# Morgane Polanski
**Morgane Polanski** is a French actress, screenwriter, and director, born in 1993 in Paris, France[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1364281/bio/). She is the daughter of film director [Roman Polanski](https://www.edgepedia.org/roman-polanski) and actress and singer [Emmanuelle Seigner](https://www.edgepedia.org/emmanuelle-seigner), and the older sister of Elvis Polanski[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1364281/bio/). She became internationally known for playing Princess Gisla on the History channel series *Vikings* and leads the 2024 wartime drama *The Partisan* as the Polish agent [Krystyna Skarbek](https://www.edgepedia.org/krystyna-skarbek)[2](https://www.elle.pl/kultura/tak-wyglada-corka-slynnego-rezysera-romana-polanskiego-kim-jest-morgane-polanski/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_partisan).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1993, Paris, France[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1364281/bio/) |
| Parents | Roman Polanski and Emmanuelle Seigner; older sister of Elvis Polanski[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1364281/bio/) |
| Training | Drama Centre London, later the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, University of London[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1364281/bio/) • [4](https://culture.pl/pl/artykul/morgane-polanski-rezyserka) |
| Breakthrough role | Princess Gisla in Vikings season 3 (2015), with her appearances ending in season 4, episode 17[2](https://www.elle.pl/kultura/tak-wyglada-corka-slynnego-rezysera-romana-polanskiego-kim-jest-morgane-polanski/) • [20](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/5529/morgane-polanski) |
| Signature screen role | Krystyna Skarbek in *The Partisan* (2024), directed and written by James Marquand[2](https://www.elle.pl/kultura/tak-wyglada-corka-slynnego-rezysera-romana-polanskiego-kim-jest-morgane-polanski/) • [5](https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/484396/) |
| Directing | Short films *The Understudy* (2016), *The Stroke* (2017), *Like mother/Like slaughter* (2024); her own production company, Stroke Production[6](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-421614/filmographie/) • [7](https://www.vogue.fr/culture/le-dimanche-de/articles/le-dimanche-de-morgane-polanski-actrice-realisatrice-adresses-londres-paris/59987) |
| Early appearances | Small roles in her father's films, including *The Pianist* (2002) and *The Ghost Writer* (2010)[8](https://www.metacritic.com/person/morgane-polanski/) |
## Family and upbringing
Polanski grew up in Paris in a family working in film. At age four she traveled with her father to Vienna, where he was directing the musical adaptation of *The Fearless Vampire Killers*, and she later said she decided on her career during that period[4](https://culture.pl/pl/artykul/morgane-polanski-rezyserka). Her parents insisted she finish school and train formally before acting; her mother in particular did not want her to pursue the profession[9](https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a10229/morgane-polanski-0415/). She attended the International School of Paris[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1364281/bio/).
As a child she appeared in small parts in her father's films. Metacritic credits her as "Girl" in *The Pianist* (2002) and as the hotel receptionist in *The Ghost Writer* (2010)[8](https://www.metacritic.com/person/morgane-polanski/). In interviews she has described these recurring cameos as a kind of game, and has said she sometimes feels she grew up on her father's film sets[10](https://frenchfries-mag.com/interview/2022/1/19/morgane-polanski).
**Training in London.** She applied to drama programs at 17 and was accepted at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London[9](https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a10229/morgane-polanski-0415/); the IMDb biography also lists prior training at [Drama Centre London](https://www.edgepedia.org/drama-centre-london)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1364281/bio/). She has lived and worked in London as a freelance actor[11](https://film.interia.pl/wywiady/news-morgane-polanski-najwazniejsza-jest-dyscyplina%2CnId%2C2704987).
## Vikings
Her breakthrough came in 2015 with the role of Princess Gisla, introduced in the third season of the History channel drama *Vikings*[2](https://www.elle.pl/kultura/tak-wyglada-corka-slynnego-rezysera-romana-polanskiego-kim-jest-morgane-polanski/). The character is presented as the daughter of the Frankish emperor [Charles the Bald](https://www.edgepedia.org/charles-the-bald), and Polanski continued in the role until season four, episode 17, broadcast in 2017[2](https://www.elle.pl/kultura/tak-wyglada-corka-slynnego-rezysera-romana-polanskiego-kim-jest-morgane-polanski/) • [20](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/5529/morgane-polanski). Viewer reactions to the performance were divided, with some praising the character's independence and others criticizing her acting, voice, or appearance; Polanski herself called playing the princess the most exciting part of being on the series and valued the experience of working in Ireland with the crew[2](https://www.elle.pl/kultura/tak-wyglada-corka-slynnego-rezysera-romana-polanskiego-kim-jest-morgane-polanski/). She has said that her first scene was shot in front of three cameras and roughly three hundred extras, which she credits as a rapid education in television work[10](https://frenchfries-mag.com/interview/2022/1/19/morgane-polanski).
## Screen career
Her filmography spans independent British cinema and larger international productions. She played Sophie Dunant in the British independent horror film *Unhallowed Ground* (2015)[12](https://www.throughtheclutter.com/morgane-polanski-35055.php), appeared as Lorraine in the drama *[The Wife](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-wife-2017-film)* (2017), as Nina in Anthony Byrne's thriller *In Darkness* (2018), and as Valentina in Julien Landais's period drama *The Aspern Papers* (2018)[12](https://www.throughtheclutter.com/morgane-polanski-35055.php). In 2019 she played Kasia in Rene van Pannevis's debut film *Looted*, a role whose reviews frequently praised her performance[2](https://www.elle.pl/kultura/tak-wyglada-corka-slynnego-rezysera-romana-polanskiego-kim-jest-morgane-polanski/). In 2021 she appeared in [Wes Anderson](https://www.edgepedia.org/wes-anderson)'s *The French Dispatch*[2](https://www.elle.pl/kultura/tak-wyglada-corka-slynnego-rezysera-romana-polanskiego-kim-jest-morgane-polanski/), and in 2023 she played Zula in her father's film *The Palace*[8](https://www.metacritic.com/person/morgane-polanski/).
**The Partisan.** In *The Partisan*, written and directed by James Marquand, she plays Krystyna Skarbek, the Polish agent who worked for the UK's Special Operations Executive during the Second World War[2](https://www.elle.pl/kultura/tak-wyglada-corka-slynnego-rezysera-romana-polanskiego-kim-jest-morgane-polanski/) • [5](https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/484396/). Marquand said the casting followed a wide search among Polish, British, and other actresses, and that her background, with a Jewish father and a French mother, mirrored the real Skarbek's family mix; he also noted that the role required stamina because the character is in nearly every scene[13](https://aaroncarruthers85.wordpress.com/2025/10/26/interview-director-james-marquand-on-the-partisan/). Critics converged on her performance as the film's strongest element: The Guardian's Cath Clarke called it an intense, seductive lead performance that rescues a rickety drama[14](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/01/the-partisan-review-krystyna-skarbek-morgane-polanski), while Cineuropa's Jan Tracz praised her handling of the character's ambivalent nature but noted occasional overplayed scenes[5](https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/484396/). The film premiered at the Gdynia Polish Film Festival on 27 September 2024 and received a limited theatrical release on 3 October 2025[15](https://gazettely.com/2025/10/entertainment/the-partisan-review/).
## Directing and writing
Polanski has built a parallel career behind the camera. AlloCiné credits her as director of the short films *The Understudy* (2016), *The Stroke* (2017), and *Like mother/Like slaughter* (2024), and as screenwriter of *The Understudy*[6](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-421614/filmographie/). *The Stroke* was launched through her own company, Stroke Production, and presented at the online MyFrenchFilmFestival[7](https://www.vogue.fr/culture/le-dimanche-de/articles/le-dimanche-de-morgane-polanski-actrice-realisatrice-adresses-londres-paris/59987) • [16](https://videos.prada.com/csr-video/MiuMiu_NL22.pdf). Her short *Through the Looking Glass*, made under Stroke Productions and shown on the festival circuit, cast her confronting younger and older versions of herself[17](https://untitled-magazine.com/?p=144591). She has stated in interviews that she wants a career as both an actress and a director[16](https://videos.prada.com/csr-video/MiuMiu_NL22.pdf), and has named [Julia Ducournau](https://www.edgepedia.org/julia-ducournau) among the directors she admires[18](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/myfrenchfilmfestival-morgane-polanski-stroke-obsession-111002751.html).
## Reception and public image
Her public profile has been shaped by both her own work and her family name. Reviewers of *The Partisan* frequently introduced her as her father's daughter while judging the performance on its own terms[5](https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/484396/) • [14](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/01/the-partisan-review-krystyna-skarbek-morgane-polanski). She has spoken about the impostor syndrome she felt even when sending a self-tape for the *Vikings* role, and about her parents' insistence on training and discipline; when she told her father she intended to make her first film, he suggested she start by filming their dog on a phone[10](https://frenchfries-mag.com/interview/2022/1/19/morgane-polanski) • [11](https://film.interia.pl/wywiady/news-morgane-polanski-najwazniejsza-jest-dyscyplina%2CnId%2C2704987). [Malcolm McDowell](https://www.edgepedia.org/malcolm-mcdowell), her co-star in *The Partisan*, described working with her warmly, calling her a brave actress with a promising career[19](https://www.original-cin.ca/posts/2025/10/9/original-cin-chat-the-partisans-malcolm-mcdowell-on-his-polish-connections).
## References
1. [Morgane Polanski – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1364281/bio/)
2. [Morgane Polanski – jak córka Romana Polańskiego buduje własną karierę w świecie filmu, Elle.pl](https://www.elle.pl/kultura/tak-wyglada-corka-slynnego-rezysera-romana-polanskiego-kim-jest-morgane-polanski/)
3. [The Partisan, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_partisan)
4. [Morgane Polanski reżyserką?, Culture.pl](https://culture.pl/pl/artykul/morgane-polanski-rezyserka)
5. [Review: The Partisan, Cineuropa](https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/484396/)
6. [Morgane Polanski : Filmographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-421614/filmographie/)
7. [Le dimanche de... Morgane Polanski, Vogue France](https://www.vogue.fr/culture/le-dimanche-de/articles/le-dimanche-de-morgane-polanski-actrice-realisatrice-adresses-londres-paris/59987)
8. [Morgane Polanski, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/morgane-polanski/)
9. [Morgane Polanski Talks Acting and Famous Parents, Harper's Bazaar](https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a10229/morgane-polanski-0415/)
10. [Morgane Polanski for French Fries F/W 2021/22, French Fries Magazine](https://frenchfries-mag.com/interview/2022/1/19/morgane-polanski)
11. [Morgane Polański: Najważniejsza jest dyscyplina, Film w INTERIA.PL](https://film.interia.pl/wywiady/news-morgane-polanski-najwazniejsza-jest-dyscyplina%2CnId%2C2704987)
12. [List of 5 Morgane Polanski Movies, Ranked Best to Worst, Through the Clutter](https://www.throughtheclutter.com/morgane-polanski-35055.php)
13. [Interview: Director James Marquand on The Partisan, The Film Collective Scotland](https://aaroncarruthers85.wordpress.com/2025/10/26/interview-director-james-marquand-on-the-partisan/)
14. [The Partisan review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/01/the-partisan-review-krystyna-skarbek-morgane-polanski)
15. [The Partisan Review, Gazettely](https://gazettely.com/2025/10/entertainment/the-partisan-review/)
16. [Miu Miu video interview with Morgane Polanski (MyFrenchFilmFestival), Prada](https://videos.prada.com/csr-video/MiuMiu_NL22.pdf)
17. [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Morgane Polanski, Through the Looking Glass, The Untitled Magazine](https://untitled-magazine.com/?p=144591)
18. [MyFrenchFilmFestival: Morgane Polanski on 'The Stroke', Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/myfrenchfilmfestival-morgane-polanski-stroke-obsession-111002751.html)
19. [Original-Cin Chat: The Partisan's Malcolm McDowell](https://www.original-cin.ca/posts/2025/10/9/original-cin-chat-the-partisans-malcolm-mcdowell-on-his-polish-connections)
20. [Morgane Polanski, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/5529/morgane-polanski)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › French actors › Surnames N to Y*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license