Biography
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 Polańskis' Benedict Canyon home above Los Angele…
Directed
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The Pianist (2002) — Director
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Rosemary's Baby (1968) — Director
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Chinatown (1974) — Director
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The Ninth Gate (1999) — Director
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Carnage (2011) — Director
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The Ghost Writer (2010) — Director
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An Officer and a Spy (2019) — Director
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Oliver Twist (2005) — Director
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The Tenant (1976) — Director
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Frantic (1988) — Director
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Repulsion (1965) — Director
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Bitter Moon (1992) — Director
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The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) — Director
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Venus in Fur (2013) — Director
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Death and the Maiden (1994) — Director
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Based on a True Story (2017) — Director
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Knife in the Water (1962) — Director
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Tess (1979) — Director
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Cul-de-sac (1966) — Director
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Pirates (1986) — Director
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Macbeth (1971) — Director
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The Palace (2023) — Director
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To Each His Own Cinema (2007) — Director
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What? (1972) — Director
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Two Men and a Wardrobe (1958) — Director
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A Toothful Smile (1957) — Director
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The Lamp (1959) — Director
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Murder (1957) — Director
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Mammals (1962) — Director
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The Fat and the Lean (1961) — Director
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When Angels Fall (1959) — Director
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Break Up the Dance (1957) — Director
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The World's Most Beautiful Swindlers (1964) — Director
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The King of Ads (1991) — Director
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NET Playhouse (1966) — Director
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The River of Diamonds (1964) — Director
- Bicycle (2008) — Director
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Le court des grands (2005) — Director
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Henri Langlois vu par... (2014) — Director
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Sharon Tate Home Movies (2019) — Director
Also appeared in
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Chinatown (1974) — Man with Knife
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Rush Hour 3 (2007) — Det. Revi
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Carnage (2011) — Neighbor
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An Officer and a Spy (2019) — Concertgoer (uncredited)
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The Tenant (1976) — Trelkovsky
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Frantic (1988) — Taxi Driver (uncredited)
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Repulsion (1965) — Spoon Player
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The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) — Alfred
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Knife in the Water (1962) — Young Man (voice)
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A Pure Formality (1994) — Inspector
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Quiet Chaos (2008) — Steiner
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Blood for Dracula (1974) — Gambler
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Kanal (1957) — Resistance Member pushed into a Sewer (uncredited)
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What? (1972) — Mosquito
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Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau (2014) — Self (archive footage)
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Dead Tired (1994) — Roman Polanski
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Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970) — Self (uncredited)
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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) — Self
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E! True Hollywood Story (1996)
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Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (2008) — Self (archive footage)
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Chaos: The Manson Murders (2025) — Self
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A Generation (1955) — Mundek
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Two Men and a Wardrobe (1958) — Bad Boy
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Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (2003) — Self
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Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans (2015) — Self (archive footage)
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Seduced and Abandoned (2013) — Self
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The Magic Christian (1969) — Solitary Drinker
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Innocent Sorcerers (1960) — Dudzio
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The Lamp (1959) — A passer-by (uncredited)
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The Fat and the Lean (1961) — the lean
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Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir (2012) — Self
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The Revenge (2002) — Józef Papkin
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When Angels Fall (1959) — Old Woman
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Goodbye, Till Tomorrow (1960) — Romek
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Bad Luck (1960) — Tutor (uncredited)
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Breakdown: 1975 (2025) — Self - Director of Chinatown (archive footage)
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The Dick Cavett Show (1968) — Self - Guest
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Wetten, dass..? (1981) — Self
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Manson: Music from an Unsound Mind (2019) — Self (archive footage)
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Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (2007) — Self (archive)