Michael Polley, an Anglo-Canadian actor, gained recognition for his connection to his daughter, the talented actress-director Sarah Polley. Born in England in 1933, Polley pursued acting in the 1950s, studying alongside notable classmate Albert Finney, who likened acting to bricklaying.
Polley relocated to Canada, settling in the Toronto metropolitan area, where he honed his craft on stage. He married Diane MacMillian, and the couple had four children, including actor Mark Polley and producer John Buchan, before Sarah was born. Although Diane was a professional actress, she made a name for herself as a casting director and launched Sarah's career at the tender age of four, when her brother Mark was already a child actor. Despite initial objections, Michael and Diane relented, and Sarah persisted in her pursuit of an acting career.
As an insurance agent, Michael supported his family, but when Sarah's career took off, he became her guardian on sets, including Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988),in which he had a minor role. Michael is best known for his recurring role as the town doctor on his daughter's TV series Avonlea (1990). In his seventies, he continued to act and was cast in a significant role in Sarah's directorial debut, The Shields Stories (2004).
Polley's relationship with Sarah was explored in her documentary Stories We Tell (2012),in which he is also featured, offering a glimpse into their complex and fascinating family dynamics.
