You probably know her as the woman who kept Blair Waldorf from spiraling into total madness. For six seasons of Gossip Girl, Zuzanna Szadkowski played Dorota Kishlovsky, the fiercely loyal, occasionally terrifying, and always hilarious Polish housekeeper. She was basically the emotional glue of the Upper East Side. Fans loved her so much that she even got her own web series, Chasing Dorota. But here is the thing: if you only know her as the lady in the maid’s uniform, you’re missing out on one of the most versatile character actors working today.
Zuzanna isn't just a sitcom sidekick. She’s a Julliard-adjacent (MFA from the A.R.T. Institute at Harvard) powerhouse who has popped up in everything from gritty medical dramas to prestige period pieces.
The Roles You Forgot She Was In
Before she was sipping tea with Queen B, Szadkowski was putting in the work on some of the biggest shows in TV history. It’s kinda wild to look back and see her in the background of prestige dramas.
Did you catch her in The Sopranos? In 2007, she played Elzbieta in two of the series' final episodes, including the legendary "Soprano Home Movies." She actually wore a housekeeper outfit there, too. Honestly, she’s joked in interviews that her early career was a lot of "Polish housekeeper" roles because Hollywood sometimes lacks imagination.
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But then came The Knick. If you haven't seen Steven Soderbergh’s 1900s medical drama, go fix that. Zuzanna plays Nurse Pell. It is a massive departure from the sunny, comedic energy of Dorota. It’s dark, bloody, and her performance is subtle and grounded. She’s also a frequent collaborator with the theater company Bedlam, where she does things like Uncle Romeo Vanya Juliet. The Wall Street Journal literally named her performance the "Performance of the Year" in 2018. That’s a big deal.
A Look at Zuzanna Szadkowski Movies and TV Shows
When we talk about the full list of Zuzanna Szadkowski movies and tv shows, it’s a pretty eclectic mix. She’s the kind of actor who makes a scene better just by being in it for thirty seconds.
Recent Television Standouts
- The Gilded Age (2022–Present): She plays Mabel Ainsley. It’s another period piece, but this time she’s in the world of 1880s New York high society. It feels like a spiritual nod to her Gossip Girl days, but with much more corset-induced drama.
- Three Women (2024): She appeared as Margaret in this Starz series based on Lisa Taddeo’s non-fiction hit. It’s raw, heavy, and shows off her range in modern drama.
- Étoile (2025): She recently joined the cast of this ballet-centric drama from the creators of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She plays a character named Yana, and it’s already generating buzz for its sharp dialogue.
- Girls (2015): She played Priya in a multi-episode arc during Hannah Horvath’s ill-fated stint at the Iowa Writers' Workshop.
Essential Film Credits
Szadkowski hasn't done as many movies as TV shows, but she picks interesting projects. In 2020, she appeared in Worth, the 9/11 legal drama starring Michael Keaton. She played Myrna, a small but emotionally resonant role. She also starred in Minyan (2020), a beautiful, quiet film about the Jewish community in 1980s Brooklyn.
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And let’s not forget the indie stuff. Loserville (2016) and Growing Up and Other Lies (2015) are worth a watch if you want to see her in more contemporary, quirky settings.
What She’s Doing Right Now (2025-2026)
Right now, she is arguably having her biggest "theater kid" moment ever. If you're in New York, you probably saw the reviews for Are the Bennet Girls OK? at the Bedlam theatre. She played Mrs. Bennet, and the critics at The New York Times basically lost their minds over it, calling her performance "exquisite." It’s a reimagining of Pride and Prejudice that focuses on the women’s internal struggles rather than just finding a husband.
She also recently appeared in Seagull: True Story at La MaMa in mid-2025. She’s clearly leaning into the stage lately, which is where her MFA training really shines.
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How to Follow Her Career
Most people get stuck in the "Dorota trap," but Zuzanna is constantly reinventing herself. If you want to dive deeper into her work, don't just stick to the Netflix reruns.
- Watch "The Knick": It is her best "serious" TV work.
- Check out the Bedlam productions: If they are touring or streaming a play, watch it. She is a completely different beast on stage.
- Look for her guest spots: Her one-off roles in The Good Wife, Elementary, and Search Party show off her comedic timing in ways that Gossip Girl didn't always allow.
She’s one of those actors who didn't let a famous role define her entire life. She’s working, she’s winning awards, and she’s proving that there is a lot of life after the Upper East Side. Keep an eye on her 2026 projects; with the success of her recent theater run, she’s likely headed back to a major series soon.
To see her most iconic performance, start with the Gossip Girl episode "The Unblairable Lightness of Being"—it’s essentially the Dorota wedding episode and shows exactly why she became a fan favorite. For her more dramatic range, track down her episodes in The Gilded Age Season 1 and 2 on Max.