Maria Peszek (born September 9, 1973) is a Polish singer, songwriter and actress. She embarked on a professional acting career in the early 1990s and went on to appear in over 40 stage plays, as well as a number of feature films and television series. In 2005 Peszek released her debut album, critically acclaimed Miasto mania, followed by controversial works Maria Awaria in 2008 and Jezus Maria Peszek in 2012.

Biography

She was born in Wrocław, Poland into a family of actors. She debuted in a theatrical adaptation of Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass in 1995 at the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre in Kraków, where she subsequently graduated from an acting school next year. Since her appearance in Dom Juan in 1996 she became associated with the Studio Theatre in Warsaw.

Since 2004 she has been singing and songwriting in the band Elektrolot. She released her solo debut album, Miasto mania, in October 2005. It was certified platinum and earned her the Fryderyk award for best debut the following year. In November 2006 she released an extended play album, Siku. September 2008 saw the release of her next album, entitled Maria Awaria. This concept album, which dealt with sexuality, caused many controversies, but gathered numerous flattering reviews and was certified platinum.

Peszek contributed a theme song for a controversial Polish film Z miłości in 2011, before releasing her third studio album, Jezus Maria Peszek, in October 2012. The album dealt with subjects like nervous breakdown, also criticizing organized religion and patriotism. It was another major success, topping Polish albums chart.