Roman Wilhelmi was an exemplary father for 3 years. Later he broke off contact with his only son

Although he was successful both on stage and on screen, legends still surround his private life. He had a reputation among those around him as a light-hearted and playful person, and he himself did not hide his weakness for the opposite sex, engaging in repeated affairs.

For three years, his son was the apple of his eye. Later, Wilhelmi threw himself into work

After divorcing his first wife, Wilhelmi found happiness with a Hungarian translator, Marika Kollar, whom he met during a business trip to Budapest. After the wedding, they lived in Warsaw, where their firstborn, Rafał, was born. Initially, despite many professional duties, the actor actively participated in his upbringing.

Whenever he could, he hurried home to bathe little Rafał, wrap him in diapers, and nurse him. Over time, however, he found it difficult to accept that he was no longer the center of my attention, that his son had naturally taken his place, and that he had to share the time previously intended exclusively for him with him.

– the actor’s second wife in his biography by Marcin Rychcik. As his career skyrocketed, his family took a backseat. He partied a lot and drank alcohol more and more often. Kollar did not want such a life for herself and her son. She filed for divorce, and after it was finalized, she left for Vienna, where she settled permanently.

Roman Wilhelmi’s only son recalls their relationship. What kind of father was the legendary actor?

The breakup of the marriage had a negative impact on Wilhelmi’s relationship with his son, although their contacts had not been good before. In one of the interviews, Rafał Wilhelmi recalled a situation when he was waiting to meet his father. – We were supposed to go to the ZOO, to Łazienki Park, on a trip. I was happy. I was waiting outside the block. A whole hour on busy Puławska Street and that bastard didn’t come – . Another time they went on holiday to Bulgaria, during which he discovered Wilhelmi in a hotel room with a woman.

I went to Vienna, where I have lived for 30 years, with my mother as a 12-year-old boy, shortly before the introduction of martial law. Poverty drove us out

– said the actor’s son in the book “Being a Child of a Legend” by Małgorzata Puniczyńska, adding that at that time all the food stamps the family was entitled to went to his father, who most often lost them. – I lost contact with my father in 1976. Later, we met only once, when my father came to Austria for a filming. But then there was no opportunity to talk for too long, he recalled. – He sent postcards to Austria, but they also left a bad taste. What he wrote in them did not oblige him to anything, he claimed.

In 2023, Rafał Wilhelmi will celebrate his 55th birthday. He still lives in Vienna, where he works as a lecturer at a university. Years ago, he fulfilled himself as an extra, playing in films and TV series, but he never planned to follow in his father’s footsteps. Despite the resentment she still holds towards him, she admires his talent and outstanding roles. – I like watching him, but my absolute favorite is Television Theater and “Dinner for Four”. I remember this strong impression when I watched this performance when my father was no longer there. I was literally speechless. I regretted that I couldn’t tell him what I felt then, he said bitterly.