Actress. She was a leading star of Polish film, stage, and television for around 35 years. A 1975 graduate of Warsaw’s National Theatre School, she made the first of her roughly 40 silver screen appearances as Sophie in 1972’s “Wesele” (“Wedding”). Gabriela was to see her ‘big break’ in 1977 when she won the Zbigniew Cybulski Award for her role as Maggie in Jerzy Hoffman’s “Tredowata” (“Leper”), and in 1979 was named Film Star of the Season for her portrayal of Anita in “Szpicbrodka Hallo”. She was to continue movie and stage work for the rest of her life; a member of Warsaw’s Studio Theatre for many years, she joined the company of the National Theatre in 1999. Her last two major projects were for Polish television, the recurring roles of the mother on “Foster Family” from 1999 to 2008, and of Maggie on Poland’s version of “The Nanny” in 2007. The Polish President awarded her the Gold Cross of Merit in 2005 and in 2006 she placed her hand print on the Amber Prominade of Stars at the Star Festival in Gdansk; Gabriela died of metastatic breast cancer which she had battled for her final six years. (bio by: Bob Hufford)