Stuhr was born in 1947 in Kraków to father Tadeusz Stuhr, a prosecutor,[8] and mother Maria (née Chorąży) who worked as an accountant.[9][1] His ancestors, Austrians Leopold Stuhr and Anna Thill, migrated within Austria-Hungary from Mistelbach to Kraków shortly after their wedding in 1879.[10]
Having met film director Krzysztof Kieślowski in the mid-1970s, he continued to work with him until Kieślowski's death in 1996. To an international audience, Stuhr may be best known for his minor role as thick-witted hairdresser Jurek in Kieślowski's Three Colors: White, in which he starred alongside Julie Delpy, Janusz Gajos, and Zbigniew Zamachowski. In Poland and nearby countries, he was probably best known for the part of Max in Juliusz Machulski's 1984 dystopian cult comedy Seksmisja (one of the most popular Polish movies), and – to a younger audience – for lending his voice to the talking donkey in the dubbed Polish version of the Shrek trilogy. [12]
In 1985, Stuhr made his own directorial debut staging the Polish version of Patrick Süskind's play The Double Bass, in which he also played the (only) role. In spite of the production's success, it was not until 1995 that Stuhr began directing films as well, with List of Adulteresses (Spis cudzołożnic) based on a novel by Jerzy Pilch. Critics favourably compared his next effort Love Stories (Historie miłosne, 1997) to Kieślowski's work. The film consists of four unconnected episodes with Stuhr playing the lead role in each. Further movies directed by Stuhr are Big Animal (Duże zwierzę, 2000 – based on a Kieślowski screenplay), and Tomorrow's Weather (Pogoda na jutro, 2003). For these two, Stuhr employed the Polish alternative rock band Myslovitz who composed the title tracks and also had walk-on roles in the latter. In an interview with The Krakow Post Stuhr admitted that Italian cinéaste Nanni Moretti influenced his approach to filmmaking.[13]
From 1990 to 1997, and again from 2002, Stuhr held the position of rector at the Kraków National Drama School, where he had learned his craft two decades before. He formally obtained the title of professor in Dramatic Arts in 1994.[1]
He worked with RMF FM and also wrote books such as Escape forward! (Ucieczka do przodu !) and The Stuhrs: Family Stories (Stuhrowie: Historie Rodzinne).
In 1971, Stuhr married violinist Barbara (née Kóska).[21][22] He had two children. His son Maciej (born 1975) is an actor in his own right, who has played alongside his father in Kieślowski's Decalogue X (1988), Pogoda na jutro (2003), and Love Stories (1997).[23] His daughter, Marianna (born 1982) is an artist and painter.[24]
He was involved in supporting various charity organizations including the Józef Tischner Children's Hospice in Kraków (of which he was the chairman of the board of supervisors) and the Jan Kaczkowski Foundation helping people suffering from cancer.[25][26]
In Autumn 2011 Stuhr suffered what he thought was a severe throat infection, but eventually he was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. He spent most of the following eight months in hospitals in Gliwice, Kraków and Zakopane, undergoing treatment including surgeries, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. His daughter, herself a cancer survivor, advised him to write a diary to keep himself mentally busy during that difficult time. In 2012 it was published by Wydawnictwo Literackie publishing house under the title Tak sobie myślę... (which roughly translates as So I am thinking...). His illness was widely covered by Polish media, and he received feedback from cancer patients around the country for whom his openness was comforting. Eventually he described his cancer as "the most important role of my life".[29] As of April 2013, his cancer was in remission and he resumed both stage and voice acting.
In 2022, he caused a road collision in Kraków while driving under the influence of alcohol. In 2023, the Appeals Court in Kraków upheld the previous verdict which pronounced him guilty of causing the accident and drunk driving. He had his driving license confiscated and was banned from driving motor vehicles for a period of three years.[30]
On 12 November 2008, he received Złota Kaczka (Golden Duck) being chosen the "Best Comedy Actor of the Century".
Stuhr was appointed to the European Film Award for his fourfold role in Love stories. He was a laureate of the Venice Film Festival. He also received numerous other Polish and international awards in recognition of his work, including:
Jerzy Stuhr became very popular with younger viewers after he provided the voice for Donkey in the Polish dubbed version of Shrek (as well as in Shrek 2, Shrek the Third and in video games, based on the Shrek movies). Stuhr also provided the voice of Mushu the dragon in Disney's Mulan and Mulan 2, and for the Larry Laffer character in Larry 7 game.
^Stuhr, Maciej; Luter, Andrzej (2019). Myśmy się uodpornili. Rozmowy o dojrzałości [We Have Become Immune. Conversations About Maturity.] (in Polish). Kraków: WAM. p. 38. ISBN978-83-277-1656-9.
^Stuhr, Jerzy (2009). Stuhrowie. Historie rodzinne [The Stuhrs: Family Stories.] (in Polish). Wydawnictwo Literackie. p. 188–190. ISBN978-83-08-04273-1.
^Burkot, Stanisław (4 April 2009). "Wrastanie w Kraków" (in Polish). e-teatr.pl. Archived from the original on 17 October 2010.
^Stuhr, Maciej; Luter, Andrzej (2019). Myśmy się uodpornili. Rozmowy o dojrzałości [We Have Become Immune. Conversations About Maturity.] (in Polish). Kraków: WAM. p. 55. ISBN978-83-277-1656-9.
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