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Polanski, Roman -- film maker - film actor

Roman Polanski was born in Paris in 1933 and in 1937 he and his parents moved back to Krakow, Poland. The family experienced the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939. His mother was arrested and sent to a concentration camp and never heard from again. In 1954 Roman enrolled in the Polish Film School in Lodz. He acted in and directed several short films and made his debut as a feature film maker in 1961 with "Knife in the Water." Other feature films followed: "Fearless Vampire Killers," (with Sharon Tate), "Repulsion," "Cul de Sac," "Rosemary's Baby," "Macbeth," "Chinatown," "Tess," and "The Tenant." In 1981 he starred in a film he produced, appearing as young Mozart in "Amadeus."

From: Wally West

Note: Academy Award (Oscar) in 2003 for "The Pianist", director

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