Maria Ciesielska was born on 15th August 1934, in Inowrocław. She is a Polish film and theatre actress.
In 1955, she graduated from the AST National Academy of Theatre Arts in Cracow. The same year, she made her theatre début in the stage play Maturzyści written by Zdzisław Skowroński and directed by Jerzy Ronald Bujański, which had its première at the Old Theatre in Cracow, in which she portrayed Hanka Dobrzyńska. She continued to work at the Old Theatre in Cracow until 1958, and then started playing at the Polish Theatre in Warsaw. In the years 1973-1983, she was part of the team of actors at Teatr Rozmaitości (Variety Theatre) in Warsaw. Then, in 1983, she restarted her cooperation with the Polish Theatre in Warsaw, where she continued to make stage appearances until 1997. Throughout the span of her career, she played in approximately 40 theatre plays.
Her career on the big screen came with an episodic role in „Godziny nadziei/„The Hours of Hope (1955). Later on, she was cast in „Zimowy zmierzch”/„Winter Dusk” (1956) directed by Stanisław Lenartowicz. In 1958, she had her first appearance in a film directed by Witold Lesiewicz, which was „Dezerter”/„Deserter”. Maria Ciesielska later returned to working with Witold Lesiewicz and played in such of his films as: „Kwiecień”/„April” (1961), „Między brzegami”/„Between Two Shores” (1962), „Nieznany”/„Unknown” (1964), „Miejsce dla jednego”/„Place for One” (1965), or „Bolesław Śmiały”/„Boleslaus the Bold” (1971).
An important step forward in her career came with the role of Basia in the film „Zezowate szczęście”/„Bad Luck” (1960), now considered a cult film, directed by Andrzej Munk, an important figure in the history of Polish Film School. Then, she was also cast in „Świadectwo urodzenia”/„Birth Certificate” (1961) or in „Dziadek do orzechów”/„The Nutcracker” (1967). To the people fond of Polish television productions, she is famous for her appearances in „Dzieci z naszej szkoły” (1968), „Doktor Munek” (1979), or the TV series „Ojciec Mateusz” (2016).
Maria Ciesielska recorded a voice-over for many popular foreign films. You can hear her voice as Mrs. Jumbo in the animated film „Dumbo”, as Cinderella in „Cinderella”, or as Cosette in „Les Misérables”.
Selected Filmography:
- 1955 – „Godziny nadziei”/„The Hours of Hope” dir. Jan Rybkowski
- 1956 – „Zimowy zmierzch”/„Winter Dusk” dir. Stanisław Lenartowicz
- 1958 – „Dezerter”/„Deserter” dir. Witold Lesiewicz
- 1960 – „Powrót” dir. Leokadia Migielska
- 1960 – „Zezowate szczęście”/„Bad Luck” dir. Andrzej Munk
- 1961 – „Kwiecień”/„April” dir. Witold Lesiewicz
- 1961 – „Świadectwo urodzenia”/„Birth Certificate” dir.Stanisław Różewicz
- 1962 – „Między brzegami”/„Between Two Shores” dir. Witold Lesiewicz
- 1963 – „Weekendy”/„Weekends” dir. Józef Hen, Wadim Berestowski, Jan Rutkiewicz
- 1964 – „Nieznany”/„Unknown” dir. Witold Lesiewicz
- 1965 – „Miejsce dla jednego”/„Place for One” dir.Witold Lesiewicz
- 1967 – „Dziadek do orzechów”/„The Nutcracker” dir. Halina Bielińska
- 1968 – „Dzieci z naszej szkoły” (TV series)
- 1971 – „Bolesław Śmiały”/„Boleslaus the Bold” dir. Witold Lesiewicz
- 1973 – „Nicponie” dir. Leokadia Migielska
- 1979 – „Doktor Murek” (TV series)
- 2016 – „Ojciec Mateusz” (TV series)
