Photo: Georges Biard / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Roman Polanski is one of those directors whose filmography you genuinely cannot ignore — Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown, The Pianist — each one a masterclass in dread, atmosphere, and control. Born in Paris, raised in Poland through the horrors of World War II (including the Krakow ghetto), he turned personal trauma into some of cinema's most psychologically dense work. The Pianist alone, his 2002 Holocaust drama, earned him a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Director. But you simply cannot discuss Polanski without acknowledging that in 1977 he drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl in California, pled guilty, then fled the country before sentencing — and has lived in Europe ever since, largely beyond the reach of U.S. justice. His films are brilliant. The crime is real. Holding both truths at once is uncomfortable, which is probably why his name never stops generating debate.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Roman Polanski
- Name (Japanese)
- ロマン・ポランスキー
- Reading
- ろまん・ぽらんすきー
- Born
- August 18, 1933 (age 92)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Rooster
- Origin
- Paris, France
- Height
- 160 cm
- Occupation
- film director / actor / film producer / screenwriter / writer
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 2014 César Award for Best Director
- Golden Medal for Merit to Culture
- 2010 Silver Bear for Best Director
- 2003 Academy Award for Best Director
- Commander of the Legion of Honour
- Medal for Merit to Culture
- 1999 European Film Academy Achievement in World Cinema Award
- 2006 European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Roman Polanski born?
Born August 18, 1933 (age 92).
Where is Roman Polanski from?
Roman Polanski is from Paris, France.
What does Roman Polanski do?
Roman Polanski works as film director, actor, film producer, screenwriter, writer.
How tall is Roman Polanski?
Roman Polanski is 160 cm.
Film director — see all → · Actor — see all → · More people from France →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.