Image of Roman Polanski

Roman Polanski

Roman Polanski (born 18 August 1933) is a Polish-French film director, producer, writer and actor. Born in Paris to Polish parents, Polanski relocated with his family to Poland in 1937. After surviving the Holocaust, he continued his education in Poland and became a critically acclaimed director of both art house and commercial films. Polanski's first feature-length film, Knife in the Water (1962), made in Poland, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He has since received five more Oscar nominations, and in 2002 received the Academy Award for Best Director for his film, The Pianist. He has also been the recipient of two Baftas, four Césars, a Golden Globe and the Palme d'Or. He left Poland in 1961 to live in France for several years, then moved to the United Kingdom where he collaborated with Gérard Brach on three films, beginning with Repulsion (1965). In 1968 he moved to the United States, immediately cementing his burgeoning directing status with the 1968 groundbreaking Academy Award winning horror film Rosemary's Baby. In 1969, Polanski's pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, was murdered while staying at the Polanski's Benedict Canyon home above Los Angeles by members of the Manson Family. Following Tate's death, Polanski returned to Europe and spent much of his time in Paris and Gstaad, but did not make another film until he filmed Macbeth (1971) in England. The following year he went to Italy to make What? (1973) and subsequently spent the next five years living near Rome. However, he traveled to Hollywood to direct Chinatown (1974) for Paramount Pictures, with Robert Evans serving as producer. The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, and was a critical and box-office success; the script by Robert Towne won for Best Original Screenplay. Polanski's next film, The Tenant (1976), was shot in France, and completed the "Apartment Trilogy", following Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby. In 1977, after a photo shoot in Los Angeles, Polanski was arrested for the sexual abuse of a 13 year old girl. He was charged with rape but pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a minor. To avoid sentencing, Polanski fled to his home in London, and then moved on to France the following day. He has had a U.S. arrest warrant outstanding since then, and an international arrest warrant since 2005. Polanski continued to make films such as The Pianist (2002), a World War II-set adaptation of Jewish-Polish musician Władysław Szpilman's autobiography of the same name, which echoed some of Polanski's earlier life experiences. Like Szpilman, Polanski escaped the ghetto and the concentration camps while family members were killed. The film won three Academy Awards including Best Director, the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or, and seven French César Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. He then released the successful films Oliver Twist (2005), To Each His Own Cinema (2007), and The Ghost Writer (2010), completed while under house arrest. In September 2009, Polanski was arrested by Swiss police, at the request of U.S. authorities, when he traveled to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival.In October 2009, the U.S. requested his extradition; however, on July 12, 2010, the Swiss rejected that request and instead declared him a "free man" after releasing him from custody.


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Born:
Aug 18, 1933 In Paris, France
Movie/TV Credits:
85
First Appeared:
In the movie The Stalking Moon
Latest Project:
Movie The Family 2023-05-17
Known For
Poster of Seduced and Abandoned
Poster of Chinatown
Poster of What?
Poster of Ciao, Federico!
Filmography
Movie The Stalking Moon Fabrice Fournier 2025
Movie The Family Himself 2023-05-17
Movie In The Tracks Of - Alexandre Desplat Self 2020-08-13
Movie An Officer and a Spy Concertgoer (uncredited) 2019-09-30
Movie Polanski, le travail à l'oeuvre Self 2019-11-04
Movie Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans Self (archive footage) 2015-05-16
Movie Henri Langlois vu par... Self 2014-07-27
Movie Hollywood Banker himself 2014-10-02
Movie Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's “Island of Dr. Moreau” Self (archive footage) 2014-08-24
Movie Seduced and Abandoned Self 2013-05-20
Movie Remembering 'Rosemary's Baby' Self 2012-01-01
Movie A Special Day Self 2012-05-16
Movie Close Up Self (archive footage) 2012-09-30
Movie Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir Self 2012-10-09
Movie Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out Self (archive footage) 2012-09-09
Movie Carnage Neighbor 2011-09-16
Movie Komeda: A Soundtrack for a Life Self 2011-07-02
Movie Cracow by Polanski 2010-06-28
Movie Catherine Deneuve, belle et bien là Self (archive footage) 2010-04-11
Movie On the Trail of the New Wave Self (archive footage) 2009-03-14
Movie Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired Self (archive footage) 2008-01-18
Movie Il falso bugiardo Self (archive footage) 2008-07-03
Movie Quiet Chaos Steiner 2008-02-08
Movie Bicycle Boy who wants to buy a bicycle 2008-11-22
Movie Rush Hour 3 Det. Revi 2007-08-08
Movie Filming 'Tess' Self 2004-09-28
Movie Tess: The Experience Self 2004-09-28
Movie Tess: From Novel to Screen Self 2004-09-28
Movie A British Horror Film Self 2003-01-01
Movie Two Gangsters and an Island Self 2003-08-25
Movie Polanski y los ojos del mal Himself 2002-04-16
Movie The Kid Stays in the Picture Self (archive footage) 2002-08-16
Movie The Revenge Józef Papkin 2002-10-04
Movie The Ten Commandments of Creativity Self 2000-02-01
Movie Last Pictures Self 2000-01-02
Movie Tribute to Alfred Lepetit Self 2000-02-16
Movie Light Keeps Me Company Self 2000-08-26
Movie Rosemary's Baby: A Retrospective Self 2000-10-03
Movie Playboy: The Story of X Self (archive footage) 1998-01-01
Movie Dracula: The True Story Himself 1997-01-01
Movie Elle s'appelait Françoise Self 1996-12-12
Series E! True Hollywood Story Unknown 1996-08-21
Movie Sex, Lies and Jerzy Kosinski 1995-04-11
Movie Empire of the Censors Self 1995-05-28
Movie A Pure Formality Inspector 1994-05-15
Movie Dead Tired Roman Polanski 1994-05-18
Movie Back in the USSR Kurilov 1992-02-07
Movie Frantic Taxi Driver Who Hands Over the Matches to Dr. Walker (uncred 1988-02-19
Movie Chassé-croisé 1982-03-24
Series Wetten, dass..? Unknown 1981-02-14
Movie The Evolution of Snuff 1978-11-30
Movie The Tenant Trelkovsky 1976-05-26
Movie Blood for Dracula Gambler 1974-08-13
Movie Chinatown Man with Knife 1974-06-20
Movie What? Mosquito 1972-12-07
Movie Weekend of a Champion Self 1972-02-24
Movie Ciao, Federico! Self (uncredited) 1970-10-28
Movie The Magic Christian Solitary Drinker 1969-12-12
Movie Mia and Roman Himself 1968-07-09
Movie The New Cinema 1968-01-01
Movie Tonite Let's All Make Love in London Self 1967-09-26
Movie Valley of the Dolls: A World Premiere Voyage Himself 1967-12-20
Movie Dance of the Vampires Alfred 1967-11-13
Movie Repulsion Spoon Player 1965-06-01
Movie Knife in the Water Young Man (voice) 1962-03-09
Movie Ostrożnie yeti Driver 1961-01-20
Movie The Fat and the Lean the lean 1961-01-01
Movie Samson Partner of Malina's Blackmailer (uncredited) 1961-09-11
Movie Bad Luck Tutor (uncredited) 1960-04-04
Movie Good Bye, Till Tomorrow Romek 1960-05-25
Movie Innocent Sorcerers Dudzio 1960-12-17
Movie The Lamp A passer-by (uncredited) 1959-01-01
Movie Lotna Musician (uncredited) 1959-09-27
Movie When Angels Fall Old woman 1959-12-31
Movie Con bravura Caroler 1958-01-01
Movie Two Men and a Wardrobe Bad Boy 1958-04-22
Movie What Will My Wife Say to This? Dancer 1958-09-26
Movie Koniec nocy Mały 1957-12-21
Movie Kanal Resistance Member pushed into a Sewer (uncredited) 1957-04-20
Movie Wraki Romek 1957-09-02
Movie Nikodem Dyzma Porter (uncredited) 1956-10-29
Movie A Generation Mundek 1955-01-26
Movie Magical Bicycle Adaś 1955-12-25
Movie Trzy starty Basia's Brother 1955-10-25
Movie Three Stories Genek "Mały" (segment 2) 1953-04-24