His father is of part Austrian ancestry, and his mother's family is Mexican.
Michael Polish is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is known for directing the films Twin Falls Idaho (1999), Northfork (2002), The Astronaut Farmer (2006), Jackpot (2011), Big Sur (2013), and Gemini (2018).
Polish was born in 1970 in Berkeley, California, the son of Polish immigrants. He grew up in San Francisco and attended high school at the prestigious Lowell High School. He then studied film at the University of Southern California.
Polish’s debut film, Twin Falls Idaho (1999), was a critical and commercial success. The film, about conjoined twins, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.
Polish’s second film, Northfork (2002), was a less successful but still well-received film about a small town in Montana that is being relocated due to the construction of a dam.
Polish’s third film, The Astronaut Farmer (2006), starred Billy Bob Thornton as a farmer who builds his own rocket ship in order to go to space. The film was a box office success and received positive reviews from critics.
Polish’s fourth film, Jackpot (2011), was a dark comedy about a group of friends who win the lottery and then turn on each other. The film was not a commercial success but received positive reviews from critics.
Polish’s fifth film, Big Sur (2013), starred Josh Lucas as Jack Kerouac in a film adaptation of Kerouac’s novel of the same name. The film was not a commercial success but received positive reviews from critics.
Polish’s sixth film, Gemini (2018), is a crime thriller about a Hollywood starlet who is murdered and her assistant who becomes the prime suspect. The film has received positive reviews from critics and is currently in theaters.
Polish is married to actress Kate Bosworth and they have two children together.
General Info
Full Name
Michael Polish
Profession
Actor, Film director, Film producer, Cinematographer, Screenwriter
Nationality
American
Family
Spouse
Kate Bosworth, Jo Strettell
Children
Jasper Polish
Siblings
Mark Polish
Accomplishments
Awards
Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award
Nominations
Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, ALMA Award for Outstanding Director of a Feature Film, Gotham Open Palm Award
Movies
90 Minutes in Heaven, Big Sur, The Astronaut Farmer, Northfork, Amnesiac, Twin Falls Idaho, Hot Bot, For Lovers Only, Stay Cool, Jackpot, The Smell of Success, Some Kind of Hate, Hellraiser: Bloodline, The Good Thief, The Bridge of San Luis Rey
(On Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)) Maybe it was because they are more cartoonish. They were framed differently, their particular way of close-ups. The music was more on top of the picture than any others, played so much into character that it identified certain instruments with people. That's what I thought a Western should be. If someone asked me what my favorite Western was, I'd say, "Leone", and people were cracking a smile.
Facts
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Fact
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His father is of part Austrian ancestry, and his mother's family is Mexican.
