Jeff Pollack

Jeffrey Ian Pollack was born in Los Angeles, CA. Pollack went to USC, where he met an important future connection, music mogul and manager Benny Medina. Medina went on to guide the careers of Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and Mariah Carey, among other major talents. After attending USC Film School, Pollack traveled through Asia for three years, and when he returned, he started a company with Medina, Medina / Pollack Entertainment, which was later renamed Handprint Entertainment. Medina and Pollack would eventually create the show "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (NBC 1990-1996) together, which was based on Medina's life growing up and going to Beverly Hills High School. The show was a big hit, and established Will Smith as a major star. Pollack was involved in the show as a writer, producer, and director throughout its entire run, and eventually he moved into directing features. Pollack's film debut was "Above the Rim" (1994), which starred the late rapper Tupac Shakur. Pollack also directed the infamous comedy "Booty Call" (1997), which did not receive good reviews, though it did well at the box office. Pollack went on to direct one more feature, the David Spade comedy "Lost & Found" (1999). Along with his big screen work, Pollack was an executive consultant on "The Tyra Banks Show" (2008-09). On December 23, 2013, Pollack's body was found on a jogging trail in Hermosa Beach, CA at 6:30 a.m. by another runner.