---
name: "Agata Kulesza"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/agata-kulesza"
fi1m_id: "agata-kulesza"
imdb_id: "nm0474492"
tmdb_id: 566101
wikidata_id: "Q114567"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "27 September 1971"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 85
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-10-23T20:53:57.456178+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Agata Kulesza

## Identity

Agata Kulesza

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/agata-kulesza
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** agata-kulesza
- **IMDb ID:** nm0474492
- **TMDB ID:** 566101
- **Wikidata ID:** Q114567
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agata_Kulesza, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114567, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474492/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/566101

Actor. Born 27 September 1971 in Szczecin, Poland.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 27 September 1971, Szczecin, Poland
- **Active:** 2013–present
- **Frequently works with:** [Ewa Puszczyńska](https://film.one/person/ewa-puszczynska.md), [Paweł Pawlikowski](https://film.one/person/pawe-pawlikowski.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 85, as actor, over 2 titles
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agata_Kulesza, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114567, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474492/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/566101

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Cold War*](https://film.one/film/cold-war.md) (85)
- **Apple TV:** [*Ida*](https://film.one/film/ida.md) (85)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Agata Kulesza

> Agata Kulesza makes hardened women understandable without making them easy company. We rate her restraint and her refusal to soften a character for our benefit; *Ida* gives the clearest reason to watch her.

In *Ida* (2013), Agata Kulesza’s Wanda disturbs the quiet around a novice nun without overwhelming her. A pause or a glance can carry the pain; Kulesza does not need to keep demonstrating it. She is particularly good at playing women who use authority or cynicism to keep their distress out of sight. Here, she keeps the difference between the two women clear without turning their scenes into a contest.

The lead in *Rose* (2011) was the breakthrough, after years of theatre and supporting work in Polish film and television. International recognition followed with *Ida*, and Paweł Pawlikowski remains the director through whom we have seen her most clearly. Wanda gives her room to be forceful, damaged and unaccommodating, sometimes at once. The part of the Mother Superior in *The Innocents* (2016) places her in another position of authority, with moral torment beneath it.

Wanda’s self-destructiveness makes her an uncomfortable guide for her niece, and Kulesza refuses to soften that difficulty. We found her painful to watch because she can help Anna confront the past while seeming unable to live with it herself. The performance is strong enough to carry stretches where the women’s history could use a little more dialogue. Our reservation about *Ida* is that the careful framing sometimes holds us too far away; Kulesza’s willingness to be unpleasant is not something we would ask the film to correct.

*Cold War* (2018) reunites her with Pawlikowski as Irena Bielecka, but it is a less substantial introduction to her work. We recommend the romance for Joanna Kulig, Tomasz Kot and the music. The gaps between scenes sometimes make the lovers’ feelings harder to follow. Kulesza has continued in Polish features alongside stage work, and there is no need to treat Wanda as the limit of what she can do. Start with *Ida*, provided you can bear an evening with an aunt who will not make herself agreeable.

## Biography

Agata Kulesza is a Polish actress who works in film, television and theatre. She graduated with distinction from the Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw in 1994.

She is known for her performances in *Rose* (2011), for which she received a Polish Film Award for Best Actress, *Ida* (2013) as Wanda, and *Cold War* (2018) as Irena Bielecka. Kulesza has won four Polish Film Awards in total. She is a member of the Polish Film Academy.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, culture.pl.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Cold War* (2018), Fi1m 85, as Irena Bielecka — [page](https://film.one/film/cold-war.md)
- *Ida* (2013), Fi1m 85, as Wanda — [page](https://film.one/film/ida.md)

## Complete filmography (67)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Time That Never Came* (2026), as Sara
- *The Doll* (2026), as Ms. Meliton — coming soon, [page](https://film.one/film/the-doll-2026.md)
- *Lead Children* (2026), series, as Professor Berger
- *Home Sweet Home* (2025), as Gośka's Mother
- *The Partisan* (2025), as Stefania Skarbek
- *The Breslau Murders* (2025), series, as Gerda Holtz
- *Where Do We Begin* (2025), as Mother
- *Simona Kossak* (2024), as Elżbieta Kossak
- *Green Border* (2023), as Basia
- *Pati* (2023), series, as Alicja Mazur
- *My Agent* (2022), series, as Agata Kulesza
- *Wolf* (2021), series, as Mother of Ada
- *The Wedding Day* (2021), as Ela Wilk
- *The Convict* (2021), series, as Alicja Mazur
- *Magnesium* (2021), as Stanisława Kochaj
- *Parquet* (2021), as Elisabeth
- *Never Gonna Snow Again* (2021), as Ewa
- *Kayko and Kokosh* (2021), series, as Jaga (voice)
- *Królestwo kobiet* (2020), series, as Mrs. Szpak
- *25 Years of Innocence* (2020), as Teresa Klemańska
- *The Hater* (2020), as Beata Santorska
- *World on Fire* (2019), series, as Maria Tomaszeski
- *Playing Hard* (2019), as Dorota
- *The Trap* (2018), series, as Olga Sawicka
- *Cold War* (2018), as Irena Bielecka — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/cold-war.md)
- *Once Upon a Time in November* (2017), as Mamusia
- *Ultraviolet* (2017), series, as Anna Serafin
- *Joy in the World* (2016), as Gertruda
- *I'm a Killer* (2016), as Lidia Kalicka
- *Dark Crimes* (2016), as Marta
- *The Innocents* (2016), as Mother Superior
- *These Daughters of Mine* (2015), as Marta
- *Web Therapy* (2015), series, as Lucyna Kole-Bojarska
- *Secret Wars* (2015), series, as Anna Czerwonko
- *Warsaw by Night* (2015), as Ola (segment "Iga")
- *All About My Parents* (2014), as Mom
- *Secret Wars* (2014), as Anna Czerwonko
- *The Mighty Angel* (2014), as Mama małego Jerzego
- *In Hiding* (2013), as Wanda
- *Ida* (2013), as Wanda — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/ida.md)
- *Traffic Department* (2013), as Jadzia
- *Miłość* (2012), as Kostrzewska, Adam's Wife
- *Women's Day* (2012), as Psycholog
- *Blood for Blood* (2012), series, as Carmen Rota-Majewska
- *Rose* (2012), as Róża Kwiatkowska
- *In Treatment* (2011), series, as Iwona, znajoma Andrzeja z Wiednia
- *My Name Is Ki* (2011), as Miriam
- *Into Deep Water* (2011), series, as Hanna Wrzesińska, żona Jacka
- *Suicide Room* (2011), as Beata Santorska
- *A Polish Family* (2011), series, as Maria
- *Prosto w serce* (2010), series, as Aneta Sienkiewicz
- *Flying Pigs* (2010), as Karina Klaus
- *Real* (2009), as Anna
- *Expecting Love* (2008), as Doctor
- *Kilka prostych słów* (2007), as Krystyna
- *Journey* (2006), as Jola
- *Fortuna Czyha w Lesie* (2005), as Attorney
- *Solidarność, Solidarność...* (2005), as Filip's Wife
- *Saved by a Miracle* (2004), Actor
- *Seven Stops on the Way to the Paradise* (2003), as Głucha
- *My Roasted Chicken* (2002), as Agata, żona Wojtka
- *Przedwiośnie* (2001), as Woman at a Communist Meeting
- *Poznań 56* (1996), as Zośka, nauczycielka bohaterów
- *Die Straßen von Berlin* (1995), series, as Katharina Stefanescu
- *Człowiek z...* (1993), as Anna
- *Goodbye Rockefeller* (1993), as Bartek "Bączek" Malinowski (voice)
- *Liebling Kreuzberg* (1986), series, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Agata Kulesza](https://film.one/media/person/128233/gallery-0a4651411306.jpg) Agata Kulesza — Fryta 73 from Strzegom (Wikimedia Commons account: Fryta73), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Agata_Kulesza_%282018%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Agata Kulesza (aktorka) (2007)](https://film.one/media/person/128233/gallery-a33455b9f8d2.jpg) Agata Kulesza (aktorka) (2007) — Paweł Matyka, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Agata_Kulesza_%28aktorka%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Agata Kulesza 2 (2016)](https://film.one/media/person/128233/gallery-02b8f9dc656a.jpg) Agata Kulesza 2 (2016) — Fryta 73, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Agata_Kulesza_2_%2825519330612%29.jpg/1280px-Agata_Kulesza_2_%2825519330612%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Agata Kulesza 2 (2016)](https://film.one/media/person/128233/gallery-ebfcf611137c.jpg) Agata Kulesza 2 (2016) — Fryta 73, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Agata_Kulesza_2_%2825519330612%29_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Agata_Kulesza_2_%2825519330612%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Agata Kulesza](https://film.one/media/person/128233/gallery-2fe7762f4bed.jpg) Agata Kulesza — Image via TMDB
- ![Agata Kulesza 3 (2017)](https://film.one/media/person/128233/gallery-c1bb84591773.jpg) Agata Kulesza 3 (2017) — Fryta 73, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Agata_Kulesza_3_%2832097248530%29.jpg/1280px-Agata_Kulesza_3_%2832097248530%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Agata Kulesza 3 (2017)](https://film.one/media/person/128233/gallery-0e3ffcaa1cc8.jpg) Agata Kulesza 3 (2017) — Fryta 73, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Agata_Kulesza_3_%2832097248530%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

## Awards

### Other awards — 2 won, 3 nominated

- European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film 2019: European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film (nominated), for *Cold War*
- European Film Award for Best Actress 2014: European Film Award for Best Actress (nominated), for *Ida*
- European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film 2014: European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film (nominated), for *Ida*
- Polish Academy Award for Best Actress 2014: Polish Academy Award for Best Actress (won), for *Ida*
- Polish Academy Award for Best Actress 2012: Polish Academy Award for Best Actress (won), for *Rose*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/agata-kulesza