Name Billy Pollina | Role Film producer | |
Movies You Got Served, You Got Served: Take It to the Streets Similar People Chris Stokes, Tanee McCall, Dave Scott, Christopher Jones, Harry Shum - Jr | ||
William Vito Pollina, aka Billy Pollina (born June 25, 1961) is an American film and television writer, producer and director.
Pollina was born in Harvey, Illinois to Italian immigrants from Sicily. He studied theater at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA). Pollina was a theater fan, and would promote concerts and plays at an early age. His first film role was a bit part in Richard Rush's slapstick cop drama Freebie and the Bean.
After high school in San Mateo, CA., Pollina moved to Los Angeles where he worked various jobs pursuing an acting career, and eventually moved into production work. One of his first jobs was working with children's television producers Sid and Marty Krofft.
During the 1980s and 1990s, he ran a film and television marketing company called Optical Nerve. Beyond writing, producing and directing hundreds of trailers and TV spots, Pollina designed and created the first DVD interactive menu for home video specialist Warren Lieberfarb at Warner Home Video, for Clint Eastwood's Academy Award winning film Unforgiven.
Pollina was President of Optical Nerve when it served as one of Fox Sports Net's marketing companies during FSN's initial launch. He left marketing to pursue television and film development in 2000 and teamed with several television writers to produce award winning short films.
His first film success was with 2004's You Got Served for Sony Screen Gems, a film about street dance battling and B-boying. The film opened at No. 1 at the box office.
Pollina has never been married and currently lives in Los Angeles and New York.