Jeffrey Ian Pollack, the director of Booty Call and Above the Rim and a producer on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has died. He was 54.
Pollack was found on the Greenbelt in Hermosa Beach, Calif., early on the morning of Dec. 23 by an unidentified woman out jogging who called the police, according to the Manhattan Beach Patch. Pollack was already deceased. He was dressed in jogging clothes and carrying an iPod, which was still playing the Eagles when the police arrived. Hermosa Beach police captain Tommy Thompson told EasyReaderNews.com that police do not suspect foul play, and it is believed Pollack died of natural causes while exercising. He was an avid runner and softball player.
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Pollack directed three movies: Above the Rim (1994), the story of a rising basketball star and his troubled brothers starring Duane Martin and Tupac Shakur; Booty Call (1997) with Jamie Foxx, Vivica A. Fox and Tommy Davidson; and the 1999 David Spade vehicle Lost & Found.
He was also a producer on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Along with friend and business partner Benny Medina, he had a hand in the creation of the show, which was inspired by Medina’s experiences living with Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. while attending Beverly Hills High School.
In the early ‘90s, the pair formed the management and production company Medina/Pollack Entertainment, which later became Handprint Entertainment. Their clients included Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey and Tyra Banks. Handprint closed its doors in 2008.
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In recent years, Pollack teamed with entertainer Jeff Beacher to put together his Beacher’s Madhouse variety shows, including a long-running stint at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. A new version at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas opens Dec. 27, with Miley Cyrus hosting the premiere.
Pollack graduated from the University of Southern California School of Film. After college, he traveled through Asia for three years before returning to the U.S. and entering the entertainment business.
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