Artykuły

Janusz Gajos sums up his 40 years in acting thus: "I think it shows just how determined I am. Ever since I said 'yes' to acting, I've been faithful to her. I started off as a young man, fascinated by the magic of the theater, which inticed me because it was so fundamentally different from life. I finished school in a small town. My parents were poor. I escaped into an unknown, mysterious world."

On Money

"I had a watch, which in those days made you a somebody. I got it from my dad. When I arrived in Łódź as a young person from a poor family, I could count on a scholarship. It was just enough for me to buy food and pay living costs. Once in a while, me and some friends would save 100 zloties, which was enough to go to a restaurant and buy half a liter of vodka and potatos with gravy. That was the extent of craziness we could afford. I imagined to myself that as soon as I finished acting school, if I behaved in accordance with all of the rules, then I would quickly become a well respected and rich man. Life quickly taught me otherwise. Ever since I can recall, I've always wanted to have my own apartment. That was the biggest problem. To get any kind of apartment. To have a little bit of space for ones' self. Only now can I afford a house with a garden, not to mention the time to have one, sit in silence, and rest."

Nostalgia?

"I don't miss the past. I seldom return to it. I think that man, with each passing hour, each passing day, gains new experiences, which make it seem as though even what he did only a few days ago were silly. We mature, which of course also means we sometimes find ourselves running out of breath. But no, I don't go through moments when I regret not being young any more."

Greatest Character Traits.

"I don't esteem myself a man capable of being a model for others, but I think that there is a noble resistance in me, a kind I never suspected myself of having. In extraordinary circumstances, this noble resistance allows me to save face, to be myself. I can't, for example, execute acting tasks unless I first feel at one with them; otherwise I'd be lying to the audience. My theatrical path is less twisted as time goes by, I move upon it with more confidence, straight ahead."

Testing Times in Life.

"There were a few such moments. I had to try to get into acting school three times. Finally things turned out well. I finished my schooling, thinking I could play the greatest of romantic roles made specially for young actors. Instead, I ended up playing in "Four Tank drivers and a dog" and it was then that I knew I achieved popularity at the cost of serious theatrical enterprises. Then came the time when I was a complete zero in the acting business. I felt like I was facing an immense wall, and I had to climb it bit by bit to get to the very top. When I performed in "Wahadełek" by Filip Bajon, people in the artistic scene seemed to take note. A guy who rode a tank now plays such a role? Then, along with Kazimierz Kutzem, we made "Hollywood Stories" and a couple influential people in the acting business were impressed. With each new role, I was treated more and more seriously.

Plans for the future.

"I hope I never get to the stage where I reach a point and say 'hey! look at me! I've achieved everything! love me!' - that would be deviant. I don't have sleepless nights, during which I swear off everything if only I could play King Lear, otherwise I'd feel worthless. Every work of art or literature which shows serious potential and respect for the audience brings me satisfaction."

Collecting important roles can be hazardous.

"There's an old adage: either the role makes the actor, or the actor makes the role. There are people whole take great pains to play as many of the standard roles from the 'grand repertiore' as possible. Naturally it makes your CV look nice and shinny. But all it really shows is what material and actor has challenged himself with. And the thing about material is that we can do pretty much what we please with it. The tragedy of our job is that following 'yesterdays show,' after all that spectacular stuff, nothing remains - it all happens once and then it's gone. But on the other hand, the greatest thing is the feeling you get, at the end of a performance, that the play connected with the audience. But putting up a statue of yourself just in case makes no sense."

An Actor without a Master.

"Quite probably true. I even remember a time in my life when I was upset by the fact that I didn't have a Master who would say 'look at this, that's wrong, look out for that.' That's one of the reason I kept falling into various traps. But in retrospect, I learned a lot from such an experience - hard as it was. I tried to take from different actors that which was besst. I often stood in the background, sneaking a peak if you will. I didn't like everything I saw, but whatever I found worthwhile, I took to heart and used it when the time came. I like Diderot's principle: "Don't give too many reasons to justify yourself if you want them to believe you." I also like Anthony Hopkins. He always gives off the impression that he knows more than he says. He understands that the world is a mystery and you can't say everything to the end. He himself eminates mystery in a noble way. I personally think that the most excellent use of form takes place when its' use goes unnoticed.

The end of the era of Acting Masters in Poland

"True. The hierarchy is going to pieces. Any sense of authority has been shaken. Those are the times we live in. There are, however, people who don't cave to fashions. They just do what's in their heart. Maybe not loudly but effectively."

On his upcoming role in "Power," by Nick Dear, a play about Ludvig XIV and his Finance Minister Fouquet.

"The author escapes into an era that doesn't have much to do with our every day life. It's a way to tell a story about how people were never pure. Foquet, speaking with Ludvig XIV, says things that could well be placed in a modern editorial: nothing will ever change. People will always be corrupt sell outs. There has never been true progress in history. We might have cannons and printing shops, but our souls are as black as ever before. Usually, stories speak to the gaining of power, this one speaks to losing power due to emptiness, pride, hubris. It could serve as a warning. "

On playing black-sheep characters (spies, corruptable and weak characters, etc)

"Well - not all my roles are black sheeps. And I am not sure whether such a dark outlook fully reflects current realities. Are we really sinking in a swamp? These are just the kinds of plays and scripts that are made now. We actors; we just play in them. I do indeed yearn for a serious discussion regarding Poland, about what has happened to us, what part do we play in all this, without stereotypes and without a black-and-white approach. These kinds of dialogues with audiences are lacking."

On the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII in Moscow

"When I played the young Janek Kos, who fled Siberia to return triumphantly to Poland with the red army, in "Tank" there were no movies showing the whole historical truth because that simply was not possible. I remember at the height of the show's popularity, I was invited to meet with soldiers of General Anders. They said - fine. Sure. Of course people died on the eastern front, they wanted to return to Poland. Why don't we make movies about them? Now - if someone is going to Moscow - they should speak the whole truth. The problem is, truth might not find a stage on which to perform there."

On the future of "The Holy Father's Skis"

"The play has been cancelled pending the end of the season. Other than the funny stuff, which apparently is inappropriate at this time, there are also serious words in it. For instance, that the Holy Father will never die, that he will always remain with us. The whole script is a testimony of care, of how we will manage to make due without him. I recall that when the Pope was alive and people asked "what will happen when he dies? How shall we make due?" - there would be silence.