Karolina Gruszka (born 13 July 1980) is a Polish actress, who appeared in Polish and international film, stage and television productions. She is five-time Polish Film Awards-nominee: two times for Best Actress in The Lovers of Marona (2005) and Marie Curie: The Courage of Knowledge (2016), and three times for Best Supporting Actress in All About My Parents (2014), Lullaby Killer (2017) and Chopin, a Sonata in Paris (2025).
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Life and career
Gruszka was born in Warsaw, Poland and made her television debut as the age of nine and in 1998 made her big screen debut starring in the comedy film Spona, receiving Award at the Ale Kino! International Young Audience Film Festival. Her big break came in 2000, starring as Masha Mironova in the Russian drama film, The Captain's Daughter, the adaptation of the historical novel The Captain's Daughter (1836) by Alexander Pushkin. The following year she starred in the another Russian film, the war action In August of 1944. The same time she starred in Polish films Keep Away from the Window (2000), Przedwiosnie (2001) and Bez litosci (2002). In 2003 she graduated from the Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw. From 2003 to 2008 she performed on National Theatre, Warsaw.
In 2005, Gruszka received Best Actress Award at the Gdynia Film Festival, the Zbigniew Cybulski Award and the nomination for Polish Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the musical drama film, The Lovers of Marona directed by Izabella Cywińska. The following year she starred in the psychological thriller film Inland Empire directed by David Lynch premiered at the 63rd Venice International Film Festival. After she married Russian playwright and director Ivan Vyrypaev, Gruszka mostly appeared in plays written and directed by him, such as July (2009), Delhi' Dance (2010) and Unbearably Long Embraces (2015). She worked with Vyrypaev on films and stage productions, in Poland and Russia. In 2009 she played the lead role in the Russian drama film, Oxygen and in 2012 in the Belarusian drama Viva Belarus!. In 2010 she received Czech Lion Award for Best Actress in Leading Role nomination for her performance in film, 3 Seasons in Hell. In 2015 she received Polish Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for performance in the comedy-drama film, All About My Parents.
In 2016, Gruszka played physicist and chemist Marie Curie in the internationally co-produced biographical drama film, Marie Curie: The Courage of Knowledge. The film received positive reviews and her performance gained another Polish Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
In 2018 she starred in the Swedish-Russian television series, Moscow Noir. In 2019, she appeared in the Icelandic movie Gullregn (English: Goldrain), directed by Ragnar Bragason. Although she previously did not know the language, she had to perform all her lines in Icelandic. Following 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine she left the Russia with Vyrypaev. After She returned to Poland starring in the television series Kod genetyczny (2020), Królestwo kobiet (2020), Nieobecni (2022), Dom pod Dwoma Orłami (2023) and Gra z cieniem (2024). In 2023 she appeared in the drama film, The American starring Diane Kruger. In 2025 she starred alongside Bogusław Linda in the thriller film Operation Pope (2025) and played Delfina Potocka in the biographical drama film, Chopin, a Sonata in Paris. The role gained her another Polish Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Also in 2025 she starred in the second season of HBO Max crime drama series, Pati, and the Disney+ period crime drama series, The Breslau Murders. In 2026 she was cast in the Netflix medical drama, Anesthesia.
Personal life
Gruszka married Russian director Ivan Vyrypaev, they have one daughter, born in 2012. She has worked with Vyrypaev on films and stage productions, in Poland and Russia. She is vegetarian.
Gruszka announced on November 21, 2021 that she had received a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis a four years before.
