younger brother, Phil.
He was a Polish Boy Scout
.
Pawel graduated from Farmington High School in 1999. During his time at the school he participated in track and field
, was a state champion wrestler, played trumpet
and was the marching band
drum major
. He also played the title role in the play The Foreigner
by Larry Shue
.
After filming completed on Under the Tuscan Sun, Pawel returned from Italy
to finish his studies in English literature
and economics
. He spent a year at Bridgewater State College before moving to New York City
to attend Fordham University
at the Lincoln Center
campus.
, I took some wonderful photos of the sky—it’s amazing there! Maybe that’s why I’d like to act more in Poland—to be able to visit the country."
In 2002, he won a role in Under the Tuscan Sun. Director Audrey Wells
had wanted to use an actor from Poland, but due to visa issues, she was forced to look elsewhere and chose Pawel. Pawel plays a Polish immigrant handyman
named "Pawel", disapproved of by his Italian girlfriend's father.
He continued to act on screen and on stage while continuing his education. He appeared in an episode of Hope and Faith (2004), Venom
(2005), "The Infliction of Cruelty" (2006), and Death Without Consent (2007).
More recently Pawel appeared in the HBO mini-series, Generation Kill
(2008) as Corporal Walt Hasser.
In the 2009 movie, Tatarak (Sweet Rush
in English) by Academy Award winner Andrzej Wajda
, Pawel made his Polish film debut in the leading role of Boguś. The film was a competitor in the 59th Berlin International Film Festival
.
He has played in The Players Theater in New York City
and Makor/Steinhardt Center at the 14th Street Y in Manhattan
.
He is represented by The Glick Agency.
Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town located in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel...
) is a first-generation Polish-American screen and stage actor. He is most recognized for his roles in Under the Tuscan Sun, Generation Kill
Generation Kill (TV series)
Generation Kill is a 2008 HBO television miniseries based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright about his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was adapted for television by David Simon,...
, and Tatarak
Sweet Rush (film)
Sweet Rush is a 2009 Polish drama film directed by Andrzej Wajda.- Cast :* Krystyna Janda – Marta / Actress* Paweł Szajda – Boguś K.* Jan Englert – Doctor* Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieślak – Friend* Julia Pietrucha – Halinka...
.
Heritage
Pawel's maternal great-grandfather left PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
for Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1912, two years prior to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He married Pawel's Polish grandmother, had children, and, after the war ended, moved to Poland. In 1964, the family moved back to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which is where Pawel's mother graduated from university and then returned with the family to Poland. In Poland, she met Pawel's father, and they had Pawel's older sister, Barbara, and two older brothers, Marcin and Adam. Following the introduction of martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
in Poland in 1981, Pawel's family relocated to the United States. Pawel was born and raised in Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town located in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel...
on January 13, 1982. Pawel also has a younger brother, Phil.
He was a Polish Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
.
Education
Growing up in the United States, his family spoke Polish and sent Pawel and his siblings to Polish language school every Saturday. "I thought my parents' decision to send me to Polish-language classes every Saturday ruined my childhood, but it's actually been my stepping stone into acting", says Pawel.Pawel graduated from Farmington High School in 1999. During his time at the school he participated in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, was a state champion wrestler, played trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
and was the marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
drum major
Drum Major
A drum major is the leader of a marching band, drum and bugle corps, or pipe band, usually positioned at the head of the band or corps. The drum major, who is often dressed in more ornate clothing than the rest of the band or corps, is responsible for providing commands to the ensemble regarding...
. He also played the title role in the play The Foreigner
The Foreigner (play)
The Foreigner is a play by Larry Shue.Set in a resort-style fishing lodge in rural Georgia, the comedy revolves around two of its guests, Englishman Charlie Baker and Staff Sergeant Froggy LeSueur. Charlie is so pathologically shy that he is unable to speak...
by Larry Shue
Larry Shue
Larry Shue was an American playwright and actor, best known for writing two often-performed farces, The Nerd and The Foreigner.-Early life:...
.
After filming completed on Under the Tuscan Sun, Pawel returned from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to finish his studies in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
and economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. He spent a year at Bridgewater State College before moving to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to attend Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
at the Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City's Upper West Side. Reynold Levy has been its president since 2002.-History and facilities:...
campus.
Interests and hobbies
The actor's interests include traveling, photography, drawing, and playing the trumpet. "When we were filming Tatarak in GrudziądzGrudziadz
Grudziądz is a city in northern Poland on the Vistula River, with 96 042 inhabitants . Situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship , the city was previously in the Toruń Voivodeship .- History :-Early history:...
, I took some wonderful photos of the sky—it’s amazing there! Maybe that’s why I’d like to act more in Poland—to be able to visit the country."
Professional life
Pawel's acting career started with a commercial for the 1996 Olympics.In 2002, he won a role in Under the Tuscan Sun. Director Audrey Wells
Audrey Wells
Audrey Wells is an American screenwriter, film director, and producer.Wells was born in San Francisco, California, and worked as a disc jockey at San Francisco jazz radio station KJAZ FM. She graduated from U.C. Berkeley and UCLA. She has written a number of successful screenplays and has directed...
had wanted to use an actor from Poland, but due to visa issues, she was forced to look elsewhere and chose Pawel. Pawel plays a Polish immigrant handyman
Handyman
A handyman is a person skilled at a wide range of repairs, typically around the home. These tasks include trade skills, repair work, maintenance work, both interior and exterior, and are sometimes described as "odd jobs", "fix-up tasks", and include light plumbing jobs such as fixing a leaky toilet...
named "Pawel", disapproved of by his Italian girlfriend's father.
He continued to act on screen and on stage while continuing his education. He appeared in an episode of Hope and Faith (2004), Venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
(2005), "The Infliction of Cruelty" (2006), and Death Without Consent (2007).
More recently Pawel appeared in the HBO mini-series, Generation Kill
Generation Kill (TV series)
Generation Kill is a 2008 HBO television miniseries based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright about his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was adapted for television by David Simon,...
(2008) as Corporal Walt Hasser.
In the 2009 movie, Tatarak (Sweet Rush
Sweet Rush (film)
Sweet Rush is a 2009 Polish drama film directed by Andrzej Wajda.- Cast :* Krystyna Janda – Marta / Actress* Paweł Szajda – Boguś K.* Jan Englert – Doctor* Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieślak – Friend* Julia Pietrucha – Halinka...
in English) by Academy Award winner Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda is a Polish film director. Recipient of an honorary Oscar, he is possibly the most prominent member of the unofficial "Polish Film School"...
, Pawel made his Polish film debut in the leading role of Boguś. The film was a competitor in the 59th Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
.
He has played in The Players Theater in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Makor/Steinhardt Center at the 14th Street Y in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
He is represented by The Glick Agency.
Screen work
- 2011: Oliver Linovsky, Wygrany (The Winner)
- 2011: Sergei, Blue Bloods (TV series)Blue Bloods (TV series)Blue Bloods is an American police procedural/drama series on CBS, filmed on location in New York City. The show premiered on September 24, 2010, with episodes airing on Fridays at 10:00 pm Eastern and Pacific/9:00 PM Central and Mountain....
- 2009: Boguś, TatarakSweet Rush (film)Sweet Rush is a 2009 Polish drama film directed by Andrzej Wajda.- Cast :* Krystyna Janda – Marta / Actress* Paweł Szajda – Boguś K.* Jan Englert – Doctor* Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieślak – Friend* Julia Pietrucha – Halinka...
(Sweet Rush [English title]) - 2008: Cpl. Walt Hasser, Generation KillGeneration Kill (TV series)Generation Kill is a 2008 HBO television miniseries based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright about his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was adapted for television by David Simon,...
(TV miniseries) - 2007: Sean, Death Without Consent
- 2005: Ricky, VenomVenomVenom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
- 2004: College Guy, "Do I Look Frat in This?" (episode #36), Hope and Faith (TV series)
- 2003: Under the Tuscan SunUnder the Tuscan SunUnder the Tuscan Sun is a 2003 film based on Frances Mayes' 1996 memoir of the same name. The film was directed by Audrey Wells and starred Diane Lane.-Plot:...
- 1996: Pawel, An Olympic commercial in the United States
- 1996: Furby Commercial
Stage work
- 2006: The Infliction of Cruelty by Sean McManusSean McManusSean J. McManus is the president of CBS Sports and was the president of CBS News from 2005-2011. He is the son of the late James Kenneth McManus, better known as Jim McKay, famed sportscaster who is best known for hosting ABC's Wide World of Sports and anchoring their Olympic coverage...
and Andrew Unterberg at the 10th Annual New York International Fringe FestivalNew York International Fringe FestivalThe New York International Fringe Festival, or FringeNYC, is a Fringe theater festival and one of the largest multi-arts events in North America. It takes place over the course of two weeks every August, spread across several neighborhoods in downtown Manhattan, notably the Lower East Side, the...
, August 18–26 - 1990s: Charlie Baker, The ForeignerThe Foreigner (play)The Foreigner is a play by Larry Shue.Set in a resort-style fishing lodge in rural Georgia, the comedy revolves around two of its guests, Englishman Charlie Baker and Staff Sergeant Froggy LeSueur. Charlie is so pathologically shy that he is unable to speak...
by Larry ShueLarry ShueLarry Shue was an American playwright and actor, best known for writing two often-performed farces, The Nerd and The Foreigner.-Early life:...
, at Farmington High School