In a show that chronicles the sexy, stylish and scandalous lives of some pretty Upper East Siders, I wonder what it says about me that my favorite character is the 30-something maid. Probably that I have good taste.
It seems that since I first began obsessing over Blair’s maid Dorota, everyone else has hopped on the black and white bandwagon! In fact, by the time season one wrapped up, Dorota was a fan favorite and getting more to do by the week.
That all culminates with tonight’s episode, which centers around Dorota’s wedding to Vanya. In honor of the special occasion — and bouncing baby that she’ll deliver in an upcoming episode — I chatted with actress Zuzanna Szadkowski all about the divine domestic goddess she’s brilliantly brought to life!
PopWrap: I just adore Dorota — but I’m guessing you get that a lot?
Zuzanna Szadkowski: It’s cool, I do get to meet a lot of people who have a soft spot for Dorota. I never get over how exciting that is. It’s like a surprise every time.
PW: Was it a surprise to see how much a part of this world the writers made Dorota?
Zuzanna: I think the writers started to create these really funny scenes and really interesting plot points for Dorota to get involved in right from the beginning. So for me, once that started to happen, I got to see how she relates to this fabulous world of the Upper East Side. There’s not shortage of shenanigans for her to get into.
PW: If feel many actresses would have played Dorota as very one-note, was there a moment when you decided to make her a “character”?
Zuzanna: I definitely threw myself into it and wanted to do a great job, but right from the beginning they set up this relationship between Dorota and Blair where it was clear she had an important place in her life. I knew the show itself would be so hot, and the first day on set I felt like it was an electric opportunity for me.
PW: What ran through your mind upon finding out Dorota would get pregnant?
Zuzanna: I was very excited, I had a very emotional reaction – I had to go back and look twice at the script to make sure I hadn’t imagined it. In my personal life, I don’t have kids, so those words – I’m pregnant – have such a visceral hit for me. I just thought it was a huge happening for Dorota. And exciting, because you never know what could happen next.
PW: Is it just me or did your character go from not pregnant to super pregnant in one episode’s time?
Zuzanna: I think the math works out – we found out she was pregnant at Thanksgiving, so she was probably a fair way into it. Also several months have passed. But it is definitely an aggressively growing baby [laughs]. But that’s good – it fits Dorota’s personality, she would have a big happy baby.
PW: And one who beats her belly like Lars from Metallica!
Zuzanna: [laughs] Yeah, that is the kind of brilliant stuff the writers come up with that sends me into a tizzy every time I read a new script.
PW: Do you have a favorite line?
Zuzanna: Oh boy, I kind of feel like there’s one in every episode. I really loved “all a blur of sparkly” last week in reference to the engagement ring.
PW: You’re also experiencing a first tonight as Dorota gets married — what was that like?
Zuzanna: It was a very surreal experience to walk down the aisle since I haven’t done that in my personal life yet. Plus, I don’t imagine that I could have as fabulous a wedding as the one Chuck and Blair throw for Dorota. It’s a memory I’ll keep in my personal file for sure.
PW: Maids, butlers and the like have a very storied history on TV. Is there one you’re particularly drawn to?
Zuzanna: I actually feel like I’ve always identified with those characters. Some of my personal favorites are Rosario from “Will & Grace” and I grew up on “Mr. Belvedere.” It’s a great legacy of serving people.
PW: Well both Dorota and Rosario live in fictional NYC — perhaps there are some webisodes in there longing to be made?
Zuzanna: [laughs] That could be kind of funny. Currently I’m a little bit into the “Real Housewives” and I feel like you see a lot of real Dorotas all over the place. There’s also a cleaning lady on “High Society” I kind of identified with for a minute. I think since playing Dorota, I see the world differently in a way.
PW: I’ve always wondered — when Blair tasks Dorota with a crazy mission does Dorota know how insane it is, or did she drink the Kool-Aid a long time ago?
Zuzanna: I think she’s a very smart and perceptive person. Sometimes she might have a little perspective that the characters don’t, but I think by and large, for Dorota, work is a family affair and she really cares about Miss Blair, so she’s too much a part of the family to look at them with a critical eye. I don’t think she drank the Kool-Aid as much as she sees everything through the lens of love glasses.
“Gossip Girl” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on The CW
Photo: The CW