Sarah Polley
Biography
Sarah Polley is a Canadian filmmaker, writer and actor who was born in Toronto and started on screen as a child, with early parts in One Magic Christmas (1985) and Blue Monkey (1987) before she played Ramona Quimby on the television series Ramona. She became famous as Sara Stanley on Road to Avonlea from 1990 to 1996, and went on to films including The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), The Sweet Hereafter (1997), Guinevere (1999), Go (1999), The Weight of Water (2000), No Such Thing (2001), My Life Without Me (2003), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Splice (2009) and Mr. Nobody (2009). She turned to directing with Away from Her (2006), nominated for an Academy Award for its adapted screenplay, then Take This Waltz (2011), the documentary Stories We Tell (2012) and the miniseries Alias Grace, and she wrote and directed Women Talking (2022), which won her the Academy Award in the adapted screenplay category.
47years old
Turns 48 on January 8in 88 days
- Born Toronto
- Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
- Also credited as Sarah Ellen Polley
Movie Career
- Films
- 22
- Career span
- 24 years1985 to 2009
First and latest
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Behind the camera
Polley's first feature-length film as director was Away from Her, a movie she adapted from Alice Munro's short story The Bear Came Over the Mountain.
First role
At the age of four, Sarah Polley made her first appearance on screen. She played the part of Molly in the film One Magic Christmas.
Early training
In 2001 Polley was a student in the Canadian Film Centre's directing program. Her short film I Shout Love earned her the Genie Award for Best Live Action Short Drama in 2003.
Sarah Polley movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Isabel Coixet directed two of these films. Maury Chaykin appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Maury Chaykin's page
Eddie Marsan's page
Ian Holm's page
Julian Richings's page
Stephen Rea's page
Callum Keith Rennie's page
Isabel CoixetDirector, 2 films, 2003 to 2005
All films by Isabel Coixet
Also two films together12 more actors
- Julie ChristieThe Secret Life of Words (2005) and No Such Thing (2001)
- Sandra OhGuinevere (1999) and Last Night (1998)
- Daniel MaysMr. Nobody (2009) and The Secret Life of Words (2005)
- Don McKellareXistenZ (1999) and Last Night (1998)
- R.D. ReidDawn of the Dead (2004) and Sugar (2004)
- Arsinée KhanjianLast Night (1998) and The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
- Ingvar Eggert SigurðssonBeowulf & Grendel (2005) and No Such Thing (2001)
- Leonor WatlingThe Secret Life of Words (2005) and My Life Without Me (2003)
- Tom McCamusThe Claim (2000) and The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
- Michael RileyMr. Nobody (2009) and Sugar (2004)
- Balázs KoósSugar (2004) and eXistenZ (1999)
- Michael BarryDawn of the Dead (2004) and Sugar (2004)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Sarah Polley's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$212 million
17 of the 22 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 22 films: 17 worldwide figure; 2 us gross only; 3 figure not found.
- 17Worldwide figure
- 2US gross only
- 3Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 97% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$102M48.3% of the total
- 2$28M13.4% of the total
- 3$27M12.8% of the total
- 4$14M6.5% of the total
- 5$12M5.8% of the total
- 6$8.1M3.8% of the total
- 7$8.0M3.8% of the total
- 8$4.7M2.2% of the total
$7.4 millionfrom the other 9 films with a worldwide figure, 3% of the total
Awards
Seven awards and honors from 2010 to 2023, one of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| 2023 | Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay | Women Talking | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 2023 | Writers Guild of America Award | Women Talking | Won |
| 2010 | Canada's Walk of Fame | Honored | |
| Canadian Comedy Award for Best Performance by a Female – Film | Won | ||
| Governor General's Performing Arts Award | Won | ||
| John Dunning Best First Feature Award | Won | ||
| Officer of the Order of Canada | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.