Sarah Polley was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and began acting at the age of four.

As a child, she appeared in dozens of films and television shows including the Canadian television series ROAD TO AVONLEA and Terry Gilliam’s THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHHAUSEN. Her breakthrough to adult roles was her portrayal of Nicole in Atom Egoyan’s THE SWEET HEREAFTER. It was her second film with Egoyan, who wrote the part with her in mind when he adapted Russell Banks' novel. She received her first Best Actress Genie nomination from Canada's Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, and the Best Supporting Actress award from the Boston and Chicago Societies of Film Critics for THE SWEET HEREAFTER.

The buzz continued on at the Sundance Festival, her starring role in the film GUINEVERE (1999) was showcased, and the entertainment media crowned her the ‘ It Girl ‘ of 1999. Polley chose to return to Canada and appear in smaller, independent films such as Michael Winterbottom’s THE CLAIM, Kathryn Bigelow’s THE WEIGHT OF WATER, David Cronenberg’s EXISTENZ, Hal Hartley’s NO SUCH THING, Thom Fitzgerald’s THE EVENT and Isabel Coixet’s MY LIFE WITHOUT ME. In 2004, she had completed filming on two further projects. Wim Wenders’ DON’T COME KNOCKING and Isabel Coixet’s THE SECRET LIFE OF WORDS.

Sarah is a committed social activist, working diligently on issues of homelessness and healthcare in Canada. She maintains a home in Toronto.