Editing Helena Modjeska (section)

{{Short description|Polish-American actress (1840–1909)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}<!--Rationale: most of her professional career was in the US.-->
{{Infobox person
| image = Helena Modjeska ca. 1890 by Sarony (Gardner Mus ARC006444) - crop.jpg
| caption = Helena Modjeska, {{circa|1890}}
| birthname = Jadwiga Benda<br />(''baptized'' Helena Opid)
| birth_date   = {{birth date|1840|10|12}}
| birth_place  = [[Kraków]], [[Free City of Cracow]]
| death_date   = {{death date and age|1909|4|8|1840|10|12}}
| death_place  = [[Newport Beach, California]], U.S.
| occupation   = Actress
| years_active = 1861–1907
| spouses      = {{marriage|Gustav Modrzejewski|1861|1868|end=divorced}}<br>{{marriage|Count Karol Bozenta Chłapowski|1868}}
| children     = 2, including [[Ralph Modjeski|Ralph]]
| relatives    = [[Władysław T. Benda]] (nephew)
| signature    = Appletons' Modjeska Helena signature.png
}}
'''Helena Modrzejewska''' ({{IPA|pl|mɔdʐɛˈjɛfska|lang}}; born '''Jadwiga Helena Mizel'''; October 12, 1840 – April 8, 1909), known professionally in the [[United States]] as '''Helena Modjeska''', was a Polish-American actress who specialized in [[William Shakespeare|Shakespearean]] and tragic roles. 

She was successful first on the Polish stage. After emigrating to the United States (and despite her poor command of English), she also succeeded on stage in America and London. She is regarded as the greatest actress in the [[Theater in Poland|history of theatre in Poland]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://encyklopedia.pwn.pl/haslo/;3942578 |language = pl |title=Helena Modrzejewska | access-date = 8 November 2021}}</ref> She was also a member of the [[Pacific Coast Women's Press Association]] and was mother of a prominent Polish-American engineer [[Ralph Modjeski]].