Joanna Pacuła facts for kids

Joanna Pacuła (born December 30, 1957) is a talented actress and model from Poland. She was born in Tomaszów Lubelski. In the early 1980s, she moved to the United States. She first became well-known for her modeling work in Vogue magazine. Her big break in acting came with the 1983 movie Gorky Park. For this role, she was even nominated for a Golden Globe Award! Since then, she has become a well-known character actress, appearing in many popular films and TV shows.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Joanna Pacuła was born in Tomaszów Lubelski, Poland. Her mother was a pharmacist, and her father was an engineer. Joanna also has a sister named Ewa Pacuła, who is a model and TV personality. Ewa has also worked in the United States.

In 1979, Joanna graduated from the Aleksander Zelwerowicz State Theatre Academy. This is a famous acting school in Poland. After finishing her studies, she joined the Warsaw Dramatic Theatre. She acted there until 1981. During this time, she performed in plays by Shakespeare, like Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and As You Like It. She also appeared in a few films, including Camouflage (1977) and Last Night of Love (1980).

Moving to America and Big Roles

In 1981, Joanna Pacuła was in Paris. At that time, the government in Poland declared martial law. This meant strict rules were put in place. Because of this, she decided not to go back to Poland. In 1982, she moved to the United States. There, she became known for playing interesting European characters.

Her first big movie role in the U.S. was in Gorky Park (1983). She acted alongside William Hurt in this film. Famous director Roman Polanski even praised her acting in that role! After Gorky Park, she appeared in many American TV shows and movies. Some of these include the Holocaust drama Escape From Sobibor (1987), The Kiss (1988), and the TV series E.A.R.T.H. Force (1990). She also starred in the movie Not Quite Paradise (1985).

Joanna Pacuła currently lives in Southern California.

Notable Achievements

• In 1990, People magazine chose Joanna Pacuła as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world.
• She was listed as one of 12 "Promising New Actors of 1984" in John Willis's Screen World, volume 36.

Selected Film and Television Roles

Joanna Pacuła has had a long and successful career in both movies and television. Here are some of her notable roles:

Movies

• Ultima noapte de dragoste (1980) - Leah Gheorghiu
• Gorky Park (1983) - Irina Asanova
• Not Quite Paradise (1985) - Gila
• Escape from Sobibor (1987) - Luka
• The Kiss (1988) - Felice
• Marked for Death (1990) - Professor Leslie
• Tombstone (1993) - Kate Elder
• Virus (1999) - Nadia
• The Cutter (2005) - Elizabeth Teller
• When Nietzsche Wept (2007) - Mathilda
• Break Even (2020) - Agent Crowe

Television Shows and Films

• Deep Red (1994, TV film) - Monica Quik
• Dead Man's Gun (1999, 1 episode) - Yvotte Ballinger
• Brutally Normal (2000, 7 episodes) - Gogi
• Night Visions (2001, 1 episode) - Head Immigrant
• Dinocroc (2004, TV film)
• Monk (2008, 1 episode) - Leyla Zlatavich
• Bones (2014, 1 episode) - Drina Mirga

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Joanna Pacuła para niños