History Creator / RomanPolanski

Now unable to enter any country that had an extradition agreement with the US, Polański nonetheless continued making films, which -- with select exceptions (such as ''Film/ThePianist'' and ''Film/{{Tess}}'') -- did not match the critical and financial success of his early career. Contrary to popular belief, Polański only ever made two films in Hollywood (''Film/RosemarysBaby'' and ''Film/{{Chinatown}}''). In 2002, he won his first [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestDirecting Academy Award for Best Director]] for ''The Pianist''; the statuette was accepted on his behalf and delivered to him by Creator/HarrisonFord, who'd earlier starred in his film ''Film/{{Frantic}}''. In 2005, the American arrest warrant on him became an international one, and four years later, he was re-arrested on it (while at a ceremony to accept another award) and had to finish post-production on ''Film/TheGhostWriter'' from prison.

Now unable to enter any country that had an extradition agreement with the US, Polański nonetheless continued making films, which -- with select exceptions (''Film/ThePianist'' and ''Film/{{Tess}}'') -- did not match the critical and financial success of his early career. Contrary to popular belief, Polański only ever made two films in Hollywood (''Film/RosemarysBaby'' and ''Film/{{Chinatown}}''). He has made 12 films since his exile, and in 2002, he won his first [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestDirecting Academy Award for Best Director]] for ''The Pianist''; the statuette was accepted on his behalf and delivered to him by Creator/HarrisonFord, who'd earlier starred in his film ''Film/{{Frantic}}''. In 2005, the American arrest warrant on him became an international one, and four years later, he was re-arrested on it (while at a ceremony to accept another award) and had to finish post-production on ''Film/TheGhostWriter'' from prison.

After Polański had spent several months under house arrest in Switzerland awaiting extradition to the US, the Swiss government announced in July 2010 that they were denying the extradition request, after having apparently encountered problems with the request and considering "national interests"; he is now free once again. In 2015, a second extradition request with the government of Poland was turned down as well; this decision was appealed until December 2016, when the Polish Supreme Court issued a verdict [[http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/283219,Supreme-Court-upholds-decision-not-to-extradite-filmmaker-Polanski upholding the government's earlier decision and blocking any further attempts to extradite him]]. In the meantime, six different women have come forward to accuse the director of having assaulted them as teenagers. In 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted to expel Polański from its membership.

Polański remarried to French actress Creator/EmmanuelleSeigner (who is 33 years younger than him and starred in several of his films) in 1989. They have two children, including actress Creator/MorganePolanski.

Polański was born in Paris to [[UsefulNotes/PolishJews Polish-Jewish]] parents. When he was four, the family returned to Kraków less than three years before the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII German invasion and occupation]] of UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}. His parents were subsequently deported into concentration camps, and his mother was killed in [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust Auschwitz]]. He became a drifter after surviving in the Kraków Ghetto, traveling the country and staying with various families while also supporting himself by acting in local stage shows. After the war, he studied cinema in Łódź in the 1950s, and came back to Paris in the 1960s.

[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/roman_polanski.jpeg]]

* 2005: ''Film/OliverTwist''

Raymond Roman Thierry Polański (né Liebling; August 18, 1933) is a(n in)famous French and Polish director, producer, and actor, whose own life story is just as fascinating (and depressing) as his films.

Roman Polański (born Raymond Thierry Liebling; August 18, 1933) is a(n in)famous French and Polish director, producer, and actor, whose own life story is just as fascinating (and depressing) as his films.

Roman Polański (born Raymond Thierry Liebling; August 18, 1933) is a famous Polish-French director, producer, actor, and [[BreadEggsMilkSquick convicted sex offender]] whose own life story is just as fascinating (and depressing) as his films.

Another turning point for Polański came in 1977, when he was arrested in Los Angeles and charged with drugging and sexually assaulting 13-year-old Samantha Geimer (née Gailey), whom he was photographing for the French edition of ''Vogue'' magazine, following a photoshoot at his friend Creator/JackNicholson's house. (Nicholson was away on a ski trip at the time, while his then-girlfriend Creator/AnjelicaHuston, who also lived there, had been away from the house and returned to encounter Polański and Geimer as they were leaving together.) As part of a plea bargain, [[https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-polanski-legal1-2009oct01-story.html Polanski pleaded guilty]] and submitted [[http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/how-polanskis-probation-officer-saw-his-crime/ to a stay at Chino State Prison]], where he was released after a 42-day period. When Polański got wind that the judge in the case intended to overrule the plea bargain, return him to prison, and extend his sentence, he fled to France, where he has citizenship. He also sold off his house in the UK and never returned there.

* 2023: ''Film/ThePalace''

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* 2023: ''The Palace''

Polański gained acclaim for films like ''Film/KnifeInTheWater'' and ''Film/{{Repulsion}}'', and began a successful Hollywood career. While going far outside his usual material directing and starring in the horror parody ''Film/TheFearlessVampireKillers'', he [[RomanceOnTheSet fell in love with his co-star]] Creator/SharonTate and they were married soon after in January 1968. Just over one year and a half later, on August 9, 1969, Tate was murdered by the death cult of UsefulNotes/CharlesManson just weeks away from the birth of their first child while Polański was making a film in Europe. Never a very sunny filmmaker to begin with, his movies understandably [[CreatorBreakdown became even grimmer after this]]; he somehow managed to make [[Film/Macbeth1971 a film of]] ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'' even darker than [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]]'s original.

Another turning point for Polański came in 1977, when he was arrested in Los Angeles and charged with drugging and sexually assaulting 13-year-old Samantha Geimer (née Gailey), whom he was photographing for the French edition of ''Vogue'' magazine, following a photo shoot at his friend Creator/JackNicholson's house. (Nicholson was away on a ski trip at the time, while his then-girlfriend Creator/AnjelicaHuston, who also lived there, had been away from the house and returned to encounter Polański and Geimer as they were leaving together.) As part of a plea bargain, [[https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-polanski-legal1-2009oct01-story.html Polanski pleaded guilty]] and submitted [[http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/how-polanskis-probation-officer-saw-his-crime/ to a stay at Chino State Prison]], where after a 42-day period he was released. When Polański got wind that the judge in the case intended to overrule the plea bargain, return him to prison, and extend his sentence, he fled to France, where he has citizenship. He also sold off his house in the UK and never returned there.