Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer, and actor. He is known for directing and writing in films like Chinatown, The Pianist, The Ghostwriter, and Carnage. Since 1978, he has been a fugitive from the U.S. criminal justice system, having fled the country while awaiting sentencing for statutory rape. He has continued to make films since then, however, by shooting much of his work throughout Europe.
Roman Polanski Net Worth As Of 2018: $45 Million
The 84-year-old filmmaker has accumulated a massive $45 million fortune throughout his career. Let’s take a look back at how it all began for this successful yet controversial director.
Early Life
Polanski was born in Paris on August 18, 1933. His Polish-Jewish parents moved the family back to Poland in 1937 when he was four. Two years later Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany and the USSR starting World War II during which Polanski spent the next six years of his childhood mostly on his own, trying to survive the ongoing Holocaust.
1962-1968
Polanski’s first feature-length film, Knife in the Water (1962), was made in Poland and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He has since received five more Oscar nominations, along with one Golden Globe Award. In the United Kingdom he directed three films, beginning with Repulsion (1965). In 1968 he moved to the United States and cemented his status by directing the horror film Rosemary’s Baby (1968).
1969-1974
A turning point in his life took place in 1969, when his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, and four friends were brutally murdered by members of the Manson Family. Following her death, Polanski returned to Europe and eventually continued directing. He made Macbeth (1971) in England and back in Hollywood, Chinatown (1974), which was nominated for eleven Academy Awards.
1977-2002
In 1977, Polanski was arrested and charged with drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl. He subsequently pled guilty to the lesser offense of unlawful sex with a minor. After spending 42 days undergoing a psychiatric evaluation in prison in preparation for sentencing, Polanski, who had expected to be put on probation, learned that the judge planned to imprison him, so he fled to Paris. In Europe, Polanski continued to make films, including Tess (1979), which received three Oscars. He later produced and directed the World War II drama, The Pianist (2002), which won another three Oscars including Best Director. That was the first and only Academy Award Polanski has won.
2003-Present
Polanski continued to make films outside of the U.S. in the 2000’s. He directed Oliver Twist (2005), a story which parallels his own life as a boy trying to triumph over adversity. He also received critical acclaim for his work as both a director and writer on, The Ghost Writer (2010). In May 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that it was expelling him. Polanski responded by saying he would sue the Oscar’s organization and requested a fair hearing.
