{{short description|French actress (born 1993)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Morgane Polanski | image = Pyrkon 2024 Vikings actors (Morgane Polanski cropped).jpg | caption = Polanski in 2024 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|01|20|df=y}} | birth_place = Paris, France | occupation = Actress | years_active = 2002–present | spouse = | partner = | children = | parents = Roman Polanski <br /> Emmanuelle Seigner | relatives = | education = | political_party = | alma_mater = {{Nowrap|Drama Centre London <br /> Central School of Speech and Drama}} }} '''Morgane Polanski''' (born 20 January 1993) is a French actress, best known for portraying Princess Gisla in the History Channel series ''Vikings''.
== Early life and education == Polanski is the daughter of French-Polish filmmaker Roman Polanski and French actress Emmanuelle Seigner. She has a younger brother, Elvis. Polanski was raised bilingually in French and Polish.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tvn24.pl/kultura-styl,8/piekna-francuzka-czuje-sie-polka,132782.html |title=Piękna Francuzka czuje się Polką |date=2 May 2010 |accessdate=7 June 2016 |language=Polish |work=TVN24}}</ref>
Polanski was educated at the International School of Paris. She later studied acting at the Drama Centre London and the Central School of Speech and Drama, graduating in 2014.<ref name="hb">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a10229/morgane-polanski-0415/ |title=Fabulous at Every Age: Morgane Polanski, 20s |magazine=Harper's Bazaar |date=12 March 2015 |accessdate=7 June 2016 |first=Charlotte |last=Cowles}}</ref>
== Career == Polanski made her credited acting debut in her father's 2002 film ''The Pianist''. She appeared in two more of his films, ''Oliver Twist'' (2005) and ''The Ghost Writer'' (2010), in the latter of which she had her first speaking role.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Walden|first=Celia|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/morgane-polanski-i-would-never-change-my-fathers-name/|title=Morgane Polanski: I would never change my father's name|date=29 May 2016|work=The Telegraph|access-date=26 February 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref>
In 2015, Polanski appeared in the British independent film ''Unhallowed Ground'' and began portraying Princess Gisla in the History Channel series ''Vikings''. Princess Gisla was introduced in season three of ''Vikings'' as a daughter of the French Emperor Charles the Bald (while a legendary French princess named Gisela was the daughter of his grandson, Charles the Simple).
She directed the shorts ''The Stroke'' (2016) and ''The Understudy'' (2018), the former of which she also wrote.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/festivals/morgane-polanski-the-stroke-obsession-creating-ocd-world-1202672110/|title=MyFrenchFilmFestival: Morgane Polanski on 'The Stroke,' Obsession, Creating an OCD World|last=Hopewell|first=John|date=22 January 2018|website=Variety|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=26 February 2020}}</ref>
In 2019, Polanski starred in Rene van Pannevis debut feature ''Looted''. Pannevis stated, "I hadn't worked with Morgane before so she was a bit lost after her first scene. Thankfully, she picked it up very quickly and her performance is beautiful. I mean, growing up in that environment, I knew she had the skills".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rosser |first=Michael |title=Dutch director of Microwave project ‘Looted’ talks stolen cars and Tallinn premiere |url=https://www.screendaily.com/features/dutch-director-of-microwave-project-looted-talks-stolen-cars-and-tallinn-premiere/5145140.article |access-date=2025-11-11 |website=Screen |language=en}}</ref>
In 2021 she appeared in the Wes Anderson's film ''The French Dispatch''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Sam |date=2021-07-13 |title=Watch Timothée Chalamet in a new clip from 'The French Dispatch' |url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/the-movies-blog/the-french-dispatch-wes-anderson-film-release-date-plot-cast-everything-we-know-so-far-2603806 |access-date=2025-11-11 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref>
It was revealed that Polanski would return to her role as Princess Gisla with an appearance in season six (part two) of ''Vikings'', which aired at the end of 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Palmer |first=Katie |date=2020-08-04 |title=Vikings recap: What happened to Morgane Polanski as Gisla? |url=https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1318565/vikings-recap-what-happened-to-morgane-polanski-princess-gisla-Vikings-season-6-part-2 |access-date=2025-11-11 |website=Express.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>
In 2021, Polanski directed Dame Siân Phillips in ''Through the Looking Glass'', a short film which was screening at Venice Film Festival. Polanski stated, "When I find a project and I know in my gut I need to direct it, I feel no fear. I know how I want to interpret it, what point of view I want to adopt, how I want the colors, the tone. I didn't have any insecurities about approaching Dame Sian's agent and sending her the script. I wanted to recreate that feeling of a fairytale, Snow White with her lips as red as blood; the talking mirror. Sunset Boulevard was also on our mood board. The idea was that the production should have a feel of heightened femininity that's OTT, fantastical".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Morgane Polanski needs to 'get a move on' with her career |url=http://www.film-news.co.uk/news/UK/84452/Morgane-Polanski-needs-to-get-a-move-on-with-her-career |access-date=2025-11-11 |website=Film-News.co.uk |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Filmography == {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Title ! Year ! Role ! Notes |- | ''The Ninth Gate'' | 1999 | Young Girl at airport terminal (uncredited)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0142688/trivia?item=tr0719879 |title=The Ninth Gate - Trivia |date=5 Aug 2022 }}</ref> | |- | ''The Pianist'' | 2002 | Girl | |- | ''Oliver Twist'' | 2005 | Farmer's daughter | |- | ''The Ghost Writer'' | 2010 | Hotel receptionist | |- | ''Unhallowed Ground'' | 2015 | Sophie Dunant | |- | ''Vikings'' | 2015–17, 2020 | Princess Gisla | TV series |- | ''The Wife'' | 2017 | Smithie Girl Lorraine | |- | ''In Darkness'' | 2018 | Nina | |- |''The Aspern Papers'' |2018 |Valentina Prest | |- |''Looted'' |2019 |Kasia | |- |''The French Dispatch'' |2021 |Girlfriend | |- |''The Palace'' |2023 |Zula | |- |''The Partisan'' |2024 |Krystyna Skarbek | |}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|1364281|Morgane Polanski}} * [https://www.vogue.fr/culture/le-dimanche-de/articles/le-dimanche-de-morgane-polanski-actrice-realisatrice-adresses-londres-paris/59987 ''Vogue'' article (in French)] * [https://www.wmagazine.com/story/morgane-polanski-marc-jacobs-spring-2016/ ''W'' article]
{{Roman Polanski}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polanski, Morgane}} Category:1993 births Category:21st-century French actresses Category:Actresses from Paris Category:Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Category:Alumni of the Drama Centre London Category:French female models Category:French film actresses Category:French people of Polish-Jewish descent Category:French television actresses Category:Living people