Jan Englert reflects on career milestones and professional lessons

Polish actor Jan Englert has reflected on significant milestones and challenges throughout his extensive career. Having recently concluded a 23-year tenure as the artistic director of the National Theatre in Warsaw, Englert continues to work as an actor and director.

In his book ‘Bez oklasków’, Englert recounts a professional setback involving a failed attempt to parody actor Andrzej Łapicki during a social gathering. He described the experience as a “major professional failure” that taught him humility after his performance was met with silence from his peers.

Regarding his early career, Englert noted that while he appeared in Andrzej Wajda’s 1956 film ‘Kanał’ at the age of 14, he does not consider it his official debut. He maintains that his professional life began only after graduating from university and securing his first formal engagement.