Włodzimierz Press was born on May 13, 1939 in Lviv. Already as a child, he had artistic talent, which he decided to develop by deciding to study acting at the Warsaw State Theater School. After graduating in 1963, he performed on the stage of the People’s Theater. Three years later, he joined the cast of the TV series “Czterej pancerni i pies”. It was the role of Grigory Sakashvili that brought him the greatest and love of his life.
He played Grigori in the TV series “Czterej pancerni i pies”. This role changed Włodzimierz Press’s life
Initially, his biggest dream early in his career was to play Rameses in “Pharaoh”. In the 1960s, the actor even took part in test shots for Jerzy Kawalerowicz’s production. When it turned out that Jerzy Zelnik was finally involved in this role, he was very disappointed. The poor financial situation of the actor, who lacked engagements, did not improve the situation. When one day the phone rang with an offer to play the series “Czterej pancerni i pies” and receive remuneration, he didn’t hesitate for a long time. – Actually, that’s why I took part in the test shooting for ‘Cztere pancerni’. This was shortly after the ‘Pharaoh’ failure […]. Moreover, it was a war series, and I am a pacifist by nature, I have never had anything to do with the army. […] But I was spinning fine, so I went with it – he told “Gazeta Wyborcza” years later.
They met on the set of the series. Włodzimierz Press and his wife Renata have been inseparable for almost 60 years
In 1966, on the set of the series “Czterej pancerni i pies”, Press met his future wife Renata. She was supposed to get involved in working on the series to earn some extra money by working as a costume designer’s assistant, Barbara Węgorek. The student of the Academy of Fine Arts immediately caught his eye. The couple already a year later, because in 1967, she vowed her love on a wedding carpet, and soon after the birth of their son, Grzegorz. – I fell madly in love – he recalled as I quote.
A still from the TV series ‘Four tank men and a dog’, dir. Konrad Nałęcki, Andrzej Czekalski, TVP. Włodzimierz Press as Grigory Saakashvili Screen vod.tvp.pl
Shortly after filming for the series ended, their daughter, Tania, was born. When martial law began in Poland, Włodzimierz Press, his wife and children went to France to visit the actor’s mother. They ended up spending several years there. – I wanted to go back to work and play. My son and daughter passed their high school exams in France and finished their studies, my sister, who had been living there longer, helped. Grzegorz then returned to Poland, and Tania stayed. Today, she is a production supervisor for final-year students of La Fémis, a famous film school in Paris – he reported at the time. Włodzimierz Press and his wife returned permanently to Poland in 1987. They currently live in one of the blocks of flats in Stegny, Warsaw. If you feel like it, vote in our poll below.
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.
