Tomasz Knapik (16 September 1943[2] – 6 September 2021[3]) was a Polish film, radio and television voice-over translation artist (known as lektor in Polish).[3] He held a doctorate in electrical engineering and also served as a lecturer at the Faculty of Transport of the Warsaw University of Technology.[4] He was widely regarded as a legend in the field of voice-over translation in Poland.[3][5][6]
Tomasz Knapik | |
---|---|
![]() Knapik in 2018 | |
Born | |
Died | 6 September 2021 Bielawa, Poland[1] | (aged 77)
Resting place | Powązki Cemetery |
Alma mater | Warsaw University of Technology |
Occupation(s) | Film, radio and television reader |
Career
editHe embarked on his media career at the radio station Rozgłośnia Harcerska.[7] Subsequently, he was involved with Polish Radio (predominantly with Trójka) and Telewizja Polska (TVP). During his tenure at TVP, he provided live voice-overs for foreign films and materials for Telewizyjny Kurier Warszawski.[8] At the onset of the 1990s, amidst the burgeoning videotape industry in Poland, he lent his voice to numerous films distributed by both official and pirated companies. Among his repertoire were many action cinema classics, as well as numerous B-class and C-class movies. He was a regular collaborator with several Polish distributors, including Imperial, Vision, Best Film, NVC VIM, ITI Home Video, Artvision, and many others.
In 1995, he secured a permanent position with Polsat television, where he became the primary voice-over artist, reading nearly all films, series, and promotional trailers for the station. In 1996, he resumed work with Polonia 1, providing voice-overs for programs such as Pełnym gazem, Escape, Nie tylko na weekend, and Fachowiec radzi.[9]
By 2005, he was one of the principal voice-over artists for films and series on Tele 5. In the same year, he voiced the controversial Heyah mobile advertisements.[9] He also contributed to various political advertisements, including those for the contentious National Revival of Poland.[citation needed] Between 2005 and 2007, he narrated the Kronika filmowa program on TVN24. In 2006, he co-hosted the TV program Re on TVP1. He also served as a narrator for the program Uwaga! Pirat on TVN Turbo and Stop drogówka on TV4.[9]
In 2008, he recorded voice messages for the passenger information system of Warsaw's Public Transport Authority, providing route announcements.[10]
In 2013, he made appearances in two comedy skits on the program Dzięki Bogu już weekend on TVP2.[11] In September 2014, he guest-starred in the 46th episode of its Retro series.[12]
Personal life
editHis son, Maciej Knapik, is a television journalist.[13]
Death
editHe passed away on 6 September 2021 at the age of 77.[3] On 13 September 2021, his ashes were interred in the family grave at Powązki Cemetery.[14] In October 2022, a bus stop in Warsaw Bródno was named in his honor.[15]
References
edit- ^ "Tomasz Knapik". rejestry-notarialne.pl. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- ^ "Tomasz Knapik". Filmweb (in Polish).
- ^ a b c d "Tomasz Knapik nie żyje. Zmarł legendarny lektor filmowy" [Tomasz Knapik has passed away. The legendary film voice-over artist has died.] (in Polish).
- ^ dr inż. Tomasz Knapik
- ^ "Tomasz Knapik nie żyje. Legendarny lektor miał 78 lat" [Tomasz Knapik has passed away. The legendary voice-over artist was 77 years old]. rozrywka.blog (in Polish). 6 September 2021.
- ^ "Nie żyje Tomasz Knapik. Legendarny lektor miał 77 lat" [Tomasz Knapik has passed away. The legendary voice-over artist was 77 years old]. naEKRANIE.pl (in Polish).
- ^ "Tomasz Knapik: Nigdy nie pracowałem jako lektor czy spiker na etacie, wiecznie z doskoku" [Tomasz Knapik: "I never worked as a full-time voice-over artist or announcer, always freelance."]. gazetapl.
- ^ Gorliwość w życiu nie popłaca! Rozmowa z Tomaszem Knapikiem. "Gazeta Olsztyńska", 2015-05-09/10.
- ^ a b c "Tomasz Knapik". film.wp.pl. 25 January 2012.
- ^ "Tomasz Knapik nie żyje. Konrad Szołajski: Ta osobowość i to, jak on te filmy czytał, jak umiał to opowiadać, z nami zostanie" [Tomasz Knapik has passed away. Konrad Szołajski remarked, "His personality and the way he read those films, how he could narrate them, will remain with us."]. Kultura.gazeta.pl (in Polish).
- ^ "Historia : Media Student 2015". 5 March 2016. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
- ^ "Doom [PC] - retro" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Tomasz Knapik miał jednego syna. Znasz go z anteny TVN24" [Tomasz Knapik had one son. You might know him from TVN24]. plejadapl. 6 September 2021.
- ^ "Tomasz Knapik został pochowany na Starych Powązkach w Warszawie. Słynnego lektora pożegnało kilkaset osób" [Tomasz Knapik was buried at the Old Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw. Several hundred people bid farewell to the famous voice-over artist.]. PolskieRadio24.pl (in Polish).
- ^ "Warszawa: Legendarny lektor dostał swój własny przystanek na Bródnie" [Warsaw: The legendary voice-over artist received his own bus stop in Bródno]. www.transport-publiczny.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 28 January 2023.
External links
edit- Tomasz Knapik discography at Discogs
- Tomasz Knapik at IMDb