Skip to content

Top Navigation

EW.com EW.com
    • All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
    • All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
    • All Music
    • Music Reviews
    • All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
    • All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
    • All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
    • All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
    • All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe

Explore EW.com

EW.com EW.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Comic-Con 2022: Stars strike a pose in EW's photo studio

      Comic-Con 2022: Stars strike a pose in EW's photo studio

      From the casts of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever  and The Walking Dead  to Chris Pine and Regé Jean-Page, see who dropped by EW's Comic-Con headquarters at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego. Read More
    • Power players: Inside The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

      Power players: Inside The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

      Go behind the scenes of Amazon Prime Video’s ambitious fantasy epic, which hopes to introduce J.R.R. Tolkien to a new generation. Read More
    • Biggest bombshells in unsealed Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard court docs: Erectile dysfunction, nude photos, and Marilyn Manson

      Biggest bombshells in unsealed Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard court docs: Erectile dysfunction, nude photos, and Marilyn Manson

      Just when you thought there couldn't possibly be more to learn about the high-profile defamation trial, more than 6,000 pages of court docs were released over the weekend. Read More
  • TV

    TV

    See All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
  • Movies

    Movies

    See All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
  • Music

    Music

    See All Music
    • Music Reviews
  • What to Watch

    What to Watch

    See All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
  • BINGE

    BINGE

    See All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
  • The Awardist

    The Awardist

    See All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
  • Books

    Books

    See All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Theater

    Theater

    See All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
  • Events

    Events

    See All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Gallery
  3. Roman Polanski: 10 Key Moments

Roman Polanski: 10 Key Moments

The Oscar-winning director has made Hollywood history -- in more ways than one. Here, a timeline of career events
By Kate Ward Updated September 29, 2009 at 09:00 PM EDT
Skip gallery slides
FB

1 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

1963

Knife in the Water | The Polish director starts strong with his Oscar-nominated debut feature film, Knife in the Water .
Credit: Everett Collection

The Polish director starts strong with his Oscar-nominated debut feature film, Knife in the Water.

1 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

1968

Mia Farrow, Roman Polanski, ... | After brief stints in France and England, Polanski relocates to the United States, where he releases his classic horror film, Rosemary's Baby . The film…
Credit: Everett Collection

After brief stints in France and England, Polanski relocates to the United States, where he releases his classic horror film, Rosemary's Baby. The film earns him an Oscar nod for writing.

2 of 10

3 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

1969

Sharon Tate, Roman Polanski | One year after marrying actress Sharon Tate, Polanski loses his new wife — who is eight months pregnant — to the brutal Charles Manson murders.
Credit: Keystone-France/Everett Collection

One year after marrying actress Sharon Tate, Polanski loses his new wife — who is eight months pregnant — to the brutal Charles Manson murders.

3 of 10

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

1971

MacBeth | Polanski releases a remarkably violent film adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth , a project he started shortly after Tate's murder.
Credit: Everett Collection

Polanski releases a remarkably violent film adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth, a project he started shortly after Tate's murder.

4 of 10

Advertisement

5 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

1974

Jack Nicholson, Roman Polanski, ... | The director helms the critically acclaimed Chinatown . The film picks up a whopping 11 Oscar nominations, including one for star Jack Nicholson.
Credit: Steve Schapiro/Corbis

The director helms the critically acclaimed Chinatown. The film picks up a whopping 11 Oscar nominations, including one for star Jack Nicholson.

5 of 10

6 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

1977

Roman Polanski | After a photo shoot, Polanski gives a 13-year-old girl champagne and quaaludes before having sex with her. Polanski pleads guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with…
Credit: Jim McHugh/Sygma/Corbis

After a photo shoot, Polanski gives a 13-year-old girl champagne and quaaludes before having sex with her. Polanski pleads guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.

1978
Polanski flees the U.S. for France. The U.S. files a extradition request, but is denied.

6 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

1981

Nastassja Kinski | What controversy? The Academy gives Polanski another Oscar nomination for Tess , his adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles .
Credit: Everett Collection

What controversy? The Academy gives Polanski another Oscar nomination for Tess, his adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles.

7 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

1997

Adrien Brody, Roman Polanski, ... | An attempt to settle the sex case fails when Polanski refuses to return to the U.S. to attend hearings. 2002 Polanski garners acclaim once again…
Credit: Guy Ferrandis

An attempt to settle the sex case fails when Polanski refuses to return to the U.S. to attend hearings.

2002
Polanski garners acclaim once again for The Pianist, a film about a WWII-era musician. He wins his first Oscar, but obviously, does not travel to the U.S. to accept it.

8 of 10

Advertisement

9 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

2008

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired | The documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired hints at what Polanski claims was judicial misconduct. The director requests a dismissal, which is denied.
Credit: Los Angeles Times/UCLA Library Department of Special Collections

The documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired hints at what Polanski claims was judicial misconduct. The director requests a dismissal, which is denied.

9 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

2009

Roman Polanski | Polanski's request to have the case moved out of L.A is denied. His lawyers file an appeal, which is pending. En route to the Zurich…
Credit: Francois G. Durand/WireImage.com

Polanski's request to have the case moved out of L.A is denied. His lawyers file an appeal, which is pending. En route to the Zurich Film Festival to pick up a lifetime achievement award, Polanski is arrested by authorities.

10 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Kate Ward

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 10 1963
    2 of 10 1968
    3 of 10 1969
    4 of 10 1971
    5 of 10 1974
    6 of 10 1977
    7 of 10 1981
    8 of 10 1997
    9 of 10 2008
    10 of 10 2009

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message
    EW.com

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Meredith© Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright EW.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://ew.com

    View image

    Roman Polanski: 10 Key Moments
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.