Joanna Pacula

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Joanna Pacula

Born	January 2, 1957 (1957-01-02) (age 51) Tomaszów Lubelski, Poland

Joanna Pacula (born January 2, 1957) is a Polish actress.

Pacula was born Joanna Pacuła in Tomaszów Lubelski, Poland to a pharmacist mother and an engineer father. In 1979, she graduated from The Theatre Academy in Warsaw and joined Warsaw Dramatic Theatre where she acted until 1981. She started her career playing in productions of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Othello and As You Like It. She also found work in a handful of films, including Krzysztof Zanussi's Barwy ochronne/Camouflage (1977).

In 1981, Pacula was caught in Paris when communist authorities in Poland declared martial law. In 1982 she eventually emigrated to the U.S. (probably as an asylee) where she has specialized in playing European temptresses since her feature debut opposite William Hurt in Gorky Park (1983). She played the part of the exotic beauty in numerous American TV series and movies, including the Holocaust drama Escape From Sobibor (CBS, 1987), The Kiss (1988), E.A.R.T.H. Force (CBS, 1990), and the TV series, The Colony (ABC, 1996).

She was featured in Marked for Death (1990) as an expert on Jamaican voodoo and gangs; in the Italian erotic thriller Husbands And Lovers (1992) as a free spirited adultress (which featured a rather controversial bare-bottom spanking scene, a first in a mainstream film); Tombstone (1993) as Doc Holliday's lover, Kate (also known as Big Nose Kate and Mary Catherine Haroney, born November 7, 1850); in The Haunted Sea (1997); and in the movie Virus (1999), playing a Russian scientist. Currently she resides in Southern California.

[edit] Trivia

Joanna was considered for the role Catharine in Black Widow (1987).
Once owned a house that belonged to Rudolph Valentino.
5' 9" (1.75 m).
Music video for Robert Palmer: "Addicted to Love".
Pacula was turned down for the role of Vicky Vale in Batman (1989).
Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world (1990).
Auditioned for the role of Rachael in Blade Runner (1982).
Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1984" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 36.
Turned down roles in Brazil (1985), Basic Instinct (1992), Power (1986) and Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986).
Ranked #9 in FHM magazine's '100 sexiest women of all time'.
Turned down role Pam Bouvier in Licence to Kill (1989).
Appeared on cover of Vogue 2 times.
Was ranked #36 in Channel 5's "World's greatest supermodel".
Joanna wanted the role of Catwoman in Batman Returns (1992) but was rejected.
Auditioned for the role Sophie Zawistowski in Sophie's Choice (1982).
Auditioned for the role of Crystal Connors in Showgirls (1995).
Turned down for the role of Erin Grant in Striptease (1996).
Her performance as Irina Asanova in Gorky Park (1983) is ranked #57 on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).