Kristof Konrad (born Krzysztof Wojslaw, April 26, 1962) is a Polish-American film, television, theatre, actor, acting and character movement coach, voice and breath coach, and the Alexander Technique teacher. He is a Co-Dir of Alexander Techworks. For over twenty five years, he has successfully worked in film and television in both the United States and Europe, working with directors such as Kenneth Branagh, Francis Lawrence, Ron Howard, and Roland Emmerich and working opposite actors such as Jennifer Lawrence, Robin Wright, Kerry Washington, Jennifer Garner, and many more.[1] He currently resides in Los Angeles and works internationally.
Early life
Kristof Konrad (birth name Krzysztof Wojsław) was born on April 26, 1962, in Gizycko, Poland. His father, Mieczyslaw, was a working-class man, and his mother, Jadwiga, was a school teacher. He studied to become an electrical engineer, but at 23, he decided to pursue a career in acting. For the next two years (1985-1987), Konrad attended the Alexander Zelwerowicz National Dramatic Academy in Warsaw, Poland. While there, he studied and worked with theatre and film masters Jerzy Grotowski and Andrzej Wajda. Upon graduating, he moved to Rome, Italy, where he studied with Alessandro Fersen at The Fersen Studio until 1992.[2]
Konrad appeared as Dimitri Ustinov, opposite Jennifer Lawrence, in the spy thriller Red Sparrow (2018), directed by Francis Lawrence and based on Jason Matthews' book of the same name. It follows Dominika Egorova (Lawrence), a Russian intelligence rookie who is assigned to seduce a CIA officer; she later falls in love with the officer and considers being a double agent.[3]
Early in his career, Konrad discovered the Alexander Technique while working in the U.S. and was fascinated by its "effectiveness in improving the level of acting and helping one cope with the stresses of performing and everyday life." He spent three years training as an Alexander Technique teacher with Jean-Louis Rodrigue and many others at Alexander Training Institute of Los Angeles, where he also received his certification.[2]
