John Polson

Born: 1965
Where: Sydney, Australia

The actor and director first entertained hopes of a career as a saxaphone player before discovering threatre when he was 17.

Acting roles in a varied resume have included Mission: Impossible II, the drama The Boys and romantic drama Sirens.

As a director, Polson took the reins on the serial killer thriller Swimfan and the horror yarn Hide and Seek.

The son of a piano player and jazz singer, he originally had a music career mapped out on the saxaphone.

As an actor, he started out in the theatre but soon became well known for his roles on Australian television.

When he was in his mid-twenties, Polson moved up into the film world and was also directing his own short films.

This development inspired him to create a festival in Sydney called Tropfest, which was exceptionally successful.

His first full-length feature was the comedy Siam Sunset in 1999, starring Linus Roache.

Although he still appears in the occasional film as an actor, his latest work has been based behind the camera.

He directed the teen-drama Swimfan and followed that, in 2005, with the Robert De Niro horror yarn Hide and Seek.