Background
Maria Helena Pollak was born in Hammarö, Värmland to Austrian-Jewish parents and was trained in the performing arts at the prestigious Dramatens elevskola (the Royal Dramatic Theatre"s acting school) in Stockholm 1922-1924.
Maria Helena Pollak was born in Hammarö, Värmland to Austrian-Jewish parents and was trained in the performing arts at the prestigious Dramatens elevskola (the Royal Dramatic Theatre"s acting school) in Stockholm 1922-1924.
Pollak worked in the 1920s and 1930s as a film actress and as stage actress mainly on Helsingborg City Theatre and The Blanche Theatre, Stockholm, but she returned as an actress to Royal Dramatic Theatre (aka Dramaten) 1942. Pollak became in 1948 the first contracted female director at the Dramaten with the production of Jean Genet"s Jungfruleken (Les Bonnes/The Maids), starring Anita Björk and Major-Britt Nilsson in the leads. Pollak became a very successful director at Dramaten and staged altogether 60 plays at the national stage over the years.
She appeared since her 1922 debut in the film Amatörfilmen in about 30 film and television productions.
She retired in 1975, but made a stage comeback in 1991, age 87, in Anton Chekhov"s Uncle Vanya. Sometimes credited as Mimmi Pollak, Mimi Pollack or Mimmi Pollack.