Joanna Kulig — her path to the Oscars

Joanna Kulig (born 24 June 1982 in Krynica-Zdrój) is a Polish actress and singer who gained international fame thanks to her performance in “Cold War” directed by Paweł Pawlikowski. She’s won two Eagles Polish Film Awards and a European Film Award.

Joanna Kulig and Szansa na sukces

Joanna Kulig began singing when she was 10 – she sang in a church choir and started piano lessons. In 1998 she won a well-known talent show “Szansa na sukces”, in which she performed Grzegorz Turnau’s “Między ciszą a ciszą”. The artist asked her to feature in his album “Nawet” and we can hear her in „Gniew”, „Liryka”, „Oddal żal”, and „Sancho (dytyramb)”. In 2002 she took part in another talent show, “Idol”, and she qualified for the semi finals – she sang “Pogoda ducha” by Hanna Banaszak. In 2018 she collaborated with Michał Bajor and sang “Chociaż zmęczona”, “Mizerna, cicha”, and “Bóg się rodzi” on the latter’s christmas album.

In 2007 she graduated from the Ludwik Solski State Drama School in Kraków, where she majored in vocal performance. She had made her theatre debut a year earlier in Teatr Stary in Kraków with the role of Hermia in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. She began her film career with “Środa, czwartek rano” directed by Grzegorz Pacek, and that performance won her an award for an outstanding acting debut funded by the mayor of Gdynia.

Groundbreaking success

In 2011 she played in “Sponsoring” directed by Małgorzata Szumowska, alongside Krystyna Janda and Juliette Binoche. Thanks to that role she’s won the Eagles Polish Film Award for best supporting actress. In 2015 she appeared in “Disco polo” as a singer. In 2018 she played the lead role of Zula Lichoń in Paweł Pawlikowski’s “Cold War”, which tells a story of a love affair between two musicians in the 50s and 60s. For that performance she’s won an Eagles Polish Film Award for best actress, a European Film Award and was nominated for a BAFTA and a César Award. The film itself received three Oscars nominations, including best foreign language film, and an ASC Award for cinematography.

Kulig has also appeared in multiple TV series, such as “Ekipa”, “Czas honoru”, and “The Eddy”. That last one is about a parisian jazz club and Joanna had an opportunity to showcase her vocals by signing, among others, “A Day Goes By” and “Kiss Me in the Morning”.

Joanna Kulig and the Oscars

Joanna Kulig is currently one of the most famous and acknowledged Polish actors. She’s been active for over 20 years, played over 40 roles in films and TV series, sold over 100 thousands records, and won multiple awards. Her voice and style are inimitable and inspire many young artists.

In 2020 she played one of the leads in “The Eddy” – a TV series directed by Damien Chazelle about a parisian jazz club. In 2021 she appeared in Agnieszka Holland’s “Pajęczyna”, a series about the Rywin affair. In 2022 she was in “Kompromat”, a film directed by Jan Kidawa-Błoński about the Smolensk air disaster. In January 2024 the actress announced via Instagram that she’s become a member of the American Film Academy, which means that she will be able to vote in the Oscars.

Joanna Kulig not only acts, but often also sings in her roles. She’s an actress and a vocalist who’s gained international fame thanks to her performance in Paweł Pawlikowski’s “Cold War”. She’s been professionally active for over 20 years, acted in over 40 productions, and received multiple awards. She’s won two Eagles Polish Film Awards and a European Film Award.

Translate: Matylda Widawska

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