Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski (born August 18, 1933) is a Polish film director and actor.
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
- Roman has said that the greatest regret he has about his life was not being at Cielo Drive when his wife Sharon, their unborn son, and friends died.
- Dedicated the movie Tess to Sharon. Sharon put the book on his nightstand before leaving London and also left a note saying how it would make a wonderful movie. She died a few days later.
Directorial Filmography
External links
Referenced By
18 August | 18th August | 1969 in film | 1978 | 1979 in film | 1 February | 1st February | 2002 film | 2002 in film | 2003 film | 2003 in film | Abigail Folger | AcademyAwards/BestPicture | Academy Award for Best Picture | Academy Award for Directing | Academy Awards/Best Picture | Academy Awards/Directing | Ariel Dorfman | August 18 | August 18th | Cannes Festival | Cannes Film Festival | Catherine Deneuve | Cesar Award | Charles Manson | Chinatown | Chinatown (1974 movie) | Chinatown (movie) | Chinatowns | Cult homicide | Cult homicides | César Award | Dakota Hotel | Death and the Maiden | Emmanuelle Seigner | Famous French People | Famous Slavs | February 1 | February 1st | Festival International du Film | Film History/Poland | Historical anniversaries/February 1 | History of cinema in Poland | Homicidal cult | Horror Film | Horror movie | Internet Troll | Internet Trolls | Jack Nicholson | Jacqueline Bisset | Jay Sebring | Jim Steinman | John Cassavetes | John Huston | Knife in the Water | Lew Rywin | Lindesfarne | Lindisfarne | Lindisfarne Priory | List of Famous Jews | List of French people | List of Golden Globe Awards: Film, Best Director | List of Jews | List of Poland-related topics | List of Poles | List of Slavs | List of directors | List of famous French people | List of famous Poles | List of famous Slavs | List of film directors | List of notable film directors | List of noted Jews | List of people by name: Po | Listing of noted Jews | Macbeth | Macbeth/Act III Scene i | Macbeth/Act III Scene ii | Macbeth/Act III Scene iii | Macbeth/Act III Scene iv | Macbeth/Act III Scene v | Macbeth/Act III Scene vi | Macbeth/Act II Scene i | Macbeth/Act II Scene ii | Macbeth/Act II Scene iii | Macbeth/Act II Scene iv | Macbeth/Act IV Scene i | Macbeth/Act IV Scene ii | Macbeth/Act IV Scene iii | Macbeth/Act I Scene i | Macbeth/Act I Scene ii | Macbeth/Act I Scene iii | Macbeth/Act I Scene iv | Macbeth/Act I Scene v | Macbeth/Act I Scene vi | Macbeth/Act I Scene vii | Macbeth/Act V Scene i | Macbeth/Act V Scene ii | Macbeth/Act V Scene iii | Macbeth/Act V Scene iv ...
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