HBO’s Succession star Dagmara Domińczyk opens up about the death of her Solidarity dad and her love of pączki and pierogi
Regarded by critics as one of the greatest shows to be screened in recent years, a Polish-born actress has opened up about her role in the HBO hit Succession, as well as the intensely personal tragedy that struck during the filming of the latest season.
Born in Kielce in 1976, Dagmara Domińczyk has been called “the stealth MVP” of the show thanks to her gripping depiction of Karolina Novotney, a PR specialist working in close cahoots with the principle antagonist, media mogul Logan Roy.
“Armed with a smart phone for bullying nosy journalists and a killer chestnut bob, Karolina is the picture of white-collar competence,” gushed Rolling Stone magazine.
“Armed with a smart phone for bullying nosy journalists and a killer chestnut bob, Karolina is the picture of white-collar competence,” gushed Rolling Stone magazine.
It was whilst speaking to the same magazine three-days ago that Domińczyk revealed the heart-breaking twist that saw life mirror art.
It was whilst speaking to the same magazine three-days ago that Domińczyk revealed the heart-breaking twist that saw life mirror art when her father Mirosław Domińczyk suddenly died.
Described by the BBC as “the greatest episode of TV this year”, the previous week’s instalment saw Logan Roy drop dead on his private jet. Surrounded by his corporate inner circle, it fell to them to relay the news of his collapse via an emotional call to his children.
Universally praised, the enthralling scene has already entered the pantheon of TV legend. For Domińczyk, though, it struck particularly close to the bone.
Talking to Rolling Stone, the 46-year-old said: “Two days before I showed up to set, my own father, who is, I would say, a gentler, kinder Logan Roy, in the fact that he’s been the biggest presence and force in my whole entire life for me and my sisters, this really one-of-a-kind human being, suddenly died at 69.”
Talking to Rolling Stone, the 46-year-old said: “Two days before I showed up to set, my own father, who is, I would say, a gentler, kinder Logan Roy, in the fact that he’s been the biggest presence and force in my whole entire life for me and my sisters, this really one-of-a-kind human being, suddenly died at 69.
“And we found out through a phone call from a person we’d never met. He was in Poland at the time.”
Highly active in the Solidarity movement during the era when anti-Communist protests were erupting around the country, Domińczyk’s father had once been voted to act as Solidarity’s chairman in the Świętokrzyskie region.
Highly active in the Solidarity movement during the era when anti-Communist protests were erupting around the country, Domińczyk’s father, Aleksander, had once been voted to act as Solidarity’s chairman in the Świętokrzyskie region.
Having also taken part in the 1980 strikes in Gdańsk’s Lenin Shipyard, Domińczyk was well-known to security services. Appointed the editor of the Robotnik Kielecki newspaper, when Martial Law was declared he was immediately arrested and kept imprisoned for 10-months.
Having also taken part in the 1980 strikes in Gdańsk’s Lenin Shipyard, Domińczyk was well-known to security services. Appointed the editor of the Robotnik Kielecki newspaper, when Martial Law was declared he was immediately arrested and kept imprisoned for 10-months.
After his release in October, 1982, he made the painful decision to move his family first to West Germany, and then to the United States where they settled in New York.
Returning permanently to Poland in 2003, he remained active in local politics till his death.
In life, his commitment to serve for the good of his nation was recognised in 2012 when he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta to go with the Fighting Solidarity Cross he had been awarded two-years previously.
Domińczyk has often promoted and publicised her Polish roots.
She said: “Dad raised me and my sister as proud patriots.I make sure that my boys know Polish and I sometimes cook Polish dishes at home.”
Speaking candidly to Rolling Stone, Domińczyk revealed how his death had impacted her: “It just feels like the universe really – I don’t know the way it works, that the death of Succession and the death of Logan Roy coincided with the death of my f***ing amazing, complicated father.”
Continuing, she added: “For reasons I can’t quite say, since I was a very little girl, I was worried my dad would suddenly die. And it happened. And so it’s just been really crazy — I’m sorry, this is a Debbie Downer interview, but I wanted to let you know, because I can’t not talk about my dad’s death when talking about this episode, or my role in Succession.”
With Karolina Novotney emerging as one of the audience’s favourite secondary characters, not to mention a popular outside tip to eventually head the Waystar Royco media empire, Domińczyk’s bombshell revelation has in itself made headline news in the world’s showbiz press.
My husband has also started learning the language. When he wanted to propose he asked my mother how to say it in Polish – she wrote it down on a piece of paper and he repeated it very sweetly!”
Viewed as her major breakout role, her increased profile since joining the Succession team in 2018 has seen her life and background scrutinised and spotlighted like never before. For her part, Domińczyk has often promoted and publicised her Polish roots.
“Dad raised me and my sister as proud patriots,” Domińczyk is quoted as previously saying. “As a woman, wife and mother, I want my children to known where I come from.
“I make sure that my boys know Polish and I sometimes cook Polish dishes at home. My husband has also started learning the language. When he wanted to propose he asked my mother how to say it in Polish – she wrote it down on a piece of paper and he repeated it very sweetly!”
