Their first meeting took place within the walls of the Film School in Łódź. applied for the dream index, and Jerzy Antczak sat on the commission. Although she performed very well in the exam, the young director left her with no illusions. “I thought she was ugly and skinny and incapable, so I flunked her. I was so stupid. Fortunately, I didn’t discourage her for good – . Determined to get her way, Barańska tried her hand again a year later. This time with success, because she passed the exam with honors.
“Nights and Days” was their joint success. When she shone triumphs, his career slowed down
Even though she knew he was the one who nearly ruined her career prospects, there was something about him that intrigued her. She, too, caught his eye, and he couldn’t quite understand why he’d found her unattractive before. Eventually, there was a spark between them. Almost everyone was talking about the romance between the student and the lecturer, but despite the rumors, they decided to get married. However, the beginnings of the marriage were not easy. After graduation, Barańska moved to the capital, where she got a job in one of the theaters, while Antczak stayed in Łódź, running the Popular Television Theatre. They lived out of suitcases and barely made ends meet.
In 1964, the couple welcomed a son, Mikołaj, into the world. It was an extremely busy time for both of them. He was always directing something, she acted in theaters and on the screen. Although they were expanding their filmographies, the real success was yet to come. At Barańska’s urging, Antczak decided to make a film adaptation by Maria Dąbrowska, casting his beloved as Barbara Niechcic. In 1975, the production hit the cinema screens, conquering the hearts of viewers and gaining critical acclaim, and two years later it was even nominated for an Oscar.
She gave up her own for her husband’s career. Barańska followed Antczak to the USA
When Barańska was constantly receiving new roles, Antczak’s star began to fade. In addition, he got into conflict with the deputy minister of culture, Janusz Wilhelmi, which made his situation even worse. Finally, he received an offer of cooperation with a film producer overseas. He decided to leave, and Barańska decided to abandon everything to accompany him. “I felt that I had a debt to pay to my loved ones. Before, they did everything to keep me from leaving the stage. I was away from home for two years because I was filming a series. Suddenly I realized that it wasn’t playing that was the most important thing, but the family, she recalled.
Initially, life in the United States was very different from what they imagined. Despite many failures, Antczak finally developed an unshakable position in the industry, and Barańska did not doubt for a moment that he would succeed. In turn, she focused on the family, took care of the home, raised her son, abandoning dreams of a career that she had at her fingertips. – She could pursue a great career in the country or follow her husband into the unknown. She made an extraordinary decision and said goodbye to acting, not stopping smiling for a moment, with her head held high – Antczak many years later.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
