Paulina Novacek serves as the primary antagonist in the 1993 action-comedy film Undercover Blues, portrayed with elegance by Fiona Shaw.
Paulina is former Czech secret police officer turned merciless arms dealer, who orchestrates a high-stakes game of espionage that brings her into direct conflict with retired spies Jane and Jeff Blue. Her meticulous, imposing presence elevates the film’s comedic espionage plot into a realm of stylish villainy.
Character[]
Paulina Novacek functions as a classic “villainess” in both tone and function: she is intelligent, remorseless, and several steps ahead of her American pursuers. Where the Blues rely on improvisation, charm, and domestic chemistry, Novacek is methodical and unapologetically transactional—she treats people as assets to be deployed or disposed of. Her villainy is underscored by a backstory that frames her as an ex-state operative who has parlayed institutional ruthlessness into a post-Cold War criminal career; the screenplay uses that history to justify both her competence and her moral blankness. In performance, Fiona Shaw gives Novacek an elegant menace—controlled speech, dry wit, and the occasional relish for theatrical cruelty—that turns otherwise lightweight comic set pieces into genuinely tense confrontations
Plot[]
Paulina first appears shrouded in mystery. Jeff and Jane discover she once led a clandestine unit in the Czech Secret Police, fleeing just ahead of a purge. Now, she deals in stolen materials—her latest prize is the experimental explosive C-22—making her non-extraditable and dangerously untouchable.
Her first major appearance unfolds at her clandestine hideout: she expertly anticipates Jane's infiltration and captures her, using the couple's infant as leverage. Even when confronted by Jeff, she remains unruffled, her icy composure underscored by sharp wits and cold control. The scene crescendos as Jane uses a disguised explosive to escape, triggering a high-stakes chase toward a remote salt mine.
In the salt mine sequence, Jane and Paulina collide in a visceral showdown. Their hand-to-hand combat shifts to a showdown in the mud, where Paulina’s calculated dominance pushes Jane to the brink. Yet, when Jeff intervenes—wielding a flamethrower to threaten the explosive cache—Jane regains her footing and lands a decisive blow. In a final twist, Paulina boards a waiting helicopter, only to be unexpectedly handcuffed by her former subordinate, Frank, who seizes the chance to apprehend her on Czech territory, making her extraditable. The couple ultimately escapes via boat, heading off toward Cuba with their daughter in tow.
Quotes[]
- “The Colonel will no longer be working with us”
- ― Paulina after deceptively neutralizing the Colonel.
- “You are still having such a wonderful body.”
- ― Paulina to Jeff, after she captures him and Lieutenant Sawyer.
- “You're a very valuable commodity. Think what the Libyans would pay for your knowledge of American Intelligence. Or the Chinese. Or the Colombians. I think quite a lot of money, Mr. Blue”
- ― Paulina to Jeff, as she holds the blues at gunpoint in the mines.
- "Mr. Blue...Have you come to watch your wife die?"
- ― Paulina to Jeff, after she has overpowered Jane in the mudfight.
- "You see Mrs. Blue...You're of absolutely no value for me. Except as an example to your husband."
- ― Paulina to Jane, as she holds the blues at gunpoint in the mines.
Trivia[]
- Fiona Shaw is also known for playing the secondary villainesses Lena from the 1993 movie Super Mario Bros.
- Fiona Shaw appeared as Marnie Stonebrook in the 2011 TV series True Blood.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Paulina fighting Jane in the mud