Karolina Wydra, who took a break from acting to raise her children, has made a triumphant return in the Apple TV+ series Pluribus, created by Vince Gilligan. In a profile interview, she shares insights into her childhood influences, preparation for her role as Zosia, and the challenges of embodying a hive mind character. The sci-fi dramedy explores themes of connection and consent through her character's evolving relationship with survivor Carol.
Karolina Wydra grew up in Soviet-era Opole, Poland, where entertainment was scarce. She recalls monthly gatherings to watch bootleg videos of American films like Dirty Dancing, which inspired her to take ballroom dancing lessons, and Prince's Purple Rain, projected on a white sheet. "Everything was very controlled and theater—there wasn’t much of any of it—but if I could get in a play in school, I would," Wydra tells Deadline.
After emigrating to the U.S., Wydra entered the industry as a model in the late 1990s, appearing on the cover of German Elle and in a 2006 Nespresso ad with George Clooney. She pursued acting, studying drama in New York and landing roles in films like Crazy, Stupid, Love and TV series including House, True Blood, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., collaborating with directors such as Graham Yost and David Lynch. Her dream was to work with Vince Gilligan, creator of Breaking Bad.
Wydra paused her career post-COVID to have children, a decision that led her agents to drop her. At age 40, she doubted her return but received an audition for Pluribus via her former commercial agent. Cast in March 2024, she plays Zosia, an emissary of the hive mind "Others," who communicate with Rhea Seehorn's character, Carol, a cantankerous author in a post-apocalyptic world joined by an extraterrestrial virus.
To portray Zosia's serene, unflappable nature—free from pain, fear, or anger—Wydra used dreamwork, meditation, and Jungian active imagination techniques, guided by a coach trained under Sandra Seacat. "I tap into this energy where you feel this Zen-like state and true, unconditional love for humanity, and this peace," she explains. Zosia evolves from maternal figure to friend and lover, with scenes like their reunion, first kiss, and the reveal of the hive mind's access to Carol's frozen eggs filmed in multiple ways under finale director Gordon Smith.
Wydra notes the fine line between care and manipulation in the Others' actions, despite their inability to lie. Online fans draw parallels to Carol's conversion therapy backstory, which Wydra says "totally makes sense." The season ends with Carol discovering the hive mind's plan to transform her, leading her to ally with Manousos and acquire an atom bomb, sharing a regretful look with Zosia.
Wydra stays offline to avoid sensitivity to feedback but feels protective of Zosia, emphasizing her genuine love for Carol. With Gilligan prepping Season 2, Wydra eagerly awaits her return, joking, "Vince, can you write a little faster?" Seehorn, her co-star, recently won a Golden Globe.
