Meet the Cast Bringing Netflix’s Darkest Polish Crime Saga Back to Kashubia in ‘Colors of Evil: Black’

Polish crime cinema has been having a genuinely thrilling moment on Netflix, and the ‘Colors of Evil’ cast is at the heart of it. When ‘Colors of Evil: Red’ arrived on the platform in May 2024, it quietly became one of the streamer’s most talked-about international acquisitions, drawing audiences into a world of institutional corruption, buried secrets, and deeply uncomfortable revelations set against Poland’s coastal landscapes.

The sequel has followed, with ‘Colors of Evil: Black’ serving as the next chapter in the gripping crime saga, adapted from Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak’s bestselling novels. This time, prosecutor Leopold Bilski is transferred to a seemingly peaceful town in Kashubia, where the disappearance of a child exposes dark secrets and long-hidden, uncomfortable truths come to light.

Jakub Gierszał Returns as Leopold Bilski

The spine of the entire franchise rests on Jakub Gierszał, who reprises his role as the determined and morally driven prosecutor. Born in Kraków in 1988, Gierszał trained at the Kraków Academy of Dramatic Arts and made his screen debut in 2009 in ‘All That I Love’. He first gained real prominence with ‘Suicide Room’ in 2011, earning a Polish Film Award nomination for Best Actor.

Gierszał is a three-time Polish Film Awards nominee, with subsequent nominations coming for ‘Breaking the Limits’ and ‘Doppelgänger’. His quiet intensity and ability to convey moral conviction under pressure made Bilski one of the most compelling protagonist figures to emerge from European crime television in recent years, and his return for the Kashubia chapter is the central reason fans of the first film rushed back.

Marianna Zydek Joins the Sequel

The most significant new addition to the ensemble is Marianna Zydek, who steps in alongside Gierszał as one of the film’s leads. Zydek was born in Gdańsk in 1993 and graduated from the Polish National Film, Television and Theatre School in Łódź in 2018, earning acclaim for her performance in ‘The Butler’ while still a student.

In 2024, she portrayed Gloria Kossak in the biographical drama ‘Simona Kossak’, a performance that earned her the Chopard Loves Cinema Award. Her casting in ‘Colors of Evil: Black’ represents a significant step up in her international profile, pairing her with one of Poland’s most respected screen actors in a film with genuine global reach.

Andrzej Chyra Adds Heavyweight Pedigree

Few names in the supporting cast carry as much weight as Andrzej Chyra, one of Poland’s most decorated film actors. Chyra is a member of both the Polish Film Academy and the European Film Academy, and in 2006 received the Polish Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ‘The Collector’.

He graduated from the Aleksander Zelwerowicz Theatre Academy in Warsaw, and his breakthrough role as Gerard Nowak in ‘The Debt’ earned him the Best Actor award at the Polish Film Festival. He has since worked with directors including Andrzej Wajda and Krzysztof Zanussi. His presence in ‘Colors of Evil: Black’ signals an intention to match the artistic ambition of the first film.

Zdzisław Wardejn Brings Living Screen History

Rounding out the ensemble’s depth is veteran actor Zdzisław Wardejn, whose screen history stretches across decades of Polish cinema. Born in Warsaw in 1940, Wardejn is known for ‘Corpus Christi’, ‘Lalka’, and ‘Dziewczęta z Nowolipek’, and continues working actively into the present decade. His presence grounds the newer generation of the cast in a direct line to Poland’s cinematic heritage.

A Director Who Knows This World

The cast works once again under the direction of Adrian Panek, who helmed ‘Colors of Evil: Red’ and clearly understands the tonal demands of adapting Sobczak’s novels. In Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak’s trilogy, the three colours, Red, Black, and White, suggest a descent into darkness and an eventual ascension back out of it, with the titles tapping into common associations with evil, blood, and the abyss. That framework gives each instalment its own atmosphere, and ‘Black’ promises to be the saga’s most oppressive chapter yet.

Share your thoughts on the cast in the comments and let us know which actor you are most excited to see in ‘Colors of Evil: Black’.