Wanda Opalinska


Wanda Opalinska is an Anglo-Polish actress, best known for playing the part of Polish immigrant and Underworld factory worker Wiki Dankowska in the British soap opera, Coronation Street.

Early life

Opalinska went to drama school before studying English at the University of Birmingham from 1988–91. She then qualified as an English teacher and taught in South London. She was a teacher of English and Drama at St Thomas More R.C. Secondary School,, before leaving to further her teaching career at Whitgift School. There she was appointed first House Mistress in the schools 400-year history. During her time at Whitgift her critique of George Orwell's Animal Farm was published by Longman as part of their acclaimed York Notes series.

Career

Opalinska joined Coronation Street as a seamstress at the Underworld factory. Opalinska's first on-screen appearance as Wiki was on 26 February 2007. Wiki worked for Underworld manager Carla Connor, and witnessed her friend Kasia Barowicz die as she fell down the steps of the Underworld factory.
She has appeared in ITV's The Sitcom Trials and the BBC's The Last Laugh.
Opalinska appeared in Waterloo Road in the episode first broadcast on BBC1 on 28 October 2010.
Other television appearances include Doctors where she played Sue Pruce, Law and Order UK where she played Marta, and Some Girls where she played the part of Marie.
On 28 February 2013, Opalinska appeared in her first episode of the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Magda Bakowska, the carer for Patrick Trueman. Opalinska made her final appearance as Magda on 4 March 2013.
For theatre, Opalinska was recently in the Royal Court production of Truth and Reconciliation by Debbie Tucker Green.

Personal life

On 12 February 2009 Opalinska gave birth to a son, Rafal.