Piotr Aleksander Adamczyk (; born March 21, 1972) is a Polish film, television, voice and theatre actor. He is known for portraying pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin in the biographical film Chopin: Desire for Love (2002), Pope John Paul II in the TV miniseries Karol: A Man Who Became Pope (2005) and its sequel Karol: The Pope, The Man (2006), Tomas in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Disney+ series Hawkeye (2021) and Sergei Nikulov in the Apple TV+ original science fiction space drama series For All Mankind (2021–2024).
Early life and education From his early childhood Adamczyk wanted to become an actor. He attended the Machulski youth theatre group in Warsaw. Thanks to an international scholarship, he was able to attend international theatre workshops in the United Kingdom and Germany. He continued his acting education by attending the Theatre Academy in Warsaw. During his second academic year, he won a scholarship from the Soros Foundation which allowed him to attend the British American Drama Academy for one year, where he performed Hamlet for his diploma.
Career Once he graduated from the Theatre Academy, Adamczyk was hired by the Teatr Współczesny in Warsaw. His career in the film industry however grew much more intensively. He played Stawrogin in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Possessed. The breakthrough in his career was his part as Frédéric Chopin in the film Chopin: Desire for Love - and became a Polish star.
The climax of his popularity was reached when he played the title role of another Polish historical figure in a two part Italian TV movie - Karol: A Man Who Became Pope and Karol: The Pope, The Man. The movie was viewed by several dozen million viewers, and made him popular in Italy, Latin America and many other Catholic countries.
Adamczyk also managed to take advantage of his popularity abroad to act at the Sala Uno Theatre in Rome, in Italian. He also appeared in Liliana Cavani’s movie Einstein and in the Portuguese production Second Life.
In 2014, Adamczyk, Bartosz Opania and Paweł Domagała starred in the comedy film Wkreceni.
He has been in over 800 radio roles and around 100 theatre, television and film parts. He is also appreciated for his roles in Polish dubbing. In animated films he voiced, among others, Melman the giraffe in Madagascar, Lightning McQueen in Cars, and Syndrome in The Incredibles.
He has received many prestigious awards in Poland. In 2011, he was voted the most popular Polish actor.
Filmography Films Year Title Role Notes199130 Door KeyStudentFeature film; uncredited1995At Full GallopKsaweryFeature filmŻółta szlafmyca albo kolęda na Nowy RokSieciechTelevision playUczeń diabłaKrzyśAbigelFeri1996Małka SzwarcenkopfJojne FirułkesMutanciJulkaKobieta bez skazyEdward KaswinFilomena MarturanoUmbertoSprawa StawroginaMikołaj StawroginSkarb w płomieniachFeliks1997Bezdroża serca i umysłuMr. de MeilcourLegenda o świętym Antonim PustelnikuAntoniKetchup SchroederaKlimekDziady Our God's BrotherHubertFeature film1998AlekZbyszekTelevision playPortret weneckiYoung GustawDama od MaximaPrince1999Dwa teatryBoyDirector #2TangoArturNiedobra miłośćJustynGorący oddech pustyniSecretaryEgzekutorPhysicianFeature filmThe Gateway of EuropeTadeusz SztyllerFeature filmNa plebanii w Wyszkowie 1920Marian LachetaDocumentary film2000Prymas. Trzy lata z tysiącaKozyryFeature filmJuliusz Słowacki tańczyNarratorDocumentary filmThomas and the Falcon KingCedrykFeature filmTemida jest kobietą,czyli historie zapożyczone od Guy de MaupassantaCornoudeTelevision playSandra K.Director2001ŁzyBright Lord2002Szkoła obmowyKarolDożywocieRafałChłopiec i aniołFatherRysaAndrzejChopin: Desire for LoveFrédéric ChopinFeature filmWszyscy święciPrist in JędrzejówFeature filmCareer of Nikos DyzmaEnglish language lecturerFeature film2003CiałoParsonFeature filmŁowcy skórDr. Andrzej KwiatkowskiFeature filmPo deszczuIT specialistTelevision playEdward IILightborne2004Książę nocyStalinistKarol: A Man Who Became PopePope John Paul IIFeature film2005Karol: The Pope, The ManPope John Paul IIFeature filmPapierośnicaShort filmWniebowstąpienieCharonTelevision playMałe piwoKajtek2006Piotr Adamczyk. Aktor, który...HimselfDocumentary film2007TestosteroneKornel OlendzkiFeature filmSłowo honoruJózef Rybicki "Maciej"Television playWyzwolenieKonrad2008LadiesArturFeature filmNie kłam, kochanieMarcin PaprockiFeature filmLimousineGeorgesFeature film; also co-producerResolution 819Aperto FilmsFeature film; also co-producerEinsteinKurt KlugeFeature film2009Second LifeNicholasFeature film; also co-producerCopernicus's StarNicolaus CopernicusFeature film; voice2010Święty interesLeszek RembowskiFeature film; also co-producerTrickMarek KowalewskiFeature filmŚniadanie do łóżkaKonradFeature filmNie ten człowiekServantFeature filmKoniec RosjiFeature film; co-producerNamiętna kobietaMarkTelevision play2011GetsemaniAlec BeasleyOch, Karol 2Karol GórskiFeature filmEntanglementAntoni SzackiFeature filmLetters to SantaSzczepan LisieckiFeature filmL'infiltréFeature film; producer2012The Day of the Siege: September Eleven 1683Emperor Leopold IFeature filmHans Kloss: More Than Death at StakeHermann BrunnerFeature film20131939 Battle of WesterplatteMieczysław SłabyFeature filmRzecz o banalności miłościYounger Martin HeideggerTelevision playNikt mnie nie znaMarek Zięba2014PrzygodaDr ZoltánWkręceniFranek SzpakFeature filmWarsaw UprisingKarolVoice; Documentary film2015Letters to Santa 2Szczepan LisieckiFeature filmSłaba płeć?JimmieFeature film2016I'm a KillerAleksander StępskiFeature filmWrobionyDominikFeature filmPosprzątaneCharlesTelevision play2017Listy z RosjiAstolphe de CustineBiesiada u hrabiny KotłubajGombrowiczThe Art of Loving: Story of Michalina WisłockaStanisław WisłockiFeature filmLetters to Santa 3Szczepan LisieckiFeature filmMission Control: The Unsung Heroes Of ApolloSergey LebedevFeature filmI'm Endless Like the SpaceMarkFeature film2018Narzeczony na nibyDarek SzmidtFeature film303 SquadronWitold UrbanowiczFeature film2019Icarus. The Legend of Mietek KoszBogdan DanowiczFeature filmWomen of Mafia 2MatFeature filmTheir Lucky StarsRobert TurskiFeature filmWeselePoetTelevision play2020MaydayJan KowalskiFeature filmLetters to Santa 4Szczepan LisieckiFeature filmFisheyeMarekFeature film2021Small WorldRobert GocFeature filmA Woman at NightDraculaFeature filmIn for a MurderRobert MazurFeature film2022Letters to Santa 5Szczepan LisieckiFeature film2023Up on the RoofStephanFeature filmIl cacio con le pereSergeiFeature filmFalling StarsOuamiFeature filmMax & MeMaximilian KolbeFeature film; voiceFranciszek Gajowniczek2024The PartisanCaptan HamannFeature filmLetters to Santa 6 Szczepan LisieckiFeature film
Television series Year Title Role Notes1991Pogranicze w ogniuPająk2 episodes1995SpellbinderZander10 episodes1997Boża podszewkaAdam Jurewicz4 episodesSława i chwałaJózio Royski7 episodes1999Ja, MalinowskiPijaszewski11 episodes2000RemovalsLieutenant2 episodes2001Garderoba damskaPaweł Spory2 episodes2003TimewatchEpisode: "Through Hell for Hitler" (no. 36)2003–2004Na dobre i na złeJerzy Kozerski26 episodes2004Dziupla CezaraCezary KubikMain role; 13 episodes2004–2006Pensjonat pod RóżąJacek KakietekMain role; 97 episodes200939 and a HalfJacek WąglikEpisode: "Liceum" (no. 34)NaznaczonyTadeusz KralMain role; 13 episodes2009–2014Days of HonorLars RainerMain role; 74 episodes2011–2013Recipe For LifeAndrzej ZawadzkiMain role; 64 episodes2012TrickMarek KowalewskiMain role2012–2014Piąty StadionBorys NowakowskiMain role2014Between the LinesFryderyk RekrutMain role; 13 episodesMister IgnisEpisode no. 1Polacy w Rzymie i Watykanie9 episodes2017House of ChangeStefan MalinowskiMain role; 8 episodes2018CounterpartGunther4 episodesThird HalfBorys NowakowskiMain role2018–2019Madam SecretaryJózef Demko, President of Poland2 episodes2019The Name of the RoseSeverinusWomen of Mafia 2MatMain role2019–2021Better HalfBorys23 episodes2021Small WorldRobert Goc3 episodes2020MaydayJan KowalskiMain role; 4 episodes2020–2021Kowalscy kontra KowalscyPiotr KowalskiMain role; 44 episodes2021–2024For All MankindSergei Orestovich Nikulov13 episodes2021HawkeyeTomas6 episodes2022Night SkyCornelius4 episodes2024Go Ahead, Brother Eryk Tomczyk 5 episodes Klara Wojciech 6 episodes Prosta sprawa Kazik 6 episodes2025 Project UFO Jan Polgar 4 episodes
Polish-language dubbing