Maja Ostaszewska (born 3 September 1972) is a Polish actress. She made her screen debut appearing in a small role in the 1993 historical drama film Schindler's List, before playing leading role in the drama film The Haven (1998), for which she received Polish Film Festival Award for Best Actress. She received her second Polish Film Festival Award for Best Actress for Prymas – trzy lata z tysiąca (2000). Since then, Ostaszewska has appeared in more than 30 motion pictures and received seven Polish Academy Award for Best Actress nominations, winning twice: for Jack Strong (2014) and Body (2015).
Ostaszewska starred in films Katyn (2007), In the Name Of (2013), Never Gonna Snow Again (2020), The In-Laws (2021) and its sequels, Broad Peak (2022), Green Border (2023), Colors of Evil: Red (2024) and Chopin, a Sonata in Paris (2025).
Life and career Ostaszewska was born in Kraków, the daughter of Polish musician Jacek Ostaszewski.Teraz Teatr https://www.terazteatr.pl/artysci/maja-ostaszewska,639Kasper Niesiecki, Herbarz Polski, wyd. J.N. Bobrowicz, Lipsk, Volume 7, p.169 Ostaszewska was raised Buddhist. She started her acting training in her native Kraków and later graduated from the PWST in 1996. She has since acted mostly at the Teatr Rozmaitości in Warsaw, working with well-known Polish directors such as Krystian Lupa, Krzysztof Warlikowski and Grzegorz Jarzyna. In 1993, during her acting training, she played a small role in Steven Spielberg's drama film Schindler's List. In her Warsaw stage debut, she appeared in the role of Rosalinde in William Shakespeare's As You Like It (1996). In 1998, Ostaszewska played the leading role in the drama film, The Haven. For this role, she received the Best Actress Award at the Polish Film Festival held in Gdynia. She received her second Polish Film Festival Award for Best Actress and first Polish Academy Award for Best Actress nomination for Prymas – trzy lata z tysiąca (2000). She received Paszport Polityki Award in recognition of her film roles. She received another nomination for Przemiany in 2004. On television, Ostaszewska starred in the drama series, Removals in 2001 and later was regular cast member in the medical drama series, Na dobre i na złe (2003—2008). In 2008, she starred in the first season on the War drama series, Days of Honor and later was regular in the comedy-drama Recipe For Life (2011–2013) and the medical drama Diagnosis (2017–2019). In 2012 she received the Telekamera Award for Best Actress, and in February 2013 she received a Wiktor Award nomination for TV acting. She appeared in the made-for-television movie The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler (2009) starring Anna Paquin.
Ostaszewska appeared in films Where Eskimos Live and The Pianist in 2002. She played one of the main characters in Academy Award-nominated Andrzej Wajda's historical drama Katyń in 2007. She appeared in the comedy film Ile wazy kon trojanski? (2008) and starred in the drama Janosik: A True Story (2009) directed by Agnieszka Holland. She played the leads in the crime drama film Uwiklanie (2011) and the drama film In the Name Of (2013). She next starred in Jack Strong (2014) and Body (2015), receiving Polish Academy Award for Best Actress in 2015 and 2016.
In 2020, Ostaszewska starred in the comedy-drama film Never Gonna Snow Again receiving another Polish Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. It was selected as the Polish entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, but failed to receive a nomination. The following year, she starred in the crime drama series, Klangor. She starred in the comedy film The In-Laws (2021) and the biographical drama film Broad Peak (2022). In 2023, Ostaszewska starred in the drama film Green Border directed by Agnieszka Holland. In 2024, she starred in the murder-mystery film, Colors of Evil: Red for Netflix. She later was cast in the Netflix miniseries, Projekt UFO. In 2025, Ostaszewska played 2025Tekla Justyna Chopin in the biographical drama film, Chopin, a Sonata in Paris and the following year Baronowa Krzeszowska in the period drama The Doll. In 2026 she also starred in the HBO Max drama series, Proud.
Personal life Ostaszewska is in a relationship with Polish cinematographer Michał Englert, son of actor Maciej Englert. They have two children, son Franciszek (born 2007) and daughter Janina (born 2009). Ostaszewska is a vegetarian and Buddhist.Bezmięsny sposób na życie. ,www.wegetarianie.pl, 03.10.2005.Zostań wege!, Viva.org.pl, 30.11.2010.Marta Gessler: Nie jadłam tego nigdy!, magazyn-kuchnia.pl, 28.06.2012. She is also known for her support of the LGBT community.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1993 Schindler's ListFrantic Woman1998 The Haven KarolinaPolish Film Festival Award for Best Actress2000I'm Looking at You, MaryMarysia OrzechowskaPolish Film Festival Award for Best Actress2000 Prymas – trzy lata z tysiąca Sister LeoniaNominated — Polish Academy Award for Best Actress2000Egoiści Client at an advertising agency2002 Where Eskimos Live Girl at the hotel2002 The PianistWoman with Child2003Changes Marta MycinskaNominated — Polish Academy Award for Best Actress2005 Solidarność, Solidarność... Adult Maja 2006 S@motność w sieci Doctor2007 Katyn Anna2008 Ile waży koń trojański? Lidka2009 Janosik: A True Story Margeta2011 Uwikłanie Agata Szacka2013 In the Name Of Ewa2013Dom na koncu drogi WifeShort film2014Jack Strong HaniaPolish Academy Award for Best Actress2015A Grain of Truth Weronika Szacka voice2015 Body AnnaPolish Academy Award for Best ActressNew York Polish Film Festival Award for Best Actress2015 Panie Dulskie Melania Dulska2016 Pitbull: Nowe porządki Olka2016Pitbull: Tough Women Olka20187 EmotionsMother of Adas & Miki2019I Am Lying Now Celia2019(Nie)znajomi Anna2020Kill It and Leave This TownJanekVoice2020 Never Gonna Snow Again MariaNominated — Polish Academy Award for Best Actress 2020Nightwalk Girl's MotherShort film2020Magnesium Róza Lewenfisz2021The In-Laws Małgorzata Wilk2022 Broad Peak Ewa Dyakowska-BerbekaNominated — Polish Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress2023 Green Border JuliaNominated — Polish Academy Award for Best Actress2023 The In-Laws 2 Małgorzata Wilk2024Colors of Evil: Red Helena Bogucka2025The In-Laws 3 Małgorzata Wilk2025Chopin, a Sonata in ParisTekla Justyna Chopin2026The Doll Baronowa Krzeszowska
Television Year Title Role Notes1996—2016Teatr TelewizjiVarious 28 episodes2001RemovalsCelina Szczygiel10 episodes2003—2008Na dobre i na złeMałgorzata Donovan114 episodes2008Days of HonorWanda13 episodes2009The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler JadwigaTelevision film2011—2013Recipe For LifeBeata Darmięta65 episodes2016—2017Druga szansaLidka Rak30 episodes2017—2018DiagnosisAnna Nowak52 episodes2021The Office PL Arleta MosulEpisode: "No to szklo"2021Klangor Magda Wejman7 episodes2025 Project UFO Wera Wierusz 4 episodes2026ProudBeata8 episodes
References
External links
Maja Ostaszewska at filmpolski.pl at culture.pl