Kevin Pollak Biography

KEVIN POLLAK

Date of Birth: October 30, 1957

"As rewarding as a good film role can be, there is just nothing like getting up on a stage and taking an audience for a ride."

Born in California, Pollak lived and worked in the Bay Area until he was 26. At his bar mitzvah, the 13-year-old began his speech with "A funny thing happened on the way to the temple..." Pollak's rabbi had actually encouraged him to do so: even at this early stage, the boy evinced a gift for comic timing. By the age of 17, he was doing stand-up in his native San Francisco. He went on to play the West Coast comedy-club and improv circuit, and was briefly teamed with Dana Carvey.

Although Pollak didn't make it onto Saturday Night Live as his partner Dana did, he flourished as an impressionist, writer and film and TV supporting actor. He was given several opportunities to shine in such films as Willow (1988), Avalon (1990), LA Story (1991) and A Few Good Men (1992).

Pollak was later teamed up with Bob Amaral in the weekly TV series Morton and Hayes (1991), a hit-and-miss homage to the two-reel comedies of the 1930s and 1940s.

His film career struck gold in the 1990s, with such choice roles as Jacob in both of the Grumpy Old Men flicks, Todd Hockney in The Usual Suspects (1995), and Boss Vic Koss in That Thing You Do (1996). His career continues to go strong, with roles in The Santa Clause 2 (2002), Blizzard(2003) and The Whole Ten Yards (2004).

In the late '80s he married TV producer Lucy Webb. Although they have no children, they have five nieces and nephews with whom they love spending time.

Filmography:

Columbus Circle (2010)
Choose (2010)
Cop Out (2010)
Middle Men (2009)
2:13 (2009)
Tortured (2008)
Tropic Thunder (2008) (uncredited)
Otis (2008)
Numb (2007)
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006)
Niagara Motel (2006)
Hostage (2005)
Our Time Is Up (2004)
Seven Times Lucky (2004)
The Whole Ten Yards (2004)
Blizzard (2003)
Rolling Kansas (2003)
The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
Mother Ghost (2002)
Juwanna Mann (2002)
Stolen Summer (2001)
Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001)
3000 Miles to Graceland (2001)
The Wedding Planner (2001)
Steal This Movie (2000)
The Whole Nine Yards (2000)
Deal of a Lifetime (1999)
The Sex Monster (1999)
End of Days (1999)
Deterrence (1999)
She's All That (1999)
Outside Ozona (1998)
Hoods (1998)
Buffalo '66 (1998)
Truth or Consequences, N.M. (1997)
That Thing You Do! (1996)
House Arrest (1996)
Cannes Man (1996)
Grumpier Old Men (1995)
Casino (1995)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Canadian Bacon (1995)
Miami Rhapsody (1995)
Alien Encounter (1995) (voice)
Chameleon (1995)
Clean Slate (1994)
Wayne's World 2 (1993)
Grumpy Old Men (1993)
Indian Summer (1993)
A Few Good Men (1992)
The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them (1992)
Ricochet (1991)
Another You (1991)
L.A. Story (1991)
Avalon (1990)
Willow (1988)
Million Dollar Mystery (1987)