Polanski, Roman (1933-…), is a Polish motion-picture director who has directed acclaimed films in both Europe and the United States. His films are known for their often subtle sense of suspense or horror. Polanski gained commercial and critical acclaim with his first American film, Rosemary’s Baby (1968), a story of modern Satanism. He directed the film and wrote the screenplay. Polanski won an Academy Award as best director for The Pianist (2002), a grim and realistic story of a young man trying to survive the Holocaust in Poland.
Polanski was born in Paris on Aug. 18, 1933, of Polish parents. His real name is Roman Liebling. The boy and his family returned to Poland when he was 3 years old. As a child, Polanski, who is Jewish, barely survived the Holocaust in Poland during the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. When he was 8 years old, his parents were imprisoned in a German concentration camp. His mother died in the camp. He was left on his own, surviving by living with several Polish families. Polanski’s experiences during that period may have influenced the emphasis on psychological suspense, understated horror, and mental illness found in his major films.
After the end of World War II in 1945, Polanski became a stage actor. He attended the Polish film school in Lodz from 1954 to 1959. While at the school, he acted in Polish films and wrote and directed several short films, notably the award-winning 15-minute Two Men and a Wardrobe (1958).
Polanski made his reputation with the European-made suspense films Knife in the Water (1962), Repulsion (1965), and Cul-de-Sac (1966). His other notable films include Chinatown (1974); Tess (1979); Oliver Twist (2005), based on the novel by the English author Charles Dickens; The Ghost Writer (2010); Carnage (2011); Venus in Fur (2013); and J’accuse (2019). He has also directed operas.
Polanski’s private life has made international headlines. He married the American actress Sharon Tate in 1968. In 1969, Tate and three of their close friends were murdered by a group of young people led by the cult leader Charles Manson.
In 1977, Polanski pleaded guilty to a charge of having unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl in Los Angeles, California. He left the United States before he was sentenced and was declared a fugitive from justice. Efforts to have Polanski extradited (handed over) to the United States have been unsuccessful.
Polanski married the French actress Emmanuelle Seigner in 1989. She has acted in a number of his films. Polanski wrote the autobiography Roman (1984).
