Sarah Polley
Biography
Sarah Ellen Polley OC is a Canadian filmmaker, political activist, and retired actress who was born on January 8, 1979, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She first gained attention as a child actress playing Ramona Quimby in the television series Ramona, which was based on the books by Beverly Cleary. Following this, she took on the role of Sara Stanley in the Canadian television series Road to Avonlea from 1990 to 1996. Throughout her acting career, she starred in numerous feature films including The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter, Guinevere, Go, The Weight of Water, No Such Thing, My Life Without Me, Dawn of the Dead, Splice, and Mr. Nobody.
Career overview
Sarah Ellen Polley OC was born on January 8, 1979, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is a political activist, retired actress, and filmmaker. Polley first gained attention as a child actress, playing the role of Ramona Quimby in the television series Ramona, which was based on the books by Beverly Cleary. Following this work, she portrayed the character Sara Stanley in the Canadian television series Road to Avonlea, airing from 1990 to 1996.
Throughout her career as an actress, Polley starred in numerous feature films. Her film credits include The Adventures of Baron Munchausen in 1988, Exotica in 1994, The Sweet Hereafter in 1997, Guinevere in 1999, and Go in 1999. She also appeared in The Weight of Water in 2000, No Such Thing in 2001, and My Life Without Me in 2003. Her later feature film appearances include Dawn of the Dead in 2004, followed by Splice and Mr. Nobody, both released in 2009.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- & Sons (2026) Screenplay
- The Studio (2025) as Sarah Polley
- Seven Veils (2025) Thanks
- Beethoven's Nine: Ode to Humanity (2024) Executive Producer
- Women Talking (2022) Screenplay
- Women Talking (2022) Director
- Directors on Directors (2021) as Self
- Hey Lady! (2020) Executive Producer
- Hey Lady! (2020) Director
- Margaret Atwood: A Word After a Word After a Word Is Power (2019) as Self - Filmmaker
- Alias Grace (2017) Producer
- Alias Grace (2017) Writer
- Alias Grace (2017) Teleplay
- Alias Grace (2017) Creator
- The Secret Path (2016) Executive Producer
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self
- Reel Herstory: The Real Story of Reel Women (2014) as Self
- Stories We Tell (2012) as Self (uncredited)
- Stories We Tell (2012) Director
- Stories We Tell (2012) Writer
- Take This Waltz (2011) Director
- Take This Waltz (2011) Writer
- Take This Waltz (2011) Producer
- Splice (2010) as Elsa
- Trigger (2010) as Hillary
- Mr. Nobody (2009) as Adult Elise
- John Adams (2008) as Abigail Adams Smith
- The Madness and Misadventures of Munchausen (2008) as Self - 'Sally Salt'
- Wrath of Gods (2007) as Self
- Away from Her (2007) Director
- Away from Her (2007) Writer
- Beowulf & Grendel (2005) as Selma
- Don't Come Knocking (2005) as Sky
- The Secret Life of Words (2005) as Hanna
- Dawn of the Dead (2004) as Ana
- The I Inside (2004) as Clair
- Sugar (2004) as Pregnant Girl
- Siblings (2004) as Tabby
- Luck (2004) as Margaret
- Slings & Arrows (2003) as Sophie
- My Life Without Me (2003) as Ann
- Dermott's Quest (2003) as Gwen
- The Event (2003) as Dana Shapiro
- No Such Thing (2002) as Beatrice
- I Shout Love (2002) Writer
- I Shout Love (2002) Director
- The Weight of Water (2001) as Maren Hontvedt
- Preludes (2000)
- Love Come Down (2000) as Sister Sarah
- The Claim (2000) as Hope Burn
- The Law of Enclosures (2000) as Beatty 'Beatrice'
- This Might Be Good (2000)
- Go (1999) as Ronna Martin
- eXistenZ (1999) as Merle
- Guinevere (1999) as Harper Sloane
- The Life Before This (1999) as Connie
- Teen Choice Awards (1999) as Self
- Don't Think Twice (1999) Producer
- Don't Think Twice (1999) Director
- Don't Think Twice (1999) Writer
- The Best Day of My Life (1999) Screenplay
- The Best Day of My Life (1999) Director
- Jerry and Tom (1998) as Deb
- Last Night (1998) as Jennifer Wheeler
- White Lies (1998) as Catherine
- The Sweet Hereafter (1997) as Nicole Burnell
- Joe's So Mean to Josephine (1997) as Josephine
- The Planet of Junior Brown (1997) as Butter
- The Hanging Garden (1997) as Teen Rosemary
- Children First! (1996) as Host
- Exotica (1994) as Tracey
- Johann's Gift to Christmas (1992) as The Angel
- The Hidden Room (1991) as Alice
- Road to Avonlea (1990) as Sara Stanley
- Road to Avonlea: The Movie (1990)
- Lantern Hill (1989) as Jody Turner
- Babar: The Movie (1989) as Young Celeste
- The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) as Sally Salt
- Ramona (1988) as Ramona
- Friday the 13th: The Series (1987) as Mary
- The Big Town (1987) as Christy Donaldson
- Hands of a Stranger (1987) as Suzie Hearn
- Blue Monkey (1987) as Ellen
- Pretty Kill (1987) as Karla
- Heaven On Earth (1987) as Becky Hawthorne
- The Incredible Time-Travels of Henry Osgood (1986)
- Confidential (1986) as Emma (child)
- Screen Two (1985) as Becky Hawthorne
- One Magic Christmas (1985) as Molly Monaghan
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Nominee
- The Bell Jar Director
- The Bell Jar Writer
- The Best Kind of People Director
- The Best Kind of People Producer
- The Best Kind of People Screenplay