CineScope
Roman Polanski picture

Roman Polanski

Directing
Known For

91 Years Old

Roman Polański (born 18 August 1933) is a Polish-French film director, producer, writer and actor. Born in Paris to Polish parents, Polański 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. Polański'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, Polański's pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, was murdered while staying at the Polański's Benedict Canyon home above Los Angeles by members of the Manson Family. Following Tate's death, Polański 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. Polański'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, Polański 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, Polański 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. Polański 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 Polański's earlier life experiences. Like Szpilman, Polański 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, Polański 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.

Born

Paris, France on 18th August 1933

All Credits

The Dick Cavett Show Image
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest
Apostrophes Image
Apostrophes
Self
Wetten, dass..? Image
Wetten, dass..?
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Image
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
Spécial cinéma Image
Spécial cinéma
Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche Image
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Self
No Image
Na sowas!
Self
Le Grand Échiquier Image
Le Grand Échiquier
Self
No Image
Wortwechsel
Self
Scene by Scene Image
Scene by Scene
Self
Leçon de Cinéma Image
Leçon de Cinéma
Self
28 minutes Image
28 minutes
Self
The Playboy Murders Image
The Playboy Murders
Self (archive footage)
No Image
Wedden, dat..?
Self
No Image
Na siehste!
Self
Rush Hour 3 Image
Rush Hour 3
Det. Revi
Helter Skelter: An American Myth Image
Helter Skelter: An American Myth
Self - Widower of Sharon Tate (archive footage)
Chinatown Image
Chinatown
Man with Knife
No Image
7 sur 7
Self
E! True Hollywood Story Image
E! True Hollywood Story
No Image
Bayerischer Filmpreis
Self
Un film et son époque Image
Un film et son époque
Self
The Fearless Vampire Killers Image
The Fearless Vampire Killers
Alfred
Frantic Image
Frantic
Taxi Driver (uncredited)
101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment Image
101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment
Repulsion Image
Repulsion
Spoon Player
The Tenant Image
The Tenant
Trelkovsky
Carnage Image
Carnage
Neighbor
An Officer and a Spy Image
An Officer and a Spy
Concertgoer (uncredited)
No Image
Apropos Film
Self
The Magic Christian Image
The Magic Christian
Solitary Drinker
Blood for Dracula Image
Blood for Dracula
Gambler
Faye Image
Faye
Self (Archive footage)
Heart of the Festival Image
Heart of the Festival
A Pure Formality Image
A Pure Formality
Inspector
Knife in the Water Image
Knife in the Water
Young Man (voice)
The Kid Stays in the Picture Image
The Kid Stays in the Picture
Self (archive footage)
Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau Image
Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau
Self (archive footage)
Kanal Image
Kanal
Resistance Member pushed into a Sewer (uncredited)
Seduced and Abandoned Image
Seduced and Abandoned
Self
Close Up Image
Close Up
Self (archive footage)
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired Image
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
Self (archive footage)
What? Image
What?
Mosquito
Dead Tired Image
Dead Tired
Roman Polanski
Playboy: The Story of X Image
Playboy: The Story of X
Self (archive footage)
Valerie Image
Valerie
Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans Image
Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans
Self (archive footage)
Quiet Chaos Image
Quiet Chaos
Steiner
The Ten Commandments of Creativity Image
The Ten Commandments of Creativity
Self
When Angels Fall Image
When Angels Fall
Old woman
Lionpower from MGM Image
Lionpower from MGM
Back in the USSR Image
Back in the USSR
Kurilov
The Revenge Image
The Revenge
Józef Papkin
Once Upon a Time... 'Tess' Image
Once Upon a Time... 'Tess'
Self
Weekend of a Champion Image
Weekend of a Champion
Self
A Generation Image
A Generation
Mundek
Tonite Let's All Make Love in London Image
Tonite Let's All Make Love in London
Self
Innocent Sorcerers Image
Innocent Sorcerers
Dudzio
Tess: From Novel to Screen Image
Tess: From Novel to Screen
Self
The Unbeatable Bruce Lee Image
The Unbeatable Bruce Lee
Self (archive footage)
Light Keeps Me Company Image
Light Keeps Me Company
Self
Manson: Music From an Unsound Mind Image
Manson: Music From an Unsound Mind
Self (archive footage)
Remembering 'Rosemary's Baby' Image
Remembering 'Rosemary's Baby'
Self
In The Tracks Of - Alexandre Desplat Image
In The Tracks Of - Alexandre Desplat
Self
Bad Luck Image
Bad Luck
Tutor (uncredited)
Valley of the Dolls: A World Premiere Voyage Image
Valley of the Dolls: A World Premiere Voyage
Himself
The Evolution of Snuff Image
The Evolution of Snuff
No Image
Empire of the Censors
Self
Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out Image
Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out
Self (archive footage)
Nikodem Dyzma Image
Nikodem Dyzma
Porter (uncredited)
The Family Image
The Family
Self
Catherine Deneuve, belle et bien là Image
Catherine Deneuve, belle et bien là
Self (archive footage)
No Image
Polanski y los ojos del mal
Himself
Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir Image
Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir
Self
Lotna Image
Lotna
Musician (uncredited)
Henri Langlois vu par... Image
Henri Langlois vu par...
Self
Polanski, le travail à l'oeuvre Image
Polanski, le travail à l'oeuvre
Self
Toil And Trouble: Making 'Macbeth' Image
Toil And Trouble: Making 'Macbeth'
Self
No Image
Memories of a Young Pianist
Man in Tavern (archive footage)
The Fat and the Lean Image
The Fat and the Lean
the lean
Tess: The Experience Image
Tess: The Experience
Self
Good Bye, Till Tomorrow Image
Good Bye, Till Tomorrow
Romek
The New Cinema Image
The New Cinema
Self
The Last Days of Sharon Tate Image
The Last Days of Sharon Tate
Self (archive footage)
The Lamp Image
The Lamp
A passer-by (uncredited)
Chassé-croisé Image
Chassé-croisé
Il falso bugiardo Image
Il falso bugiardo
Self (archive footage)
Two Men and a Wardrobe Image
Two Men and a Wardrobe
Bad Boy
What Will My Wife Say to This? Image
What Will My Wife Say to This?
Dancer
No Image
Twist by Polanski
A Special Day Image
A Special Day
Self
Ciao, Federico! Image
Ciao, Federico!
Self (uncredited)
Koniec nocy Image
Koniec nocy
Mały
Françoise Dorléac, une promesse Image
Françoise Dorléac, une promesse
Self
Dracula: The True Story Image
Dracula: The True Story
Himself
Clive James Meets Roman Polanski Image
Clive James Meets Roman Polanski
Con bravura Image
Con bravura
Caroler
Polanski, Horowitz. The Wizards From the Ghetto Image
Polanski, Horowitz. The Wizards From the Ghetto
Self
Samson Image
Samson
Partner of Malina's Blackmailer (uncredited)
Polanski Meets Macbeth Image
Polanski Meets Macbeth
Self
Magical Bicycle Image
Magical Bicycle
Adaś
Weekend of a Champion Image
Weekend of a Champion
Himself
Wraki Image
Wraki
Romek
No Image
On the Trail of the New Wave
Self (archive footage)
Trzy starty Image
Trzy starty
Basia's Brother
No Image
Knife in the Water: A Ticket to the West
Self
Komeda: A Soundtrack for a Life Image
Komeda: A Soundtrack for a Life
Self
Ostrożnie yeti Image
Ostrożnie yeti
Driver
Sex, Lies and Jerzy Kosinski Image
Sex, Lies and Jerzy Kosinski
Mia and Roman Image
Mia and Roman
Himself
En attendant Godot Image
En attendant Godot
Lucky
Elle s'appelait Françoise Image
Elle s'appelait Françoise
Self
The Nomad Image
The Nomad
Self
Filming 'Tess' Image
Filming 'Tess'
Self
The South Bank Show: Roman Polanski Image
The South Bank Show: Roman Polanski
Self
Two Gangsters and an Island Image
Two Gangsters and an Island
Self
A British Horror Film Image
A British Horror Film
Self
Sharon Tate: Murdered Innocence Image
Sharon Tate: Murdered Innocence
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
No Image
Tribute to Alfred Lepetit
Self
Cracow by Polanski Image
Cracow by Polanski
No Image
Last Pictures
Self
Final Days of an Icon Image
Final Days of an Icon
self
No Image
Komeda, Komeda...
Self
Three Stories Image
Three Stories
Genek "Mały" (segment 2)
Godzina bez słońca Image
Godzina bez słońca
No Image
Bicycle
Boy who wants to buy a bicycle
Roman by Polanski Image
Roman by Polanski
No Image
Rosemary's Baby: A Retrospective
Self
No Image
The Best of Twist: Sets, Costumes & Photography
No Image
Polanski par Polanski
Self
Ciné regards: Tess: Roman Polanski Image
Ciné regards: Tess: Roman Polanski
Self
No Image
The Stalking Moon
Fabrice Fournier