Sarah Polley

Sarah Polley

Sarah Ellen Polley OC (born January 8, 1979) is a Canadian filmmaker, political activist and retired actress. She first garnered attention as a child actress for her role as Ramona Quimby in the television series Ramona, based on Beverly Cleary's books. This subsequently led to her role as Sara Stanley in the Canadian television series Road to Avonlea (1990–1996). She has starred in many feature films, including The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), Exotica (1994), 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). Polley made her feature film directorial debut with Away from Her (2006), for which she won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Director and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Polley's second film, Take This Waltz (2011), premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival, followed by her first documentary film, Stories We Tell (2012). She also wrote the miniseries Alias Grace, based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood. In 2022, Polley wrote and directed the film Women Talking, based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Miriam Toews, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Description above from the Wikipedia article Sarah Polley, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Known For

Filmography

2025

The Studio
The Studio
as Sarah Polley
TV - Released: 3/25/2025

2021

Variety Studio: Directors on Directors
Variety Studio: Directors on Directors
as Self
TV - Released: 3/3/2021

2019

Margaret Atwood: A Word After a Word After a Word Is Power
Margaret Atwood: A Word After a Word After a Word Is Power
as Self - Filmmaker
Movie - Released: 11/7/2019

2015

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
as Self
TV - Released: 9/8/2015

2014

Reel Herstory: The Real Story of Reel Women
Reel Herstory: The Real Story of Reel Women
as Self
Movie - Released: 8/10/2014

2012

Stories We Tell
Stories We Tell
as Self (uncredited)
Movie - Released: 10/12/2012

2010

Splice
Splice
as Elsa
Movie - Released: 6/3/2010
Trigger
Trigger
as Hillary
Movie - Released: 9/12/2010

2009

Mr. Nobody
Mr. Nobody
as Adult Elise
Movie - Released: 11/6/2009

2008

The Madness and Misadventures of Munchausen
The Madness and Misadventures of Munchausen
as Self - 'Sally Salt'
Movie - Released: 4/8/2008
John Adams
John Adams
as Abigail Adams Smith
TV - Released: 3/16/2008

2007

Wrath of Gods
Wrath of Gods
as Self
Movie - Released: 5/6/2007

2005

The Secret Life of Words
The Secret Life of Words
as Hanna
Movie - Released: 12/15/2005
Don't Come Knocking
Don't Come Knocking
as Sky
Movie - Released: 8/25/2005
Beowulf & Grendel
Beowulf & Grendel
as Selma
Movie - Released: 9/14/2005

2004

Dawn of the Dead
Dawn of the Dead
as Ana
Movie - Released: 3/19/2004
The I Inside
The I Inside
as Clair
Movie - Released: 3/21/2004
Siblings
Siblings
as Tabby
Movie - Released: 9/14/2004
Luck
Luck
as Margaret
Movie - Released: 4/30/2004
Sugar
Sugar
as Pregnant Girl
Movie - Released: 5/22/2004

2003

My Life Without Me
My Life Without Me
as Ann
Movie - Released: 3/7/2003
The Event
The Event
as Dana Shapiro
Movie - Released: 1/1/2003
Movie
Dermott's Quest
as Gwen
Movie - Released: 3/1/2003
Slings & Arrows
Slings & Arrows
as Sophie
TV - Released: 11/3/2003

2002

No Such Thing
No Such Thing
as Beatrice
Movie - Released: 3/29/2002

2000

The Weight of Water
The Weight of Water
as Maren Hontvedt
Movie - Released: 9/9/2000
The Claim
The Claim
as Hope Burn
Movie - Released: 12/29/2000
This Might Be Good
This Might Be Good
Movie - Released: 9/7/2000
Preludes
Preludes
Movie - Released: 11/15/2000
The Law of Enclosures
The Law of Enclosures
as Beatty 'Beatrice'
Movie - Released: 9/15/2000
Love Come Down
Love Come Down
as Sister Sarah
Movie - Released: 8/2/2000

1999

eXistenZ
eXistenZ
as Merle
Movie - Released: 4/14/1999
Go
Go
as Ronna Martin
Movie - Released: 4/9/1999
Guinevere
Guinevere
as Harper Sloane
Movie - Released: 9/12/1999
The Life Before This
The Life Before This
as Connie
Movie - Released: 9/15/1999
Teen Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
as Self - Nominee
TV - Released: 8/1/1999

1998

Last Night
Last Night
as Jennifer Wheeler
Movie - Released: 10/23/1998
White Lies
White Lies
as Catherine
Movie - Released: 3/29/1998
Jerry and Tom
Jerry and Tom
as Deb
Movie - Released: 12/4/1998

1997

The Sweet Hereafter
The Sweet Hereafter
as Nicole Burnell
Movie - Released: 9/25/1997
Joe's So Mean to Josephine
Joe's So Mean to Josephine
as Josephine
Movie - Released: 1/18/1997
The Planet of Junior Brown
The Planet of Junior Brown
as Butter
Movie - Released: 9/6/1997
The Hanging Garden
The Hanging Garden
as Teen Rosemary
Movie - Released: 9/5/1997

1996

Movie
Children First!
as Host
Movie - Released: 1/1/1996

1994

Exotica
Exotica
as Tracey
Movie - Released: 9/29/1994

1992

Johann's Gift to Christmas
Johann's Gift to Christmas
as The Angel
Movie - Released: 9/25/1992

1990

Movie
Road to Avonlea: The Movie
Movie - Released: 1/1/1990
Road to Avonlea
Road to Avonlea
as Sara Stanley
TV - Released: 1/7/1990

1989

Babar: The Movie
Babar: The Movie
as Young Celeste
Movie - Released: 7/28/1989
Lantern Hill
Lantern Hill
as Jody Turner
Movie - Released: 8/29/1989

1988

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
as Sally Salt
Movie - Released: 12/7/1988
Ramona
Ramona
as Ramona
TV - Released: 9/10/1988

1987

Heaven On Earth
Heaven On Earth
as Becky Hawthorne
Movie - Released: 3/1/1987
Blue Monkey
Blue Monkey
as Ellen
Movie - Released: 9/25/1987
Pretty Kill
Pretty Kill
as Karla
Movie - Released: 3/27/1987
Hands of a Stranger
Hands of a Stranger
as Suzie Hearn
Movie - Released: 5/10/1987
The Big Town
The Big Town
as Christy Donaldson
Movie - Released: 9/25/1987
Friday the 13th: The Series
Friday the 13th: The Series
as Mary
TV - Released: 10/3/1987

1986

Confidential
Confidential
as Emma (child)
Movie - Released: 1/1/1986

1985

One Magic Christmas
One Magic Christmas
as Molly Monaghan
Movie - Released: 11/22/1985

1953

The Oscars
The Oscars
as Self
TV - Released: 3/19/1953