Barbara Lass
PolandBiography of Barbara Lass
Barbara Kwiatkowska-Lass was born on June 1, 1940, in the village of Partów, Poland. She initially trained as a ballerina and dancer but later pursued a career in acting. She gained instant popularity in Poland after her debut in Tadeusz Chmielewski's comedy "Ewa Wants to Sleep" in 1957. Her role in the film, which depicted a girl from a village who arrives a day early for school in the city and ends up in strange situations while searching for accommodation, earned her the opportunity after winning a contest organized by a popular Polish cinema magazine.
In 1959, Lass left Poland and ventured west, where she soon appeared in several notable films, including Robert Ménégoz's dramedy "La millième fenêtre" in 1960, starring Jean-Louis Trintignant. She also received an invitation to star in René Clément's comedy "Che gioia vivere" in 1961, alongside Alain Delon. Lass appeared in several Italian, French, and German films, portraying Rosalinde in Krzysztof Zanussi's telefilm "Blaubart" in 1983 and Ines in Heidi Genée's "Stachel im Fleisch" in 1981. Her filmography also includes the biographical drama "Rosa Luxemburg" and the dramas "Fontane - Effi Briest" and "Jowita." She portrayed a newlywed in Andrzej Czekalski's comedy "Ostroznie, Yeti!" and played Iwona Slowikowska in the film "Pan Anatol szuka miliona" alongside Tadeusz Fijewski.
Barbara married director Roman Polanski in 1959, but their marriage ended in divorce in 1962. The following year, she met actor Karlheinz Böhm on the set of the adventure drama "Rififi in Tokyo" in Tokyo. Barbara and Karlheinz later married, and they had a daughter named Katharina Böhm, who also became an actress. Her second marriage ended in divorce in 1980, and she married Polish jazz musician Leszek Żądło, remaining with him until her death.
On the political front, Kwiatkowska-Lass actively opposed the communist regime in Poland and collaborated with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which provided uncensored information and programs for Poland.
Tragically, on March 6, 1995, Barbara Lass suffered a stroke and passed away from a brain hemorrhage at the age of 54 in Munich. She was laid to rest at Rakowicki Cemetery in Kraków.
