Biography
Jeffrey Ian Pollack (November 15, 1959 – December 23, 2013) was an American film director, screenwriter, television producer, and writer, best known as the co-creator, writer, and producer of the 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
After graduating from the University of Southern California Film School in the early 1980s, Pollack spent three years traveling through Asia as both a tourist and documentarian. Upon returning to the U.S., he experimented with real estate development before committing to a career in entertainment.
Pollack co-created The Fresh Prince of Bel Air on NBC alongside friend and business partner Benny Medina, who inspired the show's title character portrayed by then-rapper Will Smith. He wrote, produced, and directed the series until its conclusion. Together, Pollack and Medina also founded and operated Medina/Pollack Entertainment (later renamed Handprint), a management and production company representing clients such as Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, and Tyra Banks. Pollack produced the Billboard Music Awards in 1992 and 1993, created the TV documentary Jennifer Lopez in Concert, and collaborated with Banks on her talk show.
In 1994, under Medina/Pollack Entertainment, Pollack wrote, produced, and directed the urban feature film Above the Rim, featuring Tupac Shakur, Leon, Duane Martin, and Marlon Wayans.
In 1995, Pollack and Medina rebranded their company as Handprint Entertainment, which developed into a prominent full-service management and production firm in Hollywood. Pollack later took on a production role for the Fox sitcom Getting Personal and directed the 1997 film Booty Call, starring Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, Vivica A. Fox, and Tamala Jones.
His spec screenplay Gifted was recognized in 2013 by Spec Scout as one of the top submissions, ranking higher than 90% of scripts circulated by A-list agents and managers.
