Roman Polanski (Rajmund Roman Thierry Polański) was born in Paris, France, on August 18, 1933, to Polish-Jewish parents (per Britannica). That he was born in France and, thus, a French citizen would come into play decades later when he fled criminal proceedings in the U.S.
His family moved back to Poland and, unfortunately, got caught up in the Nazi regime. According to AP News, his parents were taken to Nazi concentration camps. But perhaps knowing that the family was in danger, they sent Polanski to live with another family far away from Krakow. Per Britannica, from time to time in his childhood and teen years, he was forced to get by on his wits.
READ RELATED: Inside Hells Angels Founder Sonny Barger’s Tragic Life
By the time he was 14, the war was in the rear-view mirror, and Polanski focused his attention on the theater. He made his way to film school and studied directing, and he produced several award-winning short films even as he was still a film school student. He eventually started directing feature films, first in France, Poland, and the United Kingdom, and eventually, the United States.
Source:
