Boleslaw Leszczynski
Leszczyński, Bolesław
Born Aug. 14, 1837, in Temnolesskaia, present-day Krasnodar Krai; died June 12, 1918, in Warsaw. Polish actor.
After studying at the Warsaw School of Drama, Leszczyński made his debut in 1858 in T. Chelchowski’s company. He appeared in theaters in Vilnius, L’vov, and Krakow. From 1872 he performed in the Wielki Theater in Warsaw, touring Russia in 1882–84. Among his best roles were Petruchio in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, the Wojewoda in Słowacki’s Mazepa, and Khlestakov in Gogol’s The Inspector-General. Although Leszczyński often appeared in comedies, his reputation rests on his outstanding gifts as a tragedian. His greatest portrayal was the title role in Shakespeare’s Othello. Leszczyński was an inspired actor and often improvised. Between 1912 and 1914 he appeared in films. His wife, Honorata Leszczyńska (1864–1937), and his son, Jerzy Leszczyński (1884–1959), were also well-known actors.