More than two years after the premiere of the first season of “Thaw”, we have new episodes of the series about Commissioner Katarzyna Zawieja, a police officer from Szczecin who cannot find a balance between work and private life. The second season involves us in a new investigation, whose important element is the influential Lański family. Marek Lański (played by Nikodem Rozbicki) is a young, lost but also dangerous man, determined to “mark the territory” of his influence.
“You don’t lose brothers”
Małgorzata Major: After the series “Brothers”, in “Thaw” you play a brother again. This is another title where the relationship between adult brothers strongly influences the lives of the characters you create. Is there a moment in an actor’s work when you are too young to play the role of a sober husband and father?
Nikodem Rozbicki: I don’t think there are any rules here. I’ve played a lot of characters before. And lovers, and parents (mostly of minors), but recently I’ve been on the trail of brotherly stories. I’m happy because I have two brothers and they’re very important to me. It’s a unique relationship. I think it’s also a valuable source from which a lot can be drawn.
In “Thaw” with Eric [Eryk Kulm Jr. gra Pawła, czyli brata Marka Lańskiego, postaci kreowanej przez Nikodema Rozbickiego – przypis red.] We are a very specific fraternal duo. Our heroes were born into a strange family. My father is a businessman, but he doesn’t run his business legally, and since the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, we also succumb to temptations.
Małgorzata Major: While watching “Thaw”, I remembered another role of yours, that of the Young Teenager in “Sexify” and I wonder if that kind of hero, i.e. a big city party boy looking for thrills in nightclubs, is someone you’re particularly interested in?
Nikodem Rozbicki: I think they are completely different. What these two boys have in common is the money they simply have. Young Małolat was a positive lunatic, and Marek is a bit traumatized by his family, he doesn’t want to be a gangster.
Małgorzata Major: Are you a fan of genre cinema or are you more interested in social stories about the contemporary “here and now”?
Nikodem Rozbicki: I like good scripts and good films, regardless of the genre. I believe that genre cinema requires a lot of courage. The longer I’ve been in my profession, the more willing I am to get involved in projects of a specific format. I recently had the opportunity to play Adam Mickiewicz, our bard, and it gave me great joy. Riding horses, writing with a quill pen, fencing, shooting black powder, it was all incredible. And so it was drowning in a formal fairytale reality. [mowa o filmie „Niepewność. Zakochany Mickiewicz” – przypis red.].
Małgorzata Major: So you are not afraid of costumed roles, which can, for example, discourage young viewers?
Nikodem Rozbicki: I am happy that there are viewers who follow what I do. I know that there are many people who, regardless of their genre, follow this path with me. I am constantly working to deepen my skills and have a wider range of acting. After the Academy of Drama, I started studying at the Lee Strasberg School, I just finished the second semester, and now I am back in Poland to implement several projects. If I let my imagination run wild, I would love to star in a film by Taika Waititi, who directs great comedies, and on the other hand, I would tell a story with Wes Anderson. I would also love to get covered in blood with Quentin Tarantino.
Movies or series?
Małgorzata Major: Is there still a difference between appearing in a film and a TV series?
Nikodem Rozbicki: There is no division in the modern platform world. Max proves this perfectly, as our “Thaw” feels like a movie.
Małgorzata Major: What intrigues you more, a villain or a detective from a crime series?
Nikodem Rozbicki: Both, but I currently prefer playing a detective.
Broadcast vs. TV
Małgorzata Major: Is the audience different? “Families to the max” than “Defrost”?
Nikodem Rozbicki: Each has its own sensitivity and sense of humor. I think the viewer will find something interesting in the series “Thaw”. This series is demanding, there is little softening in the reality of the “thaw”. Each character has his own problems, worries, fears, hides something, puts on a mask. The show exposes this, which is great.
Małgorzata Major: What series does Nikodem Rozbicki watch?
Nikodem Rozbicki: I like “The Sopranos”, “Peaky Blinders”, “Twin Peaks”, “Utopia” and “Stranger Things”.
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You can find our review of the second season of “The Thaw” here. here. New episodes will appear on Fridays on the Max platform. The entire season has six of them.
