Maria Pakulnis – Film, theater and television actress. Graduated from the Warsaw PWST (1980). She is one of the most outstanding actresses of the middle generation, she has won special recognition among both critics and audiences. For her artistic achievements she has been repeatedly recognized with awards: the Zbyszek Cybulski award, acting award at the IFF in Taormina, Bronze Lions at the Festival of Polish Feature Films in Gdansk , Golden Screen, in 1998 she imprinted her hand on the Promenade of Stars in Międzyzdroje. Already at the threshold of her career she worked with the most important directors: T. Konwicki (“The Issa Valley”), Krzysztof Kieślowski (“No End”, “Decalogue III”), J. Zaorski (“Lake Constance”), A.Domalik (“Siegfried”), M.Gronowski (“Verification”). She has created a whole gallery of female characters, although she is most often cast in roles of attractive, confident and strong women.
She played unforgettable roles in “Citizen Piszczyk” by A. Kotkowski, “Consul” by M. Bork, “Farewell to Autumn” by M. Trelinski, “Cobwebs” by B. Sass, “Crossroads Cafe” by L. Wosiewicz. To the television audience she is known for her excellent role as Nadezhda Tumskaya in the series “Extradition” by W.Wojcik, as well as from other productions, i.e. “Dog Heart”, “Sisters, “Secondhand News”, “Above the Spillway”. She appeared in more than 40 performances of the Television Theater, including “Mahagonny”, “Sickness of Youth”, “Arc de Triomphe” , “Stavrogin’s Case”, “Word of Honor” by K. Zaleski, “Freud’s Theory of Dreams” by A. Minkiewicz, “Umbilical Cord” by P. Szulkin, “Steppenwolf” by T. Kotlarczyk, “Birthday” by K. Nazar, “First of September” by K. Lang. She played many roles in a very diverse repertoire.
After graduation, she performed in the avant-garde Dramatic Theater in Slupsk. Since 1981 she was associated with Warsaw theaters: Współczesny (1981-87) and Dramatyczny (1987). From 1989-2010 she was an actress at the Ateneum Theater in Warsaw. She also worked with the Dramatic Theater in Bialystok. She currently performs at the capital’s Komedia Theater and Kamienica Theater. Over the years of working on the boards of the theater, she has created many interesting creations in, among others, “Little Apocalypse”, “The Tempest”, “Mahagonny””The Threepenny Opera”, “Garderobe”, “The Reception”, “Life: Three Versions” by K. Zaleski, “Midsummer Night’s Dream” by M. Englert, “Libertine” by W.Adamczyk, “Hunting Cockroaches” by Laco Adamik “Scenes from Married Life”, “Woman of No Importance” by R. Szejd, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, “Tectonics of Feelings” by J. Wernio. Maria Pakulnis also works at the Polish Radio Theater. She also does dubbing for children’s and young people’s films, in 2000 and 2003 she lent her voice to Cruella de Mon from “101 Dalmatians”.