Marian Kociniak admitted that he “spent a lot of money.” He once went on stage drunk

To this day, he is considered one of the greatest Polish film and theater actors. He appeared in productions such as “Janosik” and “Jan Serce”, but his greatest popularity was achieved by the role of the unforgettable Frank Dolas in the film trilogy directed by Tadeusz Chmielewski.

Already in college, they were “drinking buddies”. Due to alcohol, they neglected their professional duties

However, before he appeared on the screen for good, he was associated with the Ateneum Theater in the capital. It so happened that Leonard Pietraszak also belonged to the team led by Janusz Warmiński. Shortly afterwards, the group was expanded by , whom Kociniak knew well from his drama school days, as they were “drinking buddies”. – Alcohol brought us closer, what can I say? Back then, if you had a hundred zlotys, there was vodka, there was tartare, an appetizer and maybe a warm dish – in an interview for the book “Marian Kociniak. Fulfilled” by Remigiusz Grzela.

Three friends in one theater, and what’s more, they have a weakness for alcohol, it couldn’t end well. They discussed every success and every failure over vodka. – What our women experienced with us, because we were partying night after night, is indescribable – he said. Being constantly late for rehearsals or showing up with a hangover or, even worse, under the influence of alcohol, was common for them. The theater director wrung his hands because there was no force that could control them. “He had a hard time with us,” he claimed with sincerity.

Kociniak wanted to play a show drunk. It dawned on him what he was doing once he was standing in front of the audience

Although all-night parties were standard for Kociniak and his colleagues, they made sure to stay sober during the performances. However, this did not always work out. One time, Kociniak came on stage just after drinking a few hundred. Even though he thought he was in good shape, as soon as the curtain fell, he realized how wrong he was. He couldn’t say his lines, he stammered, and after just a few minutes he apologized to the audience in embarrassment and disappeared backstage. – I probably punched myself five times in the first sentences. I apologized to the audience and said I felt very bad. Shame after this defeat tormented me for many months – he recalled in “Dziennik Polski”. This situation made him think, but it did not persuade him to change his lifestyle. This thought only appeared a few years later.

However, breaking free from the clutches was not easy. It was a long and arduous process, after all, he drank almost every day for several years. “I can’t believe it myself today,” he said. When the actor’s family began to grow and his grandchildren were born, he decided to make another attempt. Then he gradually gave up alcohol, limiting its small amounts. – It slowly went away, but not all at once. I was getting used to it. My colleagues were crumbling, he said, adding that his attitude also persuaded several of his colleagues to change. When he got sober for good and solved the problem, he realized what a fortune he had lost due to alcohol. – There was a lot of money being exchanged. I think I left three or four Mercedes at SPATiF, he said bitterly. Marian Kociniak died on March 17, 2016, just a month after the death of his beloved wife.

If you are struggling with addiction or want to find out how you can help a loved one, you can contact the specialists on duty at these numbers:

• National Addiction Helpline (daily from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.): 800-199-990
• Telephone Trust for behavioral addictions (daily from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.): 800-889-880
• Orange line for parents of children drinking alcohol (Monday to Friday, 2-8 p.m.): 801-140-068
• National Emergency Service for Victims of Domestic Violence Blue Line (24 hours a day): 800-120-002

More information can be found on the following pages.