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Roman Polanski (born August 18, 1933) is a Polish film director and actor.
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2 Trivia 3 Directorial Filmography 4 External links |
Career
Polanski was born in Paris to Jewish parents. His mother died in a concentration camp, but Polanski avoided incarceration there, escaped the Cracow Ghetto and spent the war wandering the countryside of Europe. He was educated at the film school in Lodz, Poland (graduated in 1959). Several short films made during the study gained considerable recognition. His first major film Knife in the Water (1962) was the first significant Polish film after the war that was not associated with the war theme. It was Polanski's first nomination for the Oscar.
In 1968 Polanski went to Hollywood where he gained reputation with the sophisticated psychological thriller Rosemary's Baby (1968). On 9 August 1969, his wife Sharon Tate who was eight months pregnant, was brutally murdered by Charles Manson's gang. Distraught and heartbroken, Polanski returned to Europe.
In 1974 he returned to the USA with the film Chinatown (1974). The film seemed to be the beginning of a new start for Polanski's professional life, as it brought him an Academy Award nomination. However, he became embroiled in a scandal surrounding statutory rape charges involving him and a 13-year-old girl, Samantha Geimer. According to reports, his fame gained him the trust of her parents to host the young model at his home. After convincing her to get into his hot-tub, he drugged her with pills or alcohol and had nonconsensual intercourse with her. After she reported the assault, he fled the United States but returned later to face the charges. On February 1, 1978, after pleading guilty to the charges, Polanski skipped bail and fled to France.
He received another Academy Award nomination for Tess (1979). Since then Polanski spent his time in France and Poland, and continues to direct movies and theater and act in films. He now lives with Emmanuelle Seigner, they have two children: Morgane and Elvis.
Polanski was laureate of the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) award at the Cannes Film Festival on May 26 2002 for The Pianist, later winning the 2002 Academy Award for Directing. He could not attend the awards, held in Hollywood, because he still faces trial if he ever returns to the USA.
He speaks five languages: Polish, Russian, English, French and Italian.
Trivia
Directorial Filmography
External links