Kevin Pollak
USABiography of Kevin Pollak
Kevin Pollak is an American comedian and actor who began his career at the young age of ten, singing along to Bill Cosby songs. He decided to pursue comedy instead of attending college, and at the age of twenty, he won second prize at the International Comedy Competition in San Francisco in 1982. This success led him to embark on a tour, performing in comedy clubs across the country. Eventually, he moved to Los Angeles and started performing in clubs like 'The Improv', where he honed his skills in parodying William Shatner and Peter Falk.
In 1987, Pollak made his first appearance in a feature film, 'Million Dollar Mystery'. The following year, he tried his hand at television, starring in the series 'Coming of Age' (1988-1989) and also writing scripts for some episodes. However, Pollak quickly returned to the big screen, playing alongside fellow comedian Rick Overton in the fantasy film 'Willow' (1988).
Pollak then created his own show, 'One Night Stand', which aired on HBO, and became a frequent guest on 'The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson'. His breakthrough in cinema came when director Barry Levinson cast him as Aidan Quinn's business partner in the film 'Avalon' (1990). Directors and casting agents soon recognized Pollak's potential and began offering him intriguing roles. He portrayed the unscrupulous agent Stevie Martin in 'L.A. Story' (1991) and delivered a brilliant performance alongside Tom Cruise and Demi Moore in the military drama 'A Few Good Men' (1992).
Pollak continued to excel in both film and television, playing Lieutenant Sam Weinberg in the comedy series 'Morton & Hayes' (1991) and appearing as Walter Matthau's son in the film 'Grumpy Old Men' (1993). In 1995, Pollak made a significant career move by accepting the role of a deceitful spouse in the comedy 'Miami Rhapsody', which was followed by his transformation into a "heartless bastard son" in 'The Usual Suspects' (1995) and an innocent frontman in Martin Scorsese's 'Casino' (1995).
When director Rod Lurie offered Pollak the role of the U.S. President in the thriller 'Deterrence', he couldn't resist and delivered a compelling performance. However, Pollak returned to his comedic roots in 2000, playing Hungarian gangster Janni Pytor Gogolak in 'The Whole Nine Yards'. He reprised the role in the sequel 'The Whole Ten Yards' in 2004.
Pollak also ventured into indie films, portraying lawyer Jerry Rubin in 'Steal This Movie!' (2000) and taking on supporting roles in films such as 'The Wedding Planner' (2001), '3000 Miles to Graceland' (2001), 'Juwanna Man' (2002), 'The Santa Clause 2' (2002), 'Blizzard' (2003), and 'Stolen Summer' (2002).
In addition to his on-screen work, Pollak also lent his voice to films such as 'Dr. Doolittle 2' (2001) and 'Shark's Tale' (2004). He continued to appear in various films throughout the years, including 'Niagara Motel' (2006), 'The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause' (2006), 'Numb' (2007), 'Tortured' (2008), 'Sweetwater' (2009), and 'Choose' (2009).
In 2010, Pollak had several projects in the pipeline, including 'Columbus Circle', 'A Couple of Dicks', and 'American Empire'.
