October is Polish-American Heritage Month in the United States. The celebrations began in 1981 in Philadelphia, and since 1986, October has been officially proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan. It is a good opportunity to remind ourselves of the many people connected to Poland who have contributed to American cinema and television: from the founders of major studios to today's television stars.
Our list includes only those individuals whose Polish heritage is documented: in interviews, biographies, genealogical programs, or official records. For each person, we provide their identity, the source of their Polish roots, and links to Wikipedia and the IMDb database.
- Three of the four Warner brothers were born in Krasnosielc in Mazovia, Samuel Goldwyn in Warsaw, and Max Factor in Zduńska Wola.
- Notable figures born in Poland include Pola Negri, Izabella Scorupco, Joanna Pacuła, and Dagmara Domińczyk, while Daniel Olbrychski, Marcin Dorociński, and Rafał Zawierucha have also appeared in Hollywood productions.
- Paul Wesley and Danny Pudi grew up in homes where Polish was spoken.
- Andrew Garfield, Scarlett Johansson, and Jesse Eisenberg have ancestors from Jewish communities in former Poland. Eisenberg has held Polish citizenship since 2025.
- Oscar winners include Billy Wilder, born in Sucha Beskidzka, and Fred Zinnemann, born in Rzeszów, as well as Janusz Kamiński, Zbigniew Rybczyński, and, in 2026, Maciek Szczerbowski from Poland.
Hollywood Creators from Polish Lands
Before the big stars emerged, there were studios. Two of the most famous names in film history are associated with people born in Polish territories.
Warner Brothers
Founders of Warner Bros., one of the largest film studios in the world.
Harry (Hirsz, born 1881), Albert (Aaron, born 1884), and Sam (Szmul, born 1887) were born in Krasnosielc in Mazovia, then part of the Kingdom of Poland under Russian rule. Their father, shoemaker Beniamin Wonsal, emigrated to America and adopted the surname Warner. The youngest brother, Jack, was born in Ontario, Canada. In 1923, the brothers founded Warner Bros., and in October 1927, they released "The Jazz Singer," the first feature film with synchronized dialogue and singing. Sam Warner died the day before the premiere.
Harry: Wikipedia · IMDb
Albert: Wikipedia · IMDb
Sam: Wikipedia · IMDb
Jack: Wikipedia · IMDb
Samuel Goldwyn
Film producer, Oscar winner, one of the pioneers of Hollywood.
He was born in Warsaw as Szmul Gelbfisz. In America, he started by selling gloves in Gloversville, New York. In 1916, he co-founded Goldwyn Pictures. He left before it merged with Metro Pictures in 1924 to form Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, so his name remained in MGM, although he never worked there. As an independent producer, he won an Oscar in 1947 for the film "The Best Years of Our Lives."
Max Factor
Makeup artist and cosmetics creator, after whom the Max Factor brand is named.
He was born in Zduńska Wola as Maksymilian Faktorowicz. He emigrated to the States in 1904 and moved to Los Angeles in 1908, where the film industry was emerging. Around 1914, he created the first film makeup product, worked with stars like Jean Harlow and Clara Bow, and his company popularized the term "make-up."
Born in Poland
Pola Negri
Silent film star, the first European actress contracted by Hollywood.
Her real name was Barbara Apolonia Chałupiec, and she was born in Lipno, most commonly reported as January 3, 1897. She took her stage name from the Italian poet Ada Negri. Before coming to Hollywood, she was a star of German silent cinema under Ernst Lubitsch. In 1922, she signed a contract with Paramount and arrived in New York in September.
Gilda Gray
Silent film star and Ziegfeld Follies performer who popularized the shimmy dance in America.
She claimed to have been born in Kraków, but according to her birth certificate, she was Marianna Michalska from Rydlew near Żnin, then in Prussian partition. As a child, she moved with her family to Cudahy near Milwaukee. She appeared in films such as "Aloma of the South Seas" and "Piccadilly."
Joanna Pacuła
Actress, Golden Globe nominee for "Gorky Park."
She was born in 1957 in Tomaszów Lubelski. She made her American film debut in "Gorky Park" (1983) alongside William Hurt and received a Golden Globe nomination for that role.
Dagmara Domińczyk
Actress known for "The Count of Monte Cristo" and the series "Succession."
She was born in 1976 in Kielce. Her father, Mirosław, was a Solidarity activist who was imprisoned after martial law was declared, and in the early 1980s, the family emigrated as political refugees to New York. In "Succession," she played Karolina Novotney.
Izabella Scorupco
Polish-Swedish actress and model, Bond girl from "GoldenEye."
She was born on June 4, 1970, in Białystok, and in 1978, she moved to Sweden with her mother. In the James Bond film "GoldenEye" (1995), she played programmer Natalia Simonova. She also appeared in the Polish adaptation of "With Fire and Sword."
Daniel Olbrychski
One of Poland's most prominent actors, Kmicic from "The Deluge."
He was born in 1945 in Łowicz. In the Hollywood film "Salt" (2010) with Angelina Jolie, he played Orłow, a Russian spy who contacts the CIA. Previously, he appeared in the American film "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" (1987) directed by Philip Kaufman.
Elżbieta Czyżewska
Star of Polish cinema in the 1960s, later an actress on the New York stage.
She was born in 1938 in Warsaw. She married New York Times reporter David Halberstam, and after his expulsion from Poland, she settled in New York. In the USA, she appeared in films such as "Music Box" and "Running on Empty," and in 1990, she received the Obie theatrical award.
Jerzy Skolimowski
Director and screenwriter, author of "The Shout" and Oscar-nominated "EO."
He was born in 1938 in Łódź. As an actor, he appeared in "Eastern Promises" directed by David Cronenberg (2007) and had a small role in "The Avengers" (2012).
Marcin Dorociński
Actor known for "Pitbull," "Rose," and the series "The Queen's Gambit."
He was born in 1973 in Milanówek. In "The Queen's Gambit," he played grandmaster Borgov, and in the film "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" (2023), he played the captain of a Russian submarine.
Piotr Adamczyk
Actor, Karol Wojtyła in "Karol" and Chopin in "Chopin: Desire for Love."
He was born in 1972 in Warsaw. In the Marvel series "Hawkeye" (2021), he played Tomas, a member of a gang pursuing the heroes.
Joanna Kulig
Actress and singer, star of "Cold War."
She was born in 1982 in Krynica-Zdrój. She starred in Netflix's "The Eddy" directed by Damien Chazelle and in the American comedy "She Came to Me" (2023) alongside Anne Hathaway, Peter Dinklage, and Marisa Tomei.
Rafał Zawierucha
Film and theater actor, known for "Gods" and "City 44."
He was born in 1986 in Kraków and grew up in Kielce. In Quentin Tarantino's film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2019), he played Roman Polanski.
Children of Polish Immigrants
Paul Wesley
Actor, Stefan Salvatore from the series "The Vampire Diaries."
He was born in 1982 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, as Paweł Tomasz Wasilewski. His parents emigrated from Poland. Until the age of 16, he spent up to four months a year in Poland. In an interview with Polish media, he stated, "I am Polish, I speak Polish, although I often forget words."
Danny Pudi
Actor, Abed from the comedy series "Community."
He was born in 1979 in Chicago. His father is from India, and his mother, Teresa, née Komendant, was born in Pokośno near Suchowola in Podlasie. He was raised by his mother and grandparents, who did not speak English, so Polish was spoken at home. He joked that he is "brown but Polish."
Veronika Słowikowska
Canadian actress and comedian, joining the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 2025.
She was born in Barrie, Ontario. Her parents emigrated from Poland shortly before her birth. In September 2025, it was announced that she would join the cast of "Saturday Night Live" for its 51st season.
Loretta Swit
Actress, Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan from the series "M*A*S*H."
She was born in 1937 in Passaic, New Jersey, as Loretta Jane Szwed, in a family of Polish immigrants. For her role in "M*A*S*H," she received two Emmy Awards. She passed away on May 30, 2025, in New York.
Polish Roots through Ancestors
John Krasinski
Actor and director, Jim from the series "The Office," creator of "A Quiet Place."
He has Polish roots through his father. His great-grandfather Władysław Krasinski was born in 1876 in Bytoń and emigrated to Massachusetts. In 2012, the actor visited Poland with his father and Emily Blunt, exploring his ancestral roots, including Bytoń and Świerczynek.
Christine Baranski
Actress, star of the series "The Good Wife" and "The Good Fight" and the film "Mamma Mia!"
She was born in 1952 in Buffalo. Her father edited a Polish-language newspaper, and her mother bore the surname Mazurowska. She has recounted that her paternal grandparents performed in Polish theater in Buffalo, and her grandmother hosted a comedy program on Polish radio.
Jane Krakowski
Actress and singer known for "Ally McBeal" and "30 Rock."
She was born in 1968 in Parsippany, New Jersey, as Jane Krajkowski. She has Polish roots through her father, Edward Krajkowski.
Jane Kaczmarek
Actress, Lois from the series "Malcolm in the Middle."
She was born in 1955 in Milwaukee and raised in nearby Greendale in a Polish-American family. Local media refer to her as the "Polish girl from Milwaukee."
Ted Knight
Actor, Ted Baxter from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and Judge Smails from "Caddyshack."
He was born in 1923 in Terryville, Connecticut, as Tadeusz Władysław Konopka, the son of Polish-American parents. During World War II, he served in Europe in a sapper battalion and earned five combat stars.
Linda Kozlowski
Actress, Sue Charlton from "Crocodile Dundee."
She grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut. According to her biography, her parents were Stanisław Kozłowski and Helena Parniawska. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in "Crocodile Dundee."
John Ratzenberger
Actor, Cliff Clavin from "Cheers" and the voice of Hamm the pig in "Toy Story."
He was born in 1947 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. His mother, Bertha, bore the Polish surname Grochowski.
Jared Padalecki
Actor, Sam Winchester from "Supernatural" and Cordell Walker in "Walker."
He was born in 1982 in San Antonio, Texas. He has Polish ancestry on his father's side, which he mentioned in a television program with Bonnie Hunt in 2009.
Kristen Bell
Actress, Veronica Mars, Eleanor from "The Good Place," and the voice of Anna in "Frozen."
Her mother, Lorelei, née Frygier, has Polish ancestry. The actress spoke about this in 2008 on "The Tonight Show."
Maria Bello
Actress known for "ER," "The Cooler," and "A History of Violence."
She was born in 1967 in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Her father has Italian roots, and her mother is of Polish descent.
John Candy
Canadian comedian, star of "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," "Uncle Buck," and "Cool Runnings."
He was born in 1950 in Toronto. According to biographer Martin Knelman, his mother, Evangeline, née Aker, had Polish-Ukrainian roots.
Stefanie Powers
Actress, Jennifer Hart from the series "Hart to Hart."
She was born in 1942 in Los Angeles as Stefania Zofya Paul. She has Polish roots through her mother, Juliana Golan. In 2010, she stated, "Polish was my first language. We spoke Polish at home."
Liberace
Pianist and showman, television star of the 1950s.
He was born in 1919 in West Allis near Milwaukee as Władziu Valentino Liberace. His mother, Frances, née Zuchowski, was of Polish descent and spoke Polish; his father was from Italy.
Bobby Vinton
Singer (“Roses Are Red,” “Blue Velvet,” “Mr. Lonely”) and western actor with John Wayne, known as the “Polish Prince.”
His parents had Polish and Lithuanian roots. In 1974, he recorded the hit “My Melody of Love” with Polish lyrics starting with the words “Moja droga, ja cię kocham.”
Martha Stewart
Star of American television advice shows, author, and entrepreneur.
She was born in 1941 in Jersey City as Martha Kostyra and raised in a Polish-American family.
Ancestors from Jewish Communities of Former Poland
A large part of Hollywood stories leads back to the Jewish communities that lived in Polish lands before the war.
Andrew Garfield
Actor, Spider-Man in "The Amazing Spider-Man", star of "The Social Network" and "Hacksaw Ridge".
His paternal grandfather, Samuel Garfinkel, later Garfield, was born in 1909 in Kielce and emigrated to England with his parents as a small child. Part of the family remained in Poland and, according to records, perished in the Holocaust. His story was recounted in the 2025 British program "Who Do You Think You Are?".
Scarlett Johansson
Actress, Black Widow in Marvel films, star of "Lost in Translation" and "Marriage Story".
Her maternal great-grandfather, Saul Szlamberg, emigrated from Poland to New York in 1910. His brother Moshe stayed in Poland, and he and members of his family perished in the Warsaw Ghetto. This was established by the 2017 program "Finding Your Roots".
Adrien Brody
Actor, Oscar winner for his role as Władysław Szpilman in "The Pianist".
He has Polish-Jewish ancestors on his father's side. In 2003, he won an Oscar for his role in Roman Polanski's "The Pianist" and, at 29, became the youngest winner in the Best Actor category.
Jesse Eisenberg
Actor and director, Mark Zuckerberg in "The Social Network", creator of the film "The Art of Self-Defense".
The actor's family hails from Krasnystaw in the Lublin region. His great-aunt Doris emigrated to the USA in 1938. Her story inspired the film "The Art of Self-Defense", shot in Poland. On March 4, 2025, the actor received Polish citizenship from President Andrzej Duda.
Jerry Stiller
Comedian, Frank Costanza from "Seinfeld" and Arthur Spooner from "The King of Queens".
He recalled: "My mother came from a Polish town called Frampol", the same one that Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote about. His father came to New York from Galicia.
Ben Stiller
Actor and director, star of "Meet the Parents", "Zoolander" and "Night at the Museum".
He owes his Polish roots to his father, Jerry Stiller, whose mother came from Frampol in the Lublin region.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Actress, Oscar winner for "Shakespeare in Love", Pepper Potts in Marvel films.
On her father's side, she comes from a rabbinical family of Paltrowicz from northeastern Poland, around Suwałki and Łomża. This was established by genealogists from the program "Who Do You Think You Are?".
Natalie Portman
Actress, Oscar winner for "Black Swan", known for "Léon: The Professional" and "Star Wars".
Her paternal grandfather emigrated from Poland to Palestine in the 1930s. His parents, Leiser and Lea Hershlag, perished during the Holocaust.
Mandy Patinkin
Actor and singer, Saul Berenson from "Homeland" and Inigo Montoya from "The Princess Bride".
In the program "Finding Your Roots" (2021), he learned that his relatives from Brańsk in Podlasie were taken to Treblinka and murdered there. Previously, he believed that no one from his family perished in the Holocaust.
Logan Lerman
Actor, Percy Jackson and star of the series "We Were the Lucky Ones".
He has Polish-Jewish ancestors on both sides of his family. His grandfather Max was born in Berlin to a Jewish family from Poland and survived the war in Shanghai. Lerman starred in the series "We Were the Lucky Ones" about a Jewish family from Radom and called this role a tribute to his grandfather.
Mel Brooks
Director and comedian, creator of "The Producers" and "Blazing Saddles", EGOT winner.
He was born in 1926 in Brooklyn as Melvin Kaminsky. His father's family are Jews from Gdańsk, and his mother came from Kyiv. He is one of the few winners of the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. He won an Oscar for the screenplay of "The Producers" and in 2024 also received an honorary Oscar.
Paul Newman
Actor, star of "The Sting" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", Oscar winner for "The Color of Money".
His father was the son of Jewish immigrants: Simon Newman from Hungary and Hannah Cohn from Poland. His mother was a Catholic from Slovakia.
Daniel Radcliffe
Actor, Harry Potter from the series of films about the young wizard.
The ancestors of his mother, Marcia Gresham, are Jews from Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Germany. He has stated that he has South African, Polish, Russian, Jewish, and Northern Irish blood.
Oscars for Those Born in Poland
Billy Wilder
Director and screenwriter, author of "Some Like It Hot", "Sunset Boulevard", and "The Apartment".
He was born in 1906 in Sucha, now Sucha Beskidzka. He won six Oscars: for directing and screenplay for "The Lost Weekend", for screenplay for "Sunset Boulevard", and for film, directing, and screenplay for "The Apartment".
Fred Zinnemann
Director of "High Noon", "From Here to Eternity", and "A Place in the Sun".
He was born in 1907 in Rzeszów. He won an Oscar for directing "From Here to Eternity" and two for "A Place in the Sun", for film and directing.
Franz Waxman
Film music composer.
He was born in 1906 in Königshütte, now Chorzów. He won an Oscar for the music of "Sunset Boulevard".
Bronisław Kaper
Film music composer associated with MGM.
He was born in 1902 in Warsaw and began composing music for MGM in 1935. He won an Oscar for the music of "Lili" (1954), and his theme from the film "Green Dolphin Street" became a jazz standard.
Zbigniew Rybczyński
Creator of animated films and videos, author of the Oscar-winning "Tango".
He was born in 1949 in Łódź. "Tango" won the first Oscar for a Polish film in 1983. The night of the ceremony ended for him in custody: he went out to smoke, and the security guard would not let him back in despite having the statuette in hand, leading to a scuffle. The prosecutor did not press charges against him.
Janusz Kamiński
Cinematographer, long-time collaborator of Steven Spielberg.
He was born in 1959 in Ziębice and emigrated to the USA in 1981. He won two Oscars for cinematography for "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan", and was nominated seven times.
Allan Starski and Ewa Braun
Production designer and set decorator, Oscar winners for "Schindler's List".
In 1994, they won an Oscar for production design and set decoration for "Schindler's List" by Steven Spielberg.
Allan: Wikipedia · IMDb
Ewa: Wikipedia · IMDb
Jan A.P. Kaczmarek
Film music composer, Oscar winner for "The Pianist".
He was born in 1953 in Konin. He won an Oscar for the music of "The Pianist" in 2005. He worked in the United States for nearly 30 years and passed away in May 2024.
Andrzej Wajda
Director, author of "Ashes and Diamonds", "The Promised Land", and "Man of Marble".
In 2000, he received an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement.
Paweł Pawlikowski
Director of "Ida" and "Cold War".
He was born in 1957 in Warsaw. "Ida" won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2015, becoming the first Polish film to do so. "Cold War" received three nominations: for directing, cinematography, and as a foreign language film.
Maciek Szczerbowski
Polish-Canadian director of animated films.
He was born in Poznań and has lived in Canada since the 1980s. In March 2026, he won an Oscar for the short animated film "The Girl Who Cried Pearls", made in collaboration with Chris Lavis.
Roman Polański
Director, author of "Knife in the Water", "Chinatown", and "The Pianist".
He was born in 1933 in Paris to a Polish-Jewish family, spent his childhood in Kraków, and escaped from the Kraków ghetto as a boy. In 2003, he won an Oscar for directing "The Pianist". He did not attend the ceremony because he has been at risk of arrest in the USA since 1978, when he left before a verdict was announced. Harrison Ford accepted the statuette on his behalf.
Ida Kamińska
Star of the Jewish theater in Warsaw, Oscar nominee.
She was born in 1899 in Odessa during her parents' tour and was a star of the Jewish theater in Warsaw for many years. She was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in the Czechoslovak film "The Shop on Main Street". In 1968, she left Poland and died in New York.
Behind the Camera and at the Console
Agnieszka Holland
Director of "Europa, Europa", "In Darkness", and "Green Border".
She was born in 1948 in Warsaw. Her films have been nominated for an Oscar three times, including for her screenplay for "Europa, Europa".
Andrzej Bartkowiak
Cinematographer and director working in Hollywood.
He was born in 1950 in Łódź and emigrated to the USA in 1972. He worked on "Sweet November", "The Honor of Prizzi", and "Speed", and as a director, he made "Romeo Must Die" among others.
Dariusz Wolski
Cinematographer, known for his work on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series.
He was born in 1956 in Warsaw and emigrated to the USA in 1979. He worked on four parts of "Pirates of the Caribbean", "The Martian", and "Napoleon", and was nominated for an Oscar for "News of the World".
Łukasz Żal
Cinematographer, twice nominated for an Oscar.
He received nominations for his work on "Ida" and "Cold War". He also worked on "The Zone of Interest".
Leopold Stokowski
Conductor, star of Disney's "Fantasia".
He was born in London as the grandson of a Polish emigrant, although he liked to tell that he came from Poland. In Hollywood, he conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra in "Fantasia", for which the Academy honored him and his collaborators with a special diploma.
Polish Traces on the American Screen
These stories vary greatly. Some, like the Warner brothers or Samuel Goldwyn, came from Polish lands and built the film industry from scratch. Others, like Pola Negri or Izabella Scorupco, arrived in Hollywood from Poland as adults. Still others, like Paul Wesley or Danny Pudi, grew up in America in homes where Polish was spoken, or have only a surname and family history from their ancestors, which they discovered years later, like Jesse Eisenberg in Krasnystaw, Andrew Garfield in Kielce, or John Krasinski in Byton.
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