Between the stage and Italy: Marieta Żukowska in an intimate conversation with Luxury Boutique
April 30, 2026
Critically acclaimed and awarded for her roles, she opens another bold chapter of her life in Italy, where she not only lives but also stars in local film productions. She reveals how art guides her through life. She discusses the need to create offstage, the signature jewelry she designs with her sister, a businesswoman, and Beetles.shop, their joint concept store. As she emphasizes, a woman without jewelry isn't fully dressed, because details, just like in acting, are incredibly important.
Malwina Kowszewicz: Is femininity something you discover within yourself or is it something you build over time?
Marieta Żukowska: Femininity, in my opinion, is a kind of womanly strength that has always been hidden. First, it's a strong, girlish intuition, light, charming, without understanding its power. Then, with age, we understand its power and importance. We gain respect for femininity, and then our wisdom builds it.
MK: Do you think that femininity in Italian and Polish cinema is told in different languages of emotion and sensitivity?
M.Ż.: Italians are more classical when it comes to cinema. They love beauty, proportion, and the principles of harmony. Contemporary Italian directors often choose actresses with classical beauty, beautiful and intriguing. It's a bit old school. In Poland, it's different. "Characteristic" actresses more often play love interests. A different canon of beauty is valued. These are different countries, different values. Italians are drenched in sunshine, we struggle with frost. I have the impression that the cinematic language is different when I look at Paolo Sorrentino's films. Luca Guadagnini's productions are at times phantasmagorical, bearing a Fellini touch. Italians love beauty. Poles see beauty elsewhere, in grayness, harshness, and truth, sometimes unfortunately painful.
MK: Has a role ever helped you better understand other women?
M.Ż.: Yes, practically every one that's morally ambiguous. It teaches me empathy and understanding my character's difficult behavior. Sometimes, as Marieta, I disagree with the heroine, but to play her believably, I want to understand her motivations, sympathize, and believe that it was the only thing she could do at that moment. I always try to find the reason for her behavior in the most "immoral" character.
MK: Do you see acting as a luxury, a space to tell stories without compromise?
M.Ż.: Yes, it's a luxury. An extraordinary adventure and the possibility of many lives in one. I'm a restless soul. I'm always rushing somewhere. I can't rest. As soon as I close my eyes, I come up with a new project. For me, acting is the perfect profession, full of challenges and unexpected changes. It's my luxury.
MK: Are the awards you received a confirmation of your path or rather a motivation for further exploration?
M.Ż.: I truly appreciate every award. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have the people I've worked with, to be able to create with them, and then be recognized for it. My motivation comes from new roles, meeting new people, and taking on challenging tasks in my new company, Beetles.shop, which I founded with my sister.
MK: Where did the idea to create your own concept store, Beetles.shop, come from?
M.Ż.: I love surrounding myself with beautiful things. I feel like I'm creating my own surroundings. I care for them, and it's kind of my remedy for a sometimes bleak reality. I create and surround myself with things that convey truth, a certain honesty, timelessness, and class. For example, a handbag made of the highest quality leather, with attention to detail, beautifully crafted, and with respect for the work of the person who makes it, makes me very happy. The jewelry and the way it's packaged demonstrate the respect we have for our customers. We want to give them a beautiful talisman, encapsulated in form, that can support and empower them. Proven cosmetics, the effectiveness of which is confirmed by global research, make me very happy. Books that are valuable and can help with development. My sister, Katarzyna, shares the same values. She has been in business for over twenty years and, together with me, wants to provide women with luxury that is valuable in itself, luxury they can afford. This is a place where you can find the highest quality items, tried and tested by us. There's no need to search, because we've already found them. We're thrilled when these items brighten someone's day. We're thrilled with every purchase because we feel appreciated that the woman who buys from us appreciates our thoughtfulness. In a world so often ruled by quick money, we want to offer quality, style, and craftsmanship, and we believe our customers will appreciate it. I also love my sister very much; I've admired her for years, and working with her is a great pleasure. I love creating Beetles.shop with her. I feel fulfilled and safe.
MK: Does jewelry, like roles, carry
an emotional burden?
M.Ż.: Jewelry is a delight, an amulet, lightness, a spell in a stone, a shape that can protect. Jewelry is wonderful.
MK: You've also created a shoe collection with L37 bearing your name. What kind of woman do you envision wearing them?
M.Ż.: Sexy, powerful, elegant, and timeless. You can wear these shoes now, but you can also pull them out in ten years. They won't go out of style because they're classics. They don't scream, but serve to emphasize femininity.
MK: Coming back to acting, which award has the greatest emotional value for you?
M.Ż.: An international award in Brno for the play "Gąska" (The Goose) and an Eagle nomination for my role in "Nieruchomy Mover" (The Unmoved Mover). I'm proud of myself for taking such a risk. This role was a huge challenge. I was recognized for my courage.
MK: Which role is particularly memorable for you?
M.Ż.: Marta from The Trial of the Bow. This character was my adversary. I sparred with her. I resisted because she touched a very sensitive nerve in my own reconciliation with my father's death and my repression of difficult emotions. Paradoxically, she helped me get closer to myself. To let go in a certain way, to reconstruct myself. She taught me extraordinary courage in fighting for myself.
MK: What was your path to your first role in an Italian production like?
M.Ż.: The director simply found me. Kasia Skórska, an Italian language lecturer and Andrzej Wajda's assistant, recommended my roles to Bruno Colleli and showed them to him, who decided that was it. I'm lucky with people. I feel like something is watching over me and supporting me.
MK: Is working in Italy mentally different from working in Poland?
M.Ż.: Yes. It seems like everything's the same, but we're shooting scenes in these beautiful places: around Naples, in Rome, in Tuscany. I'm enchanted by each one. It's great to work in Italy. Italians are more relaxed and have more time. They even have time for those long monologues in films. In Italian film, dialogue is always elaborate, long, seemingly about nothing, but it's so important. It's simply their style. Italians like to talk a lot, gesticulate a lot. They're very emotional.
MK: How did you decide to move to Italy?
M.Ż.: My husband and I have loved Italy immensely since childhood. He speaks excellent Italian, and I'm learning. We took that risk, but we also continue to work in Poland. We always return to Poland, work here, and have support.
MK: If you had to describe the current stage of your life in one sentence, what would it be?
M.Ż.: To follow a dream and follow it again, and so on endlessly…
MK: That's what I wish you with all my heart.
M.Z.: Thank you very much.
