Joanna Pacuła (; born 30 December 1957) is a Polish actress and model. Born in Tomaszów Lubelski, she immigrated to the United States in the early 1980s, and first gained prominence through her modeling work for Vogue. Her breakthrough performance in the 1983 film Gorky Park earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In the years since, she established herself as a character actress, appearing in numerous high-profile films and television series.
Early life Pacuła was born in Tomaszów Lubelski, Poland, to a pharmacist mother and an engineer father."Joanna Pacuła zrobiła zbyt małą karierę, by zasłużyć na honorowe obywatelstwo Tomaszowa Lubelskiego?", pomorska.pl, 11 October 2010, retrieved 2011-07-30 She has a sister, Ewa Pacuła, a model and TV personality who has also worked in the United States. In addition to her native Polish, Pacuła is also fluent in Russian and English.
Career In 1979, Pacuła graduated from the Aleksander Zelwerowicz State Theatre Academy. After graduation, she joined the Warsaw Dramatic Theatre, where she acted until 1981. She began her career playing in productions of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and As You Like It. She also found work in a few films, including Krzysztof Zanussi's Camouflage (Barwy ochronne, 1977) and Sergiu Nicolaescu's Last Night of Love (, 1980) in Romania.
In 1981, Pacuła was in Paris when the communist authorities in Poland declared martial law. She did not return to her homeland, and in 1982 immigrated to the United States, first settling in New York City, where she began studying and eventually became fluent in English. She subsequently relocated to Los Angeles to establish a career in English-speaking films. Her feature debut came in appearing opposite William Hurt in Gorky Park (1983). She was praised by Roman Polanski for that role. She played in numerous American TV series and movies, including the Holocaust drama Escape From Sobibor (CBS, 1987),Rosenberg, Howard (1987) "In the Spotlight", Los Angeles Times, 12 April 1987, p. 3 (TV section) The Kiss (1988),Wuntch, Philip (1988) "Horror Role is a First for Polish Acretss Pacula", Dallas Morning News, 14 October 1988 E.A.R.T.H. Force (CBS, 1990), and the TV series, The Colony (ABC, 1996). She also starred in Lewis Gilbert's Not Quite Paradise released in 1985.Shefy Gefen, Pearl (1984) "This Polish Actress turns Holiday into a Movie Career in the West", Montreal Gazette, 4 December 1984, p. E1
She was featured in Marked for Death (1990) as an expert on Jamaican voodoo and gangs;Harris, Mark (1990) "Marked For Death starring Steven Seagal And Joanna Pacula ", straight.com, 18 October 1990, retrieved 2011-07-30 in the Italian erotic thriller Husband and Lovers (1992) as a free-spirited adultress; Tombstone (1993) as Doc Holliday's lover, Kate; in The Haunted Sea (1997); and in the film Virus (1999), playing a Russian scientist."'Virus' is piece of garbage – even its big names stink", Deseret News, 17 January 1999 She currently resides in Southern California.
Personal life Pacula began dating film producer Hawk Koch in 1983, after he cast her in Gorky Park on the recommendation of Roman Polanski. They later separated.
Recognition In 1984 she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Gorky Park.
She was listed as one of 12 "Promising New Actors of 1984" in John Willis's Screen World, volume 36.
Filmography Film
Television
Awards and nominations +AwardsYearAwardCategoryProductionResult 1983 Golden Globe Awards Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Gorky Park 1988 Saturn Awards Saturn Award for Best Actress The Kiss
References
External links