Gavin Polone


Gavin Polone is an American film and television producer. He began producing films in the late 1990s and television in the 2000s. He has been nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards, of which six were for "Outstanding Comedy Series" for Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm. His production company is Pariah.

Background

Polone graduated from University of California, Berkeley in three years. He earned a realtor's license and applied to work for the Central Intelligence Agency but was not accepted. In 1985, he began work as an assistant at International Creative Management. He eventually became a literary agent at ICM. In 1989, ICM suspected that Polone planned to defect and fired him, though Polone says ICM was wrong about its suspicions.
He joined Bauer-Benedek Agency, and the agency eventually merged with Leading Artists Agency to form United Talent Agency. Polone eventually became a partner at UTA. He was disappointed in how the agency was run and threatened to leave. In April 1996, UTA fired Polone. Polone hired Peter Ostroff to sue UTA in a breach of contract lawsuit, and before the lawsuit was filed, UTA gave Polone a severance package and made a public admission that "'there were insufficient grounds' to fire him." UTA sued Polone a year later for reneging on the severance contract, and another settlement took place.
After departing from UTA, Polone launched his own management and production company and managed clients in both film and television. He eventually decided to become a film and television producer, and he dropped all of his clients except for Conan O'Brien. In 2007 and beyond, Polone became a pundit who appeared in media to comment on the 2007–08 [Writers Guild of America strike|2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike], Tiger Woods's infidelity scandal and fallout, and Michael Moore's association with Occupy Wall Street. He also writes an online column for New York Magazine.
In the late 1990s, he was partner with Judy Hofflund to start Hofflund/Polone, with both credited as executive producers on Gilmore Girls through its original run. Hofflund retired in 2013. In May 2001, he started Pariah, with an affiliated production company at Columbia TriStar Television. On February 19, 2002, Pariah decided to expand into film production with Screen Gems, Columbia Pictures and Senator International for a production-and-distribution deal. Shortly afterwards, on May 27, 2002, he moved his Pariah Television production division to NBC, creating projects that were designed solely for the network. On July 26, 2004, NBC decided to cut their ties with Pariah Television, and on April 14, 2005, the production company was moved back to Sony Pictures Entertainment for film and television projects.
Polone, formerly a member of Writers Guild of America West, left and maintained financial core status in 2015.

Filmography

Film

Producer8mm Drop Dead Gorgeous Stir of Echoes Panic Room Secret Window Seeing [Other People (film)|Seeing Other People] Little Manhattan My Super Ex-Girlfriend Primeval Ghost Town Zombieland Premium Rush Nerdland A Dog's Purpose A Dog's Way Home A Dog's Journey Zombieland: Double Tap Psycho Killer Cold Storage
Executive producerPopulation 436
Acting roles
YearTitleRole
1997An [Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn]Gary Samuels
1998Thick as ThievesSimons
2006Population 436Aames

Special thanks

TV series

Executive producer
YearTitleNotes
1999Larry David: Curb Your EnthusiasmTelevision special
1999−2024Curb Your Enthusiasm
2000−2007Gilmore Girls
2002Family Affair
2002−2003Hack
2003Untitled Howie Mandel ProjectTelevision pilot
2003The Ortegas
2003American P.I.
2004Celebrity Blackjack
2005Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search
2005Revelations
2006Thief
2005−2007The [Showbiz Show with David Spade]
2006−2008Emily's Reasons Why Not
2006−2010My Boys
2007Tell Me [You Love Me (TV series)|Tell Me You Love Me]
2011Bachelorette Party: Las Vegas
2012Jane by Design
2013ZombielandTelevision pilot
2013−2014Twisted

Director
YearTitle
2012Jane by Design
2013−2014Twisted
2015Finding Carter

Acting roles
YearTitleRole
1993SeinfeldMan in Jerry Audience
1999ActionDodi

Special thanks
  • ''Twisted: Socio Studies 101''

TV movies

Executive producerWhen Trumpets Fade Sam's Circus More, Patience Life at Five Feet Suspense Celebrity Temps D.O.T.S. The Angriest Man in Suburbia More, Patience Backyards & Bullets