Agata Kulesza (born 27 September 1971) is a Polish actress who has appeared on film, television, and stage. She made her film debut playing the leading role in the 1993 comedy-drama Czlowiek z... and later appeared in films Poznań '56 (1996), The Spring to Come (2001), Moje pieczone kurczaki (2002), Expecting Love (2008) and Suicide Room (2011), for which she received Złota Kaczka Award for Best Actress.
Agata Kulesza | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Agata Kulesza, 2018 | |
| Born | 27 September 1971[1] |
| Alma mater | National Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | actress |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Spouse | Marcin Figurski (2006-2020) |
| Children | 1 |
In 2011, Kulesza starred in the war drama film Rose, receiving her first Polish Academy Award for Best Actress. In 2013 she starred in the drama film Ida, for which she received positive reviews from critics and Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress, Polish Film Festival for Best Actress, Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress and her second Polish Academy Award for Best Actress, as well nomination for National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress and European Film Award for Best Actress. She later appeared in films such as These Daughters of Mine (2015), The Innocents (2016), I'm a Killer (2016), Cold War (2018), The Hater (2020), Never Gonna Snow Again (2020), 25 Years of Innocence (2020), The Wedding (2021) and Green Border (2023).
Kulesza has won four Polish Film Awards and received total 11 nominations; three for her leading roles in the films Rose (2011), Ida (2013), and 25 Years of Innocence (2020); and for her supporting role in I'm a Killer (2016).[1] In 2014 she received Order of Polonia Restituta. Kulesza is a member of the Polish Film Academy.[2]
Early life
editKulesza was born on 27 September 1971 and raised in Szczecin, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, the daughter of a sailor.[3] While she was in high school, she decided she wanted to be an actress; in 1994, she graduated from the Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw.[4]
Career
edit1993—2010: Beginnings
editFollowing her graduation, Kulesza worked as an actress at the Teatr Dramatyczny in Warsaw. She made her television debut appearing in an episode of comedy series, Żegnaj, Rockefeller in 1993 and later guest-starred in German television series Die Straßen von Berlin and Liebling Kreuzberg.[5] She made her big screen debut playing the leading role in the Polish comedy-drama film Człowiek z... directed by Konrad Szołajski.[5] The following years, Kulesza played many supporting roles on film and television, such as Poznań '56 (1996) and The Spring to Come (2001), and performed in theatre productions. Her break came in 2002 with the leading role in the drama film Moje pieczone kurczaki directed by Iwona Siekierzynska, for which she received Prowincjonalia Film Festival Award in Koszalin.[5]
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During the 2000s, Kulesza played many supporting roles in film and worked as voice over actor in more than 20 animated features.[5] On television, Kulesza starred alongside Magdalena Walach and Marzena Trybała in the Polsat drama series, Pensjonat Pod Róza (2004—2006) about three women in small hotel. From 2006 to 2007 she starred in the Hela w opalach, a Polish remake of American sitcom Grace Under Fire. In 2008 Kulesza, alongside her professional partner Stefano Terrazzino, won the eighth series of Dancing with the Stars: Taniec z gwiazdami.[6] She donated her winnings, a Porsche car, to an auction to benefit the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity.[7] In 2009 she starred in the short-lived sitcom Synowie and in 2011 was a regular cast member in the telenovela Prosto w serce, a remake of Argentine series, You Are the One. Since 2011, she has regularly performed at the Ateneum Theatre, also in Warsaw.[6][8]
2011—2014: Breakthrough
editIn 2011, Kulesza was seen in three drama films: Ki by Leszek Dawid, Suicide Room by Jan Komasa playing the mother of lead character, and Rose by Wojciech Smarzowski, playing the titular character. Suicide Room premiered at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival and received positive reviews from critics while Kulesza's performance was noted.[9] Meanwhile, Rose premiered at Warsaw Film Festival and won Grand Prix and later won seven Polish Film Awards.[10][11] For her performance in Rose, Kulesza received positive reviews from film critics,[12][13] and was listed as one of the best in 2011 by Culture.pl.[14] Kulesza won her first Polish Academy Award for Best Actress for her role Róża, a Masurian widow who falls in love a Home Army soldier. That same year, she was given a special award from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage recognising her acting career, as well as the Złota Kaczka awarded by Film magazine.[15][16]
In 2013, Kulesza starred in the period drama film, Ida directed by Paweł Pawlikowski. Playing Wanda Gruz, a Communist resistance fighter turned state prosecutor, Kulesza received widespread acclaim.[17][18] David Denby from The New Yorker noted that "Wanda tells her of her past in brief fragments, and Kulesza does more with those fragments—adding a gesture, a pause—than anyone since Greta Garbo, who always implied much more than she said."[19] Dana Stevens wrote that "As played, stupendously, by the veteran Polish TV, stage, and film actress Agata Kulesza, Wanda is a vortex of a character, as fascinating to spend time with as she is bottomlessly sad."[20] Jose Solis from PopMatters named her Best Supporting Actress writing: "Kulesza also allows her character’s flaws to show in heartbreaking ways, especially when we least expect it to. Watch the way she reacts to Trzebuchowska’s subtle horror upon realizing her parents, fate, it’s a moment where we see the actress hold back out of what we will come to understand as love, or at least the only kind of love she knows how to provide. Where Ida could’ve simply been a film about the effects of WWII in Poland, the characters at its center make it so much more than that, and Kulesza in particular will prove to haunt you for weeks after you’ve seen the film."[21] Ida won the 2015 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, becoming the first Polish film to do so.[22] It had been selected as Best Film of 2014 by the European Film Academy and as Best Film Not in the English Language of 2014 by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Kulesza was awarded the Best Actress prize at the 38th Gdynia Film Festival, and won her second Polish Academy Award for Best Actress. Kulesza also went on to be nominated for the Paszport Polityki. Internationally, Kulesza won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress, Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress,[23] and received nomination for National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress and European Film Award for Best Actress.[24] In 2014, Kulesza received Order of Polonia Restituta and Gloria Artis Medal for Merit to Culture.[25]
After her breakthrough, Kulesza began appearing in various feature films and television productions. She co-starred opposite Bartłomiej Topa in the crime drama film Traffic Department (2013), the romantic comedy Wszystkie kobiety Mateusza (2013), the period LGBT-romantic thriller In Hiding (2013), the drama The Mighty Angel (2014), the action thriller Secret Wars (2014) and the comedy film All About My Parents, for which she received another Polish Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. On television, Kulesza starred in the TVP2 comedy series, Family.pl (2011–2020). From 2012 to 2015 she played the leading role in the Canal+ crime drama series, Blood for the Blood receiving positive reviews for her performance.[5][26]
2015—present: Continued screen work
editIn 2015, Kulesza starred in the comedy-drama film, These Daughters of Mine, for which she received another Polish Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. In 2015 she starred in the Polish version of Showtime comedy series, Web Therapy. In 2016, Zwierciadło magazine awarded Kulesza their Crystal Mirror award for "acting of the highest quality".[27] That year, she turned down an offer to play Beata in the political satire series The Chairman's Ear.[28] Also in 2016, Kulesza starred in four movies: the critically acclaimed drama The Innocents,[29] the crime drama Dark Crimes opposite Jim Carrey, the crime drama I'm a Killer about serial killer Zdzisław Marchwicki, and the comedy-drama Joy in the World. In The Innocents directed by Anne Fontaine, Kulesza played Mother Superior, the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival with positive reception. She received positive reviews for her performance.[30] Film critic Stephen Holden from The New York Times wrote: "The most complicated and compelling character is the severe Mother Abbess, who faces an excruciating choice between saving a baby’s life and risking disgrace, or abandoning the infant. Ms. Kulesza’s anguished performance conveys the weight of an almost unbearable choice, which she believes condemns her to eternal damnation."[31] In Dark Crimes directed by Alexandros Avranas, Kulesza made her American film debut. Despite some praise for the cast, critics panned Dark Crimes for its pacing, overly downcast tone, and objectionable presentation of abused women. It is one of the worst-reviewed films of 2018, holding a 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[32] In I'm a Killer, Kulesza played the unfaithful wife of main character, for this role she learnt Silesian language.[5] For this performance she received her first Polish Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.[33][34]
In 2017, Kulesza starred in the drama film Once Upon a Time in November directed by Andrzej Jakimowski playing the homeless mother who with her adult son are evicted from their flat and struggle to find safe place in a homeless shelter.[35][36] The following year, Kulesza starred in the historical drama film, Cold War directed by Paweł Pawlikowski.[37] The film premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival received numerous accolades, including three nominations at the 91st Academy Awards, and four at the 72nd BAFTA Film Awards, as well as six awards from seven nominations at the 31st European Film Awards, winning the main Best Film Award. Kulesza was nominated for Polish Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.[38] The same year she played the lead in the drama film Playing Hard playing the 40-year-old prosecutor Dorota, with alcohol addiction.[5] The performance gained her another Polish Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.[39] From 2017 to 2019 she starred in the AXN crime drama series, Ultraviolet. From 2018 to 2019 she starred in the TVN crime thriller series, The Trap.[40] In 2019, she appeared in the BBC One war drama, World on Fire.[41][42]
In 2020, Kulesza starred in five movies: the social thriller The Hater directed by Jan Komasa, the comedy-drama Never Gonna Snow Again by Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert, the crime Western Magnesium by Maciej Bochniak, the dance drama Parquet by Aleksandr Mindadze, and the prison drama 25 Years of Innocence by Jan Holoubek. The Hater premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in the International Narrative Competition and won Best International Narrative Feature award.[43] The film received positive reviews from critics,[44] while Kulesza was nominated for Polish Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In Never Gonna Snow Again she played wealthy drug-taking widow,[45][46] for which she received another Polish Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. In 25 Years of Innocence, Kulesza played the mother of falsely accused for rape and was imprisoned for 25 years, receiving positive reviews for her role.[47] Screendaily critic Tim Grierson wrote in his review: "Avoiding emotional fireworks, Kulesza subtly communicates Teresa’s beaten-down resilience — she conveys how much the son’s imprisonment has taken out of Teresa through quiet, unimaginable weariness."[48] At the 2021 Polish Film Awards, she received award for Best Actress.[49]
In 2021, Kulesza starred in the dark comedy film, The Wedding directed by Wojciech Smarzowski. The performance gained her another Polish Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.[50] Later in 2021, Kulesza began starring in the Player.pl crime drama series, The Convict playing the role of Judge Alicja Mazur who accused of a murder she did not commit.[51] The series ended in 2024, after four seasons. In 2023 she appeared in the drama film, Green Border directed by Agnieszka Holland. The film competed for the Golden Lion at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize.[52][53] In 2024 she returned to stage starring in the play Mother.[54][55]
Kulesza set to appear in a number of films: the drama Innego konca nie bedzie,[56] the biographical drama Simona Kossak,[57] and the spy-thriller The Partisan.[58] She starred in the social drama The Good House directed by Wojciech Smarzowski set for 2025 release.[59] Kulesza also set to star in the Disney+ period crime drama series, Breslau.[60] Later in 2024, Kulesza was cast opposite Joanna Kulig as Dr. Bożena Hager-Małecka in the Netflix miniseries, Olowiane dzieci about 1974 lead poisoning epidemic in Poland.[61][62]
Personal life
editBetween 2006 and 2020, Kulesza was married to cameraman Marcin Figurski, having met him in 1996; they had a daughter, Marianna, in 1997.[63][64][65] It was reported in the Polish press that Figurski had been domestically abusive towards Kulesza.[63]
Kulesza has been friends with musician Kasia Nosowska since childhood, with them both growing up in Sczczecin.[3] As of 2016, she lives in Warsaw.[65]
Recognition
editIn addition to winning four Polish Film Awards, Kulesza has also been recognised with several governmental awards for her acting career.
Filmography
edit| +Key | † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Film
editTelevision
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Żegnaj, Rockefeller | Operator | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Die Straßen von Berlin | Katharina Stefanescu | Episode: Babuschka |
| 1997 | Liebling Kreuzberg | Episode: "Schmerzensgeld" | |
| 1998—1999 | Zlotopolscy | Dilajla | 9 episodes |
| 1999 | The Clan | Clerk | 3 episodes |
| 2000 | Na dobre i na złe | Maria Kozluk | Episode: "Zagubione dziecko" |
| 2004—2006 | Pensjonat Pod Róza | Danuta 'Dusia' Adamska | Series regular, 112 episodes |
| 2006 | Niania | Actress | Episode: Rabnieta owca |
| 2006—2007 | Hela w opalach | Edyta Swoboda | Series regular, 41 episodes |
| 2005, 2008 | Off the Stretcher | Blanka Matoga | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Synowie | Lucyna Dobrowolska | Series regular, 13 episodes |
| 2009 | 39 and a Half | Hania | Episode: Rola zycia |
| 2010 | Father Matthew | Renata Szulc | Episode: Talent |
| 2011 | Prosto w serce | Aneta Sienkiewicz | Series regular, 195 episodes |
| 2011—2020 | Family.pl | Maria | Series regular, 147 episodes |
| 2012 | True Law | Krystyna Sikorska | Episode: Episode #1.5 |
| 2012—2015 | Krew z krwi | Carmen Rota | Series regular, 18 episodes |
| 2015 | Web Therapy | Dr. Lucyna Kole-Bojarska | Series regular, 10 episodes |
| 2019 | World on Fire | Maria Tomaszeski | 2 episodes |
| 2018—2019 | The Trap | Olga Sawicka | Series regular, 13 episodes |
| 2017—2019 | Ultraviolet | Anna Serafin | Series regular, 22 episodes |
| 2021—2024 | The Convict | Judge Alicja Mazur | Lead role, 27 episodes |
| 2023 | My Agent | Herself | 1 episode |
| 2023 | Pati | Judge Alicja Mazur | 1 episode |
| 2023 | The Teacher | Roztocka the pathologist | 3 episodes |
| TBA | Breslau | Upcoming Disney+ series | |
| TBA | Olowiane dzieci | Dr. Bożena Hager-Małecka | Upcoming Netflix series |
References
edit- ^ a b "Agata Kulesza".
- ^ "Członkowie". Polish Film Academy. 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ a b Bimer, Anna (17 November 2016). "Spotkania: Agata Kulesza i Katarzyna Nosowska". Zwierciadło (in Polish). Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ Jabłońska, Magda (28 June 2019). "Agata Kulesza - Dziewczyna z sąsiedztwa". Polki. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Agata Kulesza". Culture.pl.
- ^ a b "Agata i Stefano". Onet.pl. 27 August 2008. Archived from the original on 31 January 2009. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ "Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy: Kulesza oddała samochód". Onet.pl (in Polish). 5 January 2009. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ "Agata Kulesza". Ateneum Theatre (in Polish). 23 February 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ "Suicide Room (Sala Samobójców) — Capsule Review". December 5, 2015.
- ^ Blaney2011-10-17T09:51:00+01:00, Martin. "Wojciech Smarzowski's Rose takes top prize in Warsaw". Screen.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Movie 'Rose' goes on general release". Polskie Radio dla Zagranicy.
- ^ Simon, Alissa (June 17, 2011). "Rose".
- ^ "Rose (2011)" – via letterboxd.com.
- ^ "2011 in Polish Film: Year in Review". Culture.pl.
- ^ "Rozdanie Dorocznych Nagród Ministra Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego". Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (in Polish). 27 September 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ "Agata Kulesza". FilmPolski (in Polish). Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ "Ida - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. May 2, 2014.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (September 25, 2014). "Ida review – an eerily beautiful road movie" – via The Guardian.
- ^ Denby, David (27 May 2014). "'Ida': A Film Masterpiece". The New Yorker. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
... from the beginning, I was thrown into a state of awe by the movie's fervent austerity. Friends have reported similar reactions: if not awe, then at least extreme concentration and satisfaction. This compact masterpiece has the curt definition and the finality of a reckoning—a reckoning in which anger and mourning blend together.
- ^ Stevens, Dana (2 May 2014). "Ida: A journey you won't forget". Slate. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ^ "Best Supporting Actress – Agata Kulesza in 'Ida', PopMatters". PopMatters. May 7, 2014.
- ^ Barraclough, Leo (23 February 2015). "Polish Film Institute Chief Celebrates as 'Ida' Becomes First Polish Movie to Win Foreign-Language Film Oscar". Variety.
- ^ "Kulesza and Ida Awarded in Los Angeles". Culture.pl. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ "PISF - American Film Critics' Award for Agata Kulesza and "Ida"".
- ^ a b "Największe gwiazdy polskiego kina na przyznaniu medali "Zasłużony Kulturze"". Party.pl (in Polish). 2014-04-11. Retrieved 2022-03-26.
- ^ ""Krew z krwi": Agata Kulesza z szansą na Oscara!". swiatseriali.interia.pl.
- ^ "Kryształowe Zwierciadła 2016 rozdane". Zwierciadło (in Polish). 7 June 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ Górski, Robert; Sobień, Monika (2019). Jak zostałem prezesem : kulisy UCHA Prezesa, najpopularniejszego polskiego serialu (in Polish). Warsaw: Czerwone i Czarne. p. 67. ISBN 978-83-66219-17-5. OCLC 1137865985.
- ^ "The Innocents - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. July 1, 2016.
- ^ Lemire, Christy. "The Innocents movie review & film summary (2016) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com/.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (June 30, 2016). "Review: In 'The Innocents,' Not Even Nuns Are Spared War Horrors" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "Dark Crimes - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. May 11, 2018.
- ^ "I'm a Killer – Maciej Pieprzyca". Culture.pl.
- ^ "POLFF: I'M A KILLER". Luna Palace Cinemas. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
- ^ ""Pewnego razu w listopadzie", reż. Andrzej Jakimowski". Culture.pl.
- ^ "Kino Świat | PEWNEGO RAZU W LISTOPADZIE |".
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (May 11, 2018). "Cold War review – wounded love and state-sponsored fear in 1940s Poland" – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "Orły 2019 - lista zwycięzców. Które filmy dostały Orły 2019? - Antyradio". www.antyradio.pl. March 26, 2019.
- ^ "Orły | 2020". pnf.pl.
- ^ ""Pułapka" nowym serialem TVN z Agatą Kuleszą. "Uruchomimy wyobraźnię widzów"". www.wirtualnemedia.pl. September 6, 2018.
- ^ "World on Fire - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com.
- ^ "Epic Drama acquires 'World on Fire' for CEE and celebrates upcoming exclusive premiere with purple-carpet event in Warsaw". www.viasatworld.com.
- ^ Moreau, Jordan (April 29, 2020). "'The Half of It,' Steve Zahn, Assol Abdullina Win Awards at 2020 Tribeca Film Festival".
- ^ "The Hater - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. July 31, 2020.
- ^ "Never Gonna Snow Again - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. July 30, 2021.
- ^ Lodge, Guy (September 7, 2020). "'Never Gonna Snow Again' Review: An Intriguing Polish Social Satire Reveals Hypnotic Powers".
- ^ "Wyborcza.pl". wyborcza.pl.
- ^ Grierson, Tim; Critic2021-01-11T12:22:00+00:00, Senior US. "'25 Years Of Innocence': Bahamas Review". Screen.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Orły | 2021". pnf.pl.
- ^ "Orły | Nominacje 24. ORŁÓW- Nagród Polskiej Akademii Filmowej". pnf.pl.
- ^ ""Skazana" nowym serialem Player Original, w głównej roli Agata Kulesza". www.wirtualnemedia.pl. April 8, 2021.
- ^ Ntim, Nancy Tartaglione,Zac; Tartaglione, Nancy; Ntim, Zac (September 9, 2023). "Venice Winners: Golden Lion Goes To Yorgos Lanthimos For 'Poor Things'; Hamaguchi, Sarsgaard, Spaeny Also Score — Full List".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Bell, Nicholas (September 5, 2023). "Green Border | 2023 Venice Film Festival Review".
- ^ "Wyborcza.pl". wyborcza.pl.
- ^ "Brzydkie słowo wywołało skandal w spektaklu "Napis"". Onet Kultura. April 19, 2024.
- ^ "Ruszyły zdjęcia do nowego filmu pt. "Innego końca nie będzie"". cinema.pl.
- ^ "Adrian Panek's Simona Kossak wraps shooting". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. November 3, 2023.
- ^ "Signature Entertainment acquires Second World War spy thriller 'The Partisan'". Signature Entertainment. May 3, 2023.
- ^ Polska, Vogue (February 13, 2024). "Wojciech Smarzowski kręci swój najważniejszy film? „Dom dobry" będzie o przemocy domowej". Vogue Polska.
- ^ Clarke, Stewart (May 13, 2024). "Disney+ Greenlights 'Breslau'; Polish Drama Will Be Streamer's First Original Out Of Central And Eastern Europe".
- ^ "Joanna Kulig i Agata Kulesza w nowym serialu Netflixa "Ołowiane dzieci"". Press.pl.
- ^ "Joanna Kulig i Agata Kulesza w nowym serialu Netflixa o epidemii. „Ołowiane dzieci" zapowiadają się na prawdziwy hit - Glamour.pl".
- ^ a b Słociński, Adam (24 October 2020). "Agata Kulesza jest już po rozwodzie. Czekała na to dwa lata". WP (in Polish). Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ Borowiak, Filip (14 December 2016). "Agata Kulesza jest dumna z córki, która poszła na studia". Jastrząb Post (in Polish). Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Ślub po dziesięciu latach... małżeństwa". Interia (in Polish). 1 March 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ "Prezydent: To dobre lata dla polskiej kultury". Oficjalna strona Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (in Polish). 2014-05-26. Archived from the original on 2021-12-03. Retrieved 2022-03-26.
- ^ "Rose - Wojciech Smarzowski". Culture.pl.
- ^ "Nagrody - Sala samobójców (2011)". Filmweb.
- ^ Honorowa Kamera Dawida 2013, 2013 Warsaw Jewish Film Festival
External links
edit- Agata Kulesza at IMDb
- Agata Kulesza, Culture.pl