Kevin pollack christopher walken impression series#
Returning to series television, Pollak had a guest spot on the quirky "Ed" (NBC, 2000-04) and was cast in a starring role opposite Nancy Travis as married attorneys in the sitcom "Work with Me" (CBS, 1999), though that unappealing show lasted barely a month on the air. While that indie was little seen, Pollak hit mainstream theaters that same year in the apocalyptic Arnold Schwarzenegger blockbuster "End of Days" (1999), in which Pollak arguably offered the film's most entertaining moments as Schwarzenegger's sardonic sidekick. President confronting a world crisis from the confines of a snowbound diner in the thriller "Deterrence" (1999). In 1998, Pollak was nominated for a Golden Satellite Award for his portrayal of NASA aerospace engineer Joe Shea in HBO's "From the Earth to the Moon" (1998), which earned Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for Best Miniseries.The increasingly respected actor made a few curious choices in low-brow comedies before rounding out the decade with his first feature film starring role, delivering a persuasive performance as a U.S. Following a character reprisal in "Grumpier Old Men" (1995) and a teaming with Jamie Lee Curtis in the uneven crime comedy "House Arrest" (1996), Pollak had a prominent role in Kiefer Sutherland's gritty directorial debut, "Truth or Consequences, N.M." (1997). The film received a National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble, in addition to multiple Academy Award wins, and led to Pollak's opportunity to work with Martin Scorsese as an innocent front man in the filmmaker's Vegas epic, "Casino" (1995). But the comedian's next major feature film success was another drama, with Pollak demonstrating considerable pathos as the "soulless bastard" in the critically lauded indie neo-noir, "The Usual Suspects" (1995). The comic was mostly heard and not seen in his recurring role as Drew Carey's elusive and unlikable department store boss on "The Drew Carey Show" (ABC, 1995-2004). Over the next few years, Pollak built up his resume with supporting turns in mainstream comedies like "Wayne's World 2" (1993) and "Grumpy Old Men" (1993), as well as the Dana Carvey flop, "Clean Slate" (1994). From his performance in that Academy Award-nominated film, Pollak went on to headline his own HBO special, "Stop with the Kicking: Kevin Pollak in Concert" (HBO, 1992).
The esoteric series failed to win over audiences, but Pollak's introduction to Reiner led to the actor earning substantial praise for his portrayal of legal assistant Lieutenant Sam Weinberg alongside Tom Cruise and Demi Moore in Reiner's military courtroom drama, "A Few Good Men" (1992). Rob Reiner cast Pollak for the sitcom "Morton & Hayes" (1991), in which he was teamed with Bob Amaral to play forgotten clowns of the 1930s and '40s, much in the vein of Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello. Story" (1991) and supporting appearances in the Gene Wilder/Richard Pryor comedy "Another You" (1991) and the Denzel Washington thriller "Ricochet" (1991). His profile rose with a role as Steve Martin's unscrupulous agent who sleeps with his girlfriend in "L.A. When Barry Levinson cast Pollak as Aidan Quinn's business partner in the period drama "Avalon" (1990), Hollywood began to take notice of the comic's potential on the big screen. Pollak teamed with Rick Overton to provide comic relief as a pair of Brownies in the Ron Howard fantasy "Willow" (1988), and his first solo comedy special - part of the HBO series "One Night Stand" - led to frequent guest spots on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show" (NBC, 1954-). He received his first shot with the screwball comedy flop, "Million Dollar Mystery" (1987), and planted his foot in the sitcom door with a regular role as the imperious manager of a retirement community in the short-lived "Coming of Age" (CBS, 1988-89). At such comedy clubs as The Improv, Pollak showcased his dead-on impressions of William Shatner, Christopher Walken and Peter Falk (with his single roving eye), but like most of his stand-up colleagues, he hoped to segue into screen work. He began touring at 20, and after winning second place in the San Francisco International Comedy Competition in 1982, moved to Los Angeles to further pursue a show business career. Pollak was raised in San Jose, CA, where by the age of 10, he was laying his career foundation by lip-synching to the routines of Bill Cosby.
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