Kevin Pollak

Intro

Kevin Pollak is an American actor, comedian, impressionist, interviewer and director. His screen roles include Sam Weinberg in A Few Good Men, Todd Hockney in The Usual Suspects, Phillip Green in Casino and Moishe Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The range connects a stand-up comedian's timing with parts in courtroom drama, crime films and continuing television comedy. He has also created opportunities to explore how other performers work, through Kevin Pollak's Chat Show and his documentary Misery Loves Comedy, rather than limiting his career to appearances in other filmmakers' productions.

Career snapshot

Pollak's professional beginnings were in San Francisco stand-up. The Tribeca Festival's filmmaker biography describes him as a touring professional by twenty-two and places his transition toward acting in his later twenties. In an Adobe interview, he recalled deciding while still a teenager that comedy would be his profession. These accounts identify performance as the foundation of his later work behind the camera. His screen credits eventually ranged from the fantasy comedy Willow, where he played Rool, to substantial supporting roles in major American films during the 1990s.

The entry point

A Few Good Men in 1992 cast Pollak as military lawyer Sam Weinberg. In 1995 he appeared in both The Usual Suspects and Casino, as Hockney and Green respectively. Other films included Grumpy Old Men and its sequel, The Whole Nine Yards and The Whole Ten Yards, and the political thriller Deterrence. The latter gave him the central role of President Walter Emerson confronting a nuclear crisis. These assignments demonstrate the breadth of the filmography without treating his stand-up background as evidence that every screen role was designed as comic relief.

Screen identity and style

The experience of conducting long conversations on Kevin Pollak's Chat Show became useful when he made Misery Loves Comedy. Speaking to ComingSoon in 2015, he explained that several years of interviewing had taught him to let conversations develop and to pay attention to whether a guest felt comfortable. He described trust as especially important when asking people about painful experiences. His explanation treats an interview as an encounter requiring listening and judgment, rather than simply a sequence of prepared questions or a chance for the host to perform.

Collaborations and patterns

Misery Loves Comedy premiered at Sundance in 2015 and also screened at Tribeca. Pollak directed the feature documentary, with John Vorhaus sharing the writing credit and Robert Legato credited as editor in the festival record. The film drew on conversations with more than sixty performers. In his Adobe interview, Pollak described assembling a story from roughly seventy hours of material without a predetermined script. Its focus broadened from whether suffering was necessary for comedy to why someone chooses the uncertainty of a performing life. He later directed the narrative comedy The Late Bloomer.

Era reflection

Television supplied another sustained chapter through The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, in which Pollak played Moishe, the father of Joel Maisel and a garment-business owner. Discussing the third season with Assignment X, he praised the scripts and the work of Rachel Brosnahan, whose character Midge becomes a stand-up comedian. Although Pollak himself had extensive experience in that profession, he emphasized his enjoyment of the material rather than claiming authorship of the show's comedy. His other television work includes Mom, Better Things and the miniseries The Lost Room, extending the mix of ensemble and character roles.

Legacy and rediscovery

The gallery includes a 2011 Carnegie Hall anniversary appearance photographed by Joella Marano, a 2010 Streamy Awards photograph by The Bui Brothers and a 2009 live Thrilling Adventure Hour performance photographed by Jonathan Reilly. In the performance image, Pollak stands at left with Paget Brewster, with Joel Spence visible behind them. These three occasions show public presentation and live ensemble work rather than scenes from the films listed above. Individual captions and acknowledgments retain their dates, photographer identities and licenses, so the images remain connected to the events they actually document.

Selected screen roles

• Willow: Rool — 1988
• A Few Good Men: Sam Weinberg — 1992
• The Usual Suspects: Todd Hockney — 1995
• Casino: Phillip Green — 1995
• Deterrence: President Walter Emerson — 1999
• The Lost Room: Karl Kreutzfeld — 2006
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Moishe Maisel — 2017–2023

A career in pictures

Three distinct public-appearance and performance photographs, with individual source acknowledgments.

Carnegie Hall anniversary appearance (2011)

Public appearance

Joella Marano photograph, April 12, 2011, at MoMA in New York.

Streamy Awards (2010)

Awards appearance

Official photograph by The Bui Brothers / TheBuiBrothers.com; April 11, 2010.

Thrilling Adventure Hour (2009)

Live performance

Pollak at left with Paget Brewster and Joel Spence behind them; Jonathan Reilly photograph, September 12, 2009.

Rewatch notes

• Played Hockney in The Usual Suspects.
• Directed the documentary Misery Loves Comedy.
• Played Moishe Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.