Maja Ostaszewska (born 3 September 1972) is a Polish actress. She made her screen debut appearing in 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 appeared in more than 30 motion pictures and received six Polish Academy Award for Best Actress nominations, winning twice: for Jack Strong (2014) and Body (2015).

Maja Ostaszewska
Maja Ostaszewska, 2018
Born (1972-09-03) 3 September 1972 (age 52)
OccupationActress
Years active1993–present

Ostaszewska starred in films Katyn (2007), In the Name Of (2013), Never Gonna Snow Again (2020), The In-Laws (2021) and its sequel, Broad Peak (2022), Green Border (2023) and Colors of Evil: Red (2024).

Life and career

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Ostaszewska was born in Kraków, the daughter of Polish musician Jacek Ostaszewski, of the Ostoja Clan.[1][2][3] Ostaszewska was raised Buddhist.[4] She started her acting training in her native Kraków[5] and later graduated from the PWST in 1996.[6] 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.[7] In her Warsaw stage debut, she appeared in the role of Rosalinde in William Shakespeare's As You Like It (1996).[8]

 
Ostaszewska in 2017

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.[9] 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.[9] 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.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12]

In 2020, Ostaszewska starred in the comedy-drama film Never Gonna Snow Again receiving another Polish Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.[13] 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.[14] In 2024, she starred in the murder-mystery film, Colors of Evil: Red for Netflix.[15][16] She later was cast in the Netflix series, Projekt UFO.[17]

 
Maja Ostaszewska, 2021

Personal life

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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).[18] Ostaszewska is a vegetarian and Buddhist.[19][20][21] She is also known for her support of the LGBT community.[22]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1993 Schindler's List Frantic Woman
1998 The Haven Karolina Polish Film Festival Award for Best Actress
2000 I'm Looking at You, Mary Marysia Orzechowska Polish Film Festival Award for Best Actress
2000 Prymas – trzy lata z tysiąca Sister Leonia Nominated — Polish Academy Award for Best Actress
2000 Egoiści Client at an advertising agency
2002 Where Eskimos Live Girl at the hotel
2002 The Pianist Woman with Child
2003 Changes Marta Mycinska Nominated — Polish Academy Award for Best Actress
2005 Solidarność, Solidarność... Adult Maja
2006 S@motność w sieci Doctor
2007 Katyn Anna
2008 Ile waży koń trojański? Lidka
2009 Janosik: A True Story Margeta
2011 Uwikłanie Agata Szacka
2013 In the Name Of Ewa
2013 Dom na koncu drogi Wife Short film
2014 Jack Strong Hania Polish Academy Award for Best Actress
2015 A Grain of Truth Weronika Szacka voice
2015 Body Anna Polish Academy Award for Best Actress
2015 Panie Dulskie Melania Dulska
2016 Pitbull: Nowe porządki Olka
2016 Pitbull. Niebezpieczne kobiety Olka
2018 7 Emotions Mother of Adas & Miki
2019 I Am Lying Now Celia
2019 (Nie)znajomi Anna
2020 Kill It and Leave This Town Janek Voice
2020 Never Gonna Snow Again Maria Nominated — Polish Academy Award for Best Actress
2020 Nightwalk Girl's Mother Short film
2020 Magnesium Róza Lewenfisz
2021 The In-Laws Małgorzata Wilk
2022 Broad Peak Ewa Dyakowska-Berbeka Nominated — Polish Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
2023 Green Border Julia Nominated — Polish Academy Award for Best Actress
2023 The In-Laws 2 Małgorzata Wilk
2024 Colors of Evil: Red Helena Bogucka
TBA Chopin, Chopin! Tekla Justyna Chopin

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1996—2016 Teatr Telewizji Various 28 episodes
2001 Removals Celina Szczygiel 10 episodes
2003—2008 Na dobre i na złe Małgorzata Donovan 114 episodes
2008 Days of Honor Wanda 13 episodes
2009 The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler Jadwiga Television film
2011—2013 Recipe For Life Beata Darmięta 65 episodes
2016—2017 Druga szansa Lidka Rak 30 episodes
2017—2018 Diagnosis Anna Nowak 52 episodes
2021 The Office PL Arleta Mosul Episode: "No to szklo"
2021 Klangor Magda Wejman 7 episodes

References

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  1. ^ M.J. Minakowski
  2. ^ Teraz Teatr https://www.terazteatr.pl/artysci/maja-ostaszewska,639
  3. ^ Kasper Niesiecki, Herbarz Polski, wyd. J.N. Bobrowicz, Lipsk, Volume 7, p.169
  4. ^ "Actress Maja Ostaszewska called Jewish and Gipsy" (in Polish). 13 May 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  5. ^ Redakcja (2002-10-05). "Zaczęło się sto lat temu..." Kraków Nasze Miasto (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  6. ^ "Maja Ostaszewska: "Maju, cóż zobaczymy dziś?"". Onet Kultura (in Polish). 2020-09-03. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  7. ^ "Maja Ostaszewska". prod-www.tcm.com.
  8. ^ "Maja Ostaszewska". Culture.pl.
  9. ^ a b "Maja Ostaszewska - Nowy Teatr". nowyteatr.org.
  10. ^ "Znamy nominowanych do Wiktorów - Telewizja - Plejada - Sprawdź, co słychać w show-biznesie". 2013-02-21. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  11. ^ "FilmPolski.pl". FilmPolski.
  12. ^ "Orły | Polskie Nagrody Filmowe". pnf.pl.
  13. ^ "Never Gonna Snow Again - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. July 30, 2021.
  14. ^ Polska, Vogue (September 5, 2023). "Maja Ostaszewska o filmie „Zielona granica" i kryzysie na granicy polsko-białoruskiej". Vogue Polska.
  15. ^ Roberts, Joe (June 4, 2024). "A Polish Murder Mystery Is Quickly Making Its Way Up Netflix's Top Charts". SlashFilm.
  16. ^ Klein, Brennan (June 2, 2024). "Colors Of Evil: Red Cast & Character Guide". ScreenRant.
  17. ^ "„Projekt UFO": nowy film z Mają Ostaszewską na Netflix. O czym jest Projekt UFO? - ELLE.pl".
  18. ^ "MAJA OSTASZEWSKA - Gala.pl". 2011-06-16. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  19. ^ Bezmięsny sposób na życie. Archived 2013-08-14 at archive.today,www.wegetarianie.pl, 03.10.2005.
  20. ^ Zostań wege!, Viva.org.pl, 30.11.2010.
  21. ^ Marta Gessler: Nie jadłam tego nigdy!, magazyn-kuchnia.pl, 28.06.2012.
  22. ^ "Nie musisz należeć do świata queer, żeby wspierać tęczowe środowisko. Ci znani i lubiani pokazują, że każda miłość powinna być równa". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
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