Joanna Pakula is an American film and television actress of Polish descent. The most famous projects with her participation are the horror film “Warlock 2”, the science-fiction film “Virus”, the thriller “Black Widow”. The filmography of Joanna Pakula totals more than forty films and television series.
Biography
The future actress was born in the Polish town of Tomaszow Lubelski in 1957. Her mother was a pharmacist, her father was an engineer. In 1971, Joanna had a sister, Eva.
In 1975, Pakula graduated from high school and moved to Warsaw, where she entered the Alexander Zelverovich Theater Academy. Having received a diploma in 1979, the next two years she worked at the Warsaw Theater. Pacula has played in such plays as Romeo and Juliet, Othello and How You Like It.
Movie work
While still a student, Joanna played small roles in several films, the most famous of which is Krzysztof Zanussi’s comedy “Protective Colors”.
In 1981, martial law was declared in Poland, at which time the actress was in Paris and could not return home. In 1982, she emigrated to the United States and a year later she played the main female role in the detective of Michael Epted "Gorky Park". The film earned critical acclaim and was called the "intense, smart thriller."
In 1989, Joanna Pacula played a major female role in the thriller "Starting Point" by Peter Markle.
A year later, the actress got a role in the first action movie in her filmography - Marked with Death. Together with her on the picture worked Stephen Seagal. Film critics rated the film average, but the box office was pleased - with a budget of 12 million films, it raised $ 58 million at the box office.
In 1991, the actress played Alina in the erotic drama "Husbands and Lovers", based on the book of Alberto Moravia.
The next interesting project in the filmography of Paculi was the horror "Warlock: Armageddon", which was released in 1993. The film received mixed reviews from critics and viewers who noted that the sequel was much worse than the original. “Warlock 2” almost failed at the box office, collecting just $ 4 million.
In 1999, Joanna Pacula passed the test and got a role in the sci-fi horror "Virus". Director John Bruno picked up a strong cast for the picture. The main roles were played by such famous actors as Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Sutherland, William Baldwin and Joanna Pacula. Films with the participation of John Bruno as the director of special effects were previously deafening, he worked on the films Ghostbusters and Poltergeist, but his directorial experience was unsuccessful - even the star cast did not save the film from the box office failure.
A television
In 1987, Joanna Pacula first played in a television film - in the drama Jack Gold's "Escape from Sobibor." The plot is inspired by real events - the uprising of prisoners in the Sobibor concentration camp in October 1943. Pakula played the role of Luke, one of the prisoners of the camp who took part in the uprising.
In 1994, the actress was selected for one of the main roles in the sci-fi television film "Red Cells". The picture tells of an unknown virus that can change the normal composition of the blood and make the infected immortal. This is exactly what happened with the little girl Gracie Rickman. However, immortality has a price - scientist Thomas Newmayer is ready to do anything to find out the secret of the virus, including the murder of Gracie.
In 1999, the actress played a small role in the TV series Western "Dead Man's Gun." Due to the low ratings, the television series was closed after the end of the second season.
