Zuzanna Szadkowski

Zuzanna Szadkowski
Born Zuzanna Szadkowski
October 22, 1978
Warsaw, Poland
Residence New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma mater Barnard College
Occupation Actress
Years active 2004–present

Zuzanna Szadkowski (born October 22, 1978) is a Polish-American actress, known for her role as Dorota Kishlovsky on the CW teen drama series Gossip Girl. Szadkowski also appeared on The Sopranos, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Guiding Light. She made her New York Stage debut in Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron's Love, Loss, and What I Wore in which she appeared in a record-breaking five all-star casts.

Szadkowski attended Barnard College in New York City and went on to earn an MFA in acting from The A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University/MXAT. She has worked in theater in New York City, regionally (directors Robert Woodruff, Sam Weisman, Marcus Stern), and in Warsaw and Moscow.

Early and personal life

Zuzanna Szadkowski was born on October 22, 1978, in Warsaw, Poland, and moved to the United States when she was three. About her national identity and Polish accent she displays in Gossip Girl, she said, "I was born in Poland, so I am able to identify with her that way. The accent is modeled after people in my own family, so hopefully I am doing it justice".[1] Szadkowski and her family moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where she graduated from the R. Nelson Snider High School in 1997.[2] She attended Barnard College of Columbia University, and went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in acting from the Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University.[2][3]

Szadkowski currently resides in Downtown Brooklyn.[4] In 2010, she partnered with Sam Weisman to open an acting school, the Sam Weisman Studio, in New York City.[5]

Career

Szadkowski made her acting debut in 2006, portraying two characters in Law & Order: Criminal Intent season 5 episode "Watch". She would reprise these roles in the season 7 episode "Lonelyville". In 2007, Szadkowski appeared in two episodes of The Sopranos, "Soprano Home Movies" and "Kennedy and Heidi". The same year, she was cast as Dorota Kishlovsky, the Polish maid of Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), in the CW series Gossip Girl. On April 20, 2009, The CW launched the Gossip Girl spin-off web series Chasing Dorota, consisting of six episodes.

In 2012, Szadkowski appeared in three episodes of the soap opera Guiding Light. She also appeared in the 2011 short film The Pilot Season Survival Guide and in the 2012 independent film Where Is Joel Baum?.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2011 Pilot Season Survival Guide, TheThe Pilot Season Survival Guide Martha Short film
2011 Tower Heist Polish maid Uncredited (deleted scene)
2012 Where Is Joel Baum? Polish cleaning lady
2013 Butterflies of Bill Baker Monica
2014 Growing Up and Other Lies CeCe
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2006 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Trina Episode: "Watch"
2007 Sopranos, TheThe Sopranos Elzbieta 2 episodes
2007–12 Gossip Girl Dorota Kishlovsky 79 episodes (1 uncredited)
2007 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Olga Episode: "Lonelyville"
2009 Chasing Dorota Dorota Kishlovsky Web series; 6 episodes
2009 Guiding Light Sister Angelica 3 episodes
2014 Knick, TheThe Knick Nurse Pell 7 episodes
2015 Elementary Miranda Jantzen Episode: "Seed Money"
2015–present Girls Priya 3 episodes

References

  1. Marci, Steve (February 18, 2009). "An Interview with Zuzanna Szadkowski". TVFantastic.com. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Biography for Zuzanna Szadkowski". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  3. "Zuzanna Szadkowski". American Repertory Theater. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  4. Rovzar, Chris (December 16, 2008). "Zuzanna Szadkowski, a.k.a. Dorota, Fights a Lifelong War With the Alarm Clock". New York Magazine. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  5. Kuhn, Sarah (September 29, 2010). "Sam Weisman and Zuzanna Szadkowski". Backstage Magazine. Retrieved September 28, 2011.

External links