Joanna Kulig facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joanna Kulig
Kulig in 2023
Born	(1982-06-24) 24 June 1982 (age 43) Krynica, Poland
Alma mater	AST National Academy of Theatre Arts in Kraków
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1998–present
Spouse(s)	Maciej Bochniak ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	1
Signature

Joanna Kulig (born 24 June 1982) is a Polish actress and singer. She is known for acting in many different languages and has worked in movies, television, and on stage.

Kulig has won many awards, including a European Film Award and two Polish Film Awards. In 2018, the Polish magazine Wprost named her one of the 50 most influential people in Poland for her work in movies.

She first wanted to be a jazz singer. When that didn't work out, she went to the AST National Academy of Theatre Arts in Kraków to study acting. Her first major movie role was in the 2007 drama Wednesday, Thursday Morning. This role won her an award for Best Debut at the Gdynia Film Festival.

Kulig is well-known for working with director Paweł Pawlikowski. She appeared in his movies The Woman in the Fifth (2011), the Academy Award-winning Ida (2013), and Cold War (2018). Her role in Cold War made her famous around the world. She won Best Actress at the European Film Awards for her performance.

Early Life and School

Joanna Kulig was born on June 24, 1982, in Krynica, Poland. Her mother was a cook, and her father was a poet. She grew up in a musical family with four siblings in the village of Muszynka. Her younger sister, Justyna Schneider, is also an actress.

As a child, Kulig sang in a church choir. She also studied piano at a music school. At 15, she moved away from home to live at boarding schools. She first wanted to be a professional jazz singer but was not accepted into the music academy.

Instead, she decided to study acting and singing. In 2007, she graduated from the AST National Academy of Theatre Arts in Kraków. She was the first person in her family to graduate from a university.

Career

Kulig in 2015

Early Career in Poland

In 1998, when she was 16, Kulig won an episode of a Polish TV talent show called Szansa na Sukces (A Chance for Success). In 2002, she also appeared on the Polish version of the TV show Idol.

She started acting on stage in 2006 while she was still in drama school. Her first movie role was in the 2007 film Wednesday, Thursday Morning. Her performance won her an award for Best Debut at the Gdynia Film Festival.

This got the attention of director Paweł Pawlikowski. He created a special role for her in his 2011 movie The Woman in the Fifth, where she acted alongside Ethan Hawke. That same year, she starred with Juliette Binoche in the movie Elles. For both movies, she had to learn to speak French. Her acting in Elles was highly praised and won her a Polish Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In 2013, she appeared in Pawlikowski's famous movie Ida, which won an Academy Award. She played a singer in the film. From 2014 to 2018, she starred in the popular Polish TV show O mnie się nie martw. She also acted in the 2016 drama The Innocents, a story about nuns during World War II.

International Fame

Kulig with Paweł Pawlikowski at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival

Kulig became famous worldwide in 2018 with the movie Cold War. It was her third movie with director Paweł Pawlikowski, who called her his "muse." He wrote the main role of Zula just for her.

The role required her to sing and dance, which she trained for by working with a folk music group. Critics loved her performance. One reviewer said she gave a "star-making performance of astonishing range and depth." For this role, Kulig won the Best Actress Award at the European Film Awards.

In 2019, she appeared in the Amazon Studios series Hanna. In 2020, she starred in the Netflix series The Eddy as a Polish jazz singer. The director, Damien Chazelle, changed the character from American to Polish just for her.

Kulig (centre) with fellow Un Certain Regard jurors Valeria Golino and Debra Granik at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival

In 2022, she was a juror at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. The next year, she appeared in the American romantic comedy She Came to Me with stars like Peter Dinklage and Anne Hathaway. She also had a role in the thriller Knox Goes Away, directed by Michael Keaton.

In 2024, she had a guest role in the World War II miniseries Masters of the Air. She is also set to star in a Netflix series about a real-life Polish doctor who helped children.

Personal Life

Kulig is married to film director Maciej Bochniak. They have a son, who was born in 2019. Besides her native Polish, she can speak English, French, and German.

She is also involved in charity work. She supports a foundation that helps adults with intellectual disabilities. In 2023, she received an award for her charity work.

In 2018, Glamour Poland named her Woman of the Year. In 2023, she became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that gives out the Oscar awards.

Selected Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Joanna Kulig para niños