Krzysztof Karewicz does not hide the fact that his father died on March 18, 2020 Emil Karewicz – was a role model for him.
“He taught me with his behavior: respect people, be elegant, try to be verbal, punctual and reliable,” he confessed in an interview for “Retro”.
Krzysztof was born in 1953. Five years later, his sister Małgorzata was born. None of them knew for a long time that Sylwia was still there – their half-sister.
“Dad had three wives. He met the first one, Ewa, in Vilnius. He was 18. Their paths diverged, but they maintained friendly contacts. He had a daughter, Sylwia, with the second one, Delfina,” the actor’s son confirmed in “Retro”.
“The love of his life turned out to be my mother Teresa. They created a happy, harmonious and lasting marriage. They loved each other very much,” he added.
This is the wife whom the actor called his guardian angel, who took care of the house, children and… her husband’s appearance.
“She cared about its visual aspect, i.e. elegance,” reveals Krzysztof.
According to his memories, Emil Karewicz was an almost ideal father, although he was very busy with work.
“He always participated in important moments of family life,” says the actor’s son.
Few people know that Emil Karewicz was extremely talented artistically. He spent every free moment at his easel, often participated in open-air painting events, and donated his works to the auctions of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, which he supported until the end of his life.
“Looking at him, I developed a passion for fine arts,” recalls Krzysztof, who in a sense followed in his father’s footsteps because he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts and became a graphic designer.
Krzysztof Karewicz really wanted to be an actor. Apparently he inherited his father’s talent, and after graduating from high school, he applied not only to the Academy of Fine Arts, but also to the Warsaw theater school.
“When the dates started to overlap and I had to choose, my mother said: son, one actor in the family is enough. That’s how she pushed me towards the Academy of Fine Arts,” he recalled in an interview with “Retro”.
The son of an unforgettable actor remembers perfectly the period when his father – just after retiring from the theater – suddenly stopped receiving offers of interesting film and TV series roles.
“When he left the theater, he hoped that he would have more time for films. Yes, he had time, but the directors seemed to have forgotten about him. He was sad, but he did not break down,” says Krzysztof Karewicz.
During breaks from acting, the actor took care of his home garden, painted and composed songs. He was multi-talented.
“He was active until the end,” says his son.
It was only after the death of his beloved wife (Teresa passed away in 2012) that Emil Karewicz began to deteriorate. He had heart problems, couldn’t walk and was losing his hearing. In 2015 – when he was already in his nineties – he decided to end his almost 70-year adventure with acting for good. He said goodbye to his audience with the role of Tadeusz in “The Colors of Happiness”.
On March 17, 2020, the actor lost consciousness and was hospitalized. It turned out that he had suffered a massive stroke. Although doctors fought a dramatic fight for his life, they failed to save him. Emil Karewicz died the next morning. He was 97 years old.