"Do your work with your heart - however modest it may be, this is all you have under the vicissitudes of fate" – the fragment of Max Ehrmann’s “Desiderata” recalled by Jacek Braciak could be the leading motto of Łukasz Maciejewski’s recent class on acting, of course. But most of all, on being yourself and in agreement with yourself in acting. Contrary to appearances, it is the greatest art. Below, you’ll find just a few fragments of this rather personal conversation, so let’s leave it that way.

Initially, I wanted to be like de Niro, Rourke, or Morrison - I wasn’t Braciak, and nobody really tried to persuade me to be Braciak. The first person who did was Piotr Trzaskalski when we worked together on his film, “Edi”. I came to terms with myself and stopped being ashamed of myself. Jacek Braciak - just like each of you, has it ALL. All you have to do is to use your potential. Be yourself in all circumstances and roles - said the actor and Warsaw Drama School graduate.

Jacek Braciak, for many years, worked at the Powszechny Theatre in Warsaw and has also played significant roles in Television Theatre productions. For the role of Jureczek in the film, ‘Edi’ he received the Best Supporting Role Award at the Polish Feature Film Festival and the Polish Film Award – Eagle 2003. - For many years, I treated what I do as a profession - a craft. When someone told me something nice about it - instead of thanking them, which would have been natural, I cowered. And then came “Edi” – it was then that I noticed that my acting could move somebody. At present, you can see Jacek Braciak in cinema in two films – “Kler” (Clergy)by Wojciech Smarzowski (with whom he worked on films such as „Róża”, „Pod mocnym aniołem”, “Drogówka” and “Wołyń”) and “Córka trenera” (The Coach’s Daughter) by Łukasz Grzegorzek, next to Karolina Bruchnicka, our school’s acting graduate.

Any advice for our acting graduates-to-be? None. Any advice would be a cliché, although there is some truth in every cliché – everybody follows their own path. I trust what I feel; when I rationalized things I would often make mistakes. I accept what life brings me. I don’t ask “Why”, I ask “What for?”, what the purpose of it is in my life. And what about acting? I’m still happy as a child when I go to work. I absolutely love it.

Thank you very much for being with us !!!

Łukasz Maciejewski already has further plans to invite Ola Cywka, head of one of the best acting agencies, JUMP and …Wojciech Smarzowski himself, to be guests to his classes with 3rd and 4th year students.


photos: Filip Szkopiński