It was a meeting of acting students at a very important moment for them, at the end of their studies, on the threshold of their professional life, and Robert Więckiewicz, one of the most outstanding actors of Polish cinema and theatre, whose winding acting path to the top surprises and inspires.

What did he feel at the same moment in which the participants of the 44th Drama Schools Festival are today?

- I was worried about the future. I had dreams, I really wanted to act in films, I wanted to be a great actor. But I knew the road to get there would be long and winding, and I wondered if I'd even get a chance to walk on it at least a short distance.

Life verified how long and winding this path was. His first leading role in a film came at the age of 37 – in Juliusz Machulski's VINCI. Before this success, there were, it seemed at the time, numerous failures.

"There was a season when I started looking through newspapers for job ads. I asked myself then – So that's it? You didn't make it, did you? It was a very important moment for me. A collapse – the cast list at the theatre, I looked through it – I was nowhere to be found. Another collapse – I lost my job. My contrary nature told me though, – it's impossible that it will end like this… Keep going."

Lost job at the theatre, lost auditions, no offers. Failure? No, a journey. - Those moments when you don't know what to do and you think it's over – they can be turning points, sending you down some fantastic path. Everyone has moments when something gets stuck, when circumstances aren't favourable, when we can't see the future. Then – we keep going to see what's around the corner.

Here the actor recalls an anecdotal memory of a friend who said: "You know, Robert, to eat cookies, you first have to eat crackers."

Today, Robert Więckiewicz's filmography is replete with distinguished roles in important films. He has worked with Andrzej Wajda, Agnieszka Holland, Juliusz Machulski, and Wojciech Smarzowski, among others. He has won five Eagles – Polish Film Academy Awards. He has delivered compelling performances in acclaimed Polish series, including ŚLEPNĄC OD ŚWIATEŁ (BLINDED BY THE LIGHTS), MINUTA CISZY (A MINUTE OF SILENCE), and THE BEHAVIOURIST. He has played at the Polish Theatre in Poznań, the Rozmaitości Theatre in Warsaw, the National Theatre, with the Montownia Theatre ensemble, and in Television Theatre productions. He enjoys recognition among both the community and audiences. What to do?

Where to go? Who to talk to? – students asked Więckiewicz for his recipe for an acting life, for success.

"Don't ask me. Ask yourself, "What do you want to do? What do you want? What's on your mind? " I used to ask myself these questions very often. I recommend them; they trigger a lot of ideas. There's one condition – you have to answer them with brutal honesty. And don't be afraid of what you'll say, don't be ashamed. Answer them and then do it! I wanted to act in films."

But how to do it? This is the question that arose during the meeting.

"I don't know. You don't know. Nobody does. But you're already on the path you want to be on, you have to keep going, you have the energy and passion. If you have this awareness, it keeps us going – we overcome adversity, and even though it's very difficult – we keep going. I've gone down and failed many times, I've been at rock bottom – not even at zero, I've been at minus 12. And today I can say that I owe where I am to failures, not successes," said the actor.

The situation from the beginning of his career has reversed. Robert Więckiewicz admits that today he rejects more roles and collaborations than he accepts. What makes him decide to step onto a film set again?

"I'm interested in the person, the protagonist. Who they are, what they're made of, what their motivations are, their emotionality. If they're interesting to me, I want to meet them, I want to generate them from within myself, search for them within myself. The further they are from me, the more interesting the process. The greater the complexity and surprise in the protagonist, the better and more interesting. That's what excites me most."

It was a nearly two-hour meeting of people at two different stages of their professional journeys. And although, as Robert Więckiewicz said, experience is intraversable, his story about the journey is full of signposts that will stay with us here at the School.

"The most important thing is you—what you have inside. There's a tiny crumb inside, uniquely yours, that distinguishes you from everyone else in the world. Hold on to it, it's the most important thing. From this crumb, small and defenseless, overwhelmed by reality, something great can grow. Think about it. Nurture it. I'm speaking to you as a 59-year-old man who succeeded, who made it succeed, who was very lucky and is grateful to everyone who helped him, that he's here and can talk to you. But before that happened—it was really hard. But don't be afraid of that! Just want it to be hard! Because after the crackers...

These two hours, which began at noon, were very important to us. Thank you for this meeting!

The meeting was hosted by Łukasz Maciejewski.

text edited by: Jolanta Karpińska / School Promotion Office

photos: sztukafotografii.com