Polish actor, singer and voice artist Paweł Tucholski has died at the age of 57. The news of his passing on October 30, 2026, was confirmed by local media in his hometown of Żnin and quickly spread through Poland’s theater and entertainment communities.

Tucholski was born on February 6, 1969, in Żnin. He trained at the Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Teatralna (State Higher School of Theatre) in Warsaw and completed vocal studies in Poznań. His professional career began in the early 1990s.

He performed at Teatr Kwadrat in Warsaw from 1993 to 1994 and then spent seven years with Teatr Dramatyczny in the capital.

He built a versatile career across musical theater, dramatic stage work, film, television and dubbing. On stage he took memorable roles in major productions including Jekyll & Hyde, Chicago, Shrek, Jesus Christ Superstar and Man of La Mancha.

He also created and performed his own recital, Trup i walc (Corpse and Waltz), which remained in the repertoire of Teatr Dramatyczny.

About the Actor

Television audiences knew him from appearances in popular Polish series such as Złotopolscy, Klan, Kryminalni, Plebania, Prawo Agaty and more recent work in Barwy szczęścia. He also appeared in films including Młode wilki and other productions over more than two decades.

Tucholski reached an even wider audience through voice acting. He provided the Polish voice of adult Simba in Disney’s The Lion King and the title character in Aladdin. These roles introduced his distinctive voice to generations of Polish children and families, making him a familiar presence in living rooms across the country for more than three decades.

Just days before his death, Tucholski had joined the permanent acting ensemble of Teatr im. Tadeusza Różewicza in Gliwice. The theater’s director, Grzegorz Krawczyk, issued a statement expressing shock and sorrow, noting that Tucholski had become a full-time member of the company only a month earlier and had not yet had the chance to perform on its stage. “A great loss for the theater,” the statement read.

Colleagues and fellow performers paid tribute to his talent, sensitivity and professionalism. The Broadway in Poland community, with which he had collaborated, remembered him as an artist of unusual warmth and a powerful stage presence. He had been scheduled to appear with the group again in spring 2027.

Tucholski was also a two-time laureate of the Wrocław Actor’s Song Review and won the main prize at the Regional Theatre Review in Bydgoszcz early in his career. In 2014 he competed in the first season of the Polish television show Twoja twarz brzmi znajomo (Your Face Sounds Familiar), finishing in fifth place and demonstrating his range as both actor and vocalist.

Cause of Death

No official cause of death has been released. Local radio station Radio Żnin FM first reported the news after being informed by the family. Tributes quickly followed from theaters, voice-acting circles and fans who grew up hearing his performances in animated classics.

Tucholski’s career spanned more than thirty years and multiple disciplines. Whether performing demanding musical theater roles, appearing in long-running television series or giving voice to beloved Disney characters, he left a lasting mark on Polish popular culture. His sudden death so soon after beginning a new chapter with the Gliwice theater has left colleagues and audiences with a profound sense of unfinished potential.

As the Polish arts community mourns, Tucholski’s body of work—stage performances, screen appearances and the voices that defined childhoods continues to stand as a testament to a dedicated and versatile artist.