Jan Machulski was a Polish theatre, film, and television actor. Additionally, he was a pedagogue and theatre director as well as co-founder of Teatru Ochoty in Warsaw. He was born in Łódź on July 3, 1928, and died in Warsaw on November 20, 2008. He began his adventure with film and directing in 1950, when he started studies at the Łódź Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Aktorska (State Higher School of Acting), and in 1971 he completed the Directing Department of the Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Teatralna (State Higher School of Theatre) in Warsaw.

Resident of the Year

It was his idea that became the inspiration for creating the Walk of Fame on Piotrkowska, which is the Polish equivalent of the Hollywood Boulevard. He himself received a golden star unveiled on Piotrkowska in 1998. The following year, he was awarded the title of Resident of the Year 1998 in a competition organized by Radio Łódź. The next year he received the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Zamość. He also had the opportunity to have his handprint placed on the famous Stars' Promenade in Międzyzdroje, which took place in 2002 during the 7th Stars Festival.

Film Career

Jan Machulski made his film debut in 1952, when he appeared in an episode of Ewa Polewska's "Three Stories". A significantly larger role came his way in 1958, when he played Lieutenant Stanisław Kamiński – a pilot of Squadron 303, in the film "The Story of a Fighter". Although that same year he had the opportunity to appear in two other productions, the greatest fame came to him from his role in Tadeusz Konwicki's "The Last Day of Summer" – a psychological film in which he played alongside Irena Laskowska. This film received the Grand Prix award at the Venice International Film Festival. It subsequently won the First Prize at the London International Film Festival and the Grand Prize at EXPO in Brussels.

Among many film productions in which he had the opportunity to display his widely appreciated acting skills, his role in the comedy "Vabank" brought him great popularity. Attention continued to be drawn to his acting abilities whenever he appeared in subsequent films prepared by Juliusz Machulski, namely "Vabank 2, or Riposta", "Kingsajz" and "Deja Vu". He also appeared in Polish series such as "Far from the Road", as well as in foreign films including "Zrcadlení" and "And the Violins Stopped Playing". In turn, the last dozen or so years of his career on the screen featured well-known titles: "Killer", "Two Killers" and "Squadron".

Important Awards and Honors

Jan Machulski received numerous awards and honors. His first individual award was given to him in 1963 for the title role in the play "Great Bobby". In 1977 he was decorated with the Golden Cross of Merit. The following years brought, among others, the Award of the Capital City of Warsaw – in 1980 and 1985, the Medal of National Education in 1994 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his artistic career.

1998 brought a distinction for Contributions to the City of Łódź, as well as the Knight's Cross of the Order of Rebirth of Poland on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of PWSFTviT. In 2008, posthumously, he was awarded the Officer's Cross of the Order of Rebirth of Poland. Additionally, the "Pro Memoria" Medal for "outstanding merits in preserving the memory of people and deeds in the struggle for Poland's independence during and after World War II", awarded by the Head of the Office for Combatants and Repressed Persons – for participation in the film "General of Polish Hopes... (Władysław Anders 1892-1970)".