Michael Polish is an American filmmaker, director, screenwriter, film producer, and actor, born on October 30, 1970, in El Centro, California. He comes from a diverse family background: his paternal grandfather worked on dams in Montana, his mother's family is Mexican, and he was raised Catholic with his identical twin brother, Mark Polish. Prior to his film career, he worked at the DEA in Sacramento, California. Polish is best known for his collaborations with Mark, particularly their debut feature Twin Falls Idaho (1999), which premiered at Sundance, as well as Northfork (2003), Jackpot (2001), and The Astronaut Farmer. He has continued directing independent films and more recently worked with The Daily Wire, directing Terror on the Prairie in partnership with Jeremy Boreing. He was previously married to actress Kate Bosworth and to Jo Strettell.