Jeff Pollack obit

‘Booty Call’ Director Jeffrey Pollack Dies at 54

The founder of Handprint Entertainment with partner Benny Medina also directed "Above the Rim" and "Lost & Found" and served as a producer on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." 

He was not on the list.

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.

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.

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.

Director

Sophie Marceau and David Spade in Lost & Found (1999)

Lost & Found

5.1

Director

1999

 

Vivica A. Fox, Jamie Foxx, Tamala Jones, and Tommy Davidson in Booty Call (1997)

Booty Call

5.5

Director

1997

 

Above the Rim (1994)

Above the Rim

6.6

Director

1994

 

Writer

Jabari Banks, Jimmy Akingbola, Cassandra Freeman, Coco Jones, Akira Akbar, and Olly Sholotan in Bel-Air (2022)

Bel-Air

6.4

TV Series

based on a format by

2022–2024

30 episodes

 

Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

7.9

TV Series

based on a format by

written by

story by ...

1990–1996

148 episodes

 

Above the Rim (1994)

Above the Rim

6.6

screenplay

story

1994

 

Producer

Pam: Girl on the Loose (2008)

Pam: Girl on the Loose

4.7

TV Series

executive producer

2008

1 episode

 

The Show with A.J. Calloway

TV Movie

executive producer

2005

 

Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words

7.7

TV Special

executive producer

2005

 

Tyra Banks, Drew Pinsky, Kimberley Locke, Jay Manuel, J. Alexander, Toccara Jones, Brittany Brower, Carolyn London, Keith Ablow, Michelle R. Callahan, Bre Scullark, and Andrew Trees in The Tyra Banks Show (2005)

The Tyra Banks Show

3.9

TV Series

senior executive consultant

2005–2011

 

Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé in The Fighting Temptations (2003)

The Fighting Temptations

5.6

producer

2003

 

Jennifer Lopez in Jennifer Lopez in Concert (2001)

Jennifer Lopez in Concert

6.7

TV Special

executive producer

2001

 

Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

7.9

TV Series

co-executive producer

co-producer

1990–1995

124 episodes

 

Above the Rim (1994)

Above the Rim

6.6

producer

1994

 

The 1993 Billboard Music Awards

6.0

TV Special

executive producer

1993

 

The 1992 Billboard Music Awards

5.5

TV Special

executive producer

1992

 

Additional Crew

Tyra Banks, Drew Pinsky, Kimberley Locke, Jay Manuel, J. Alexander, Toccara Jones, Brittany Brower, Carolyn London, Keith Ablow, Michelle R. Callahan, Bre Scullark, and Andrew Trees in The Tyra Banks Show (2005)

The Tyra Banks Show

3.9

TV Series

executive consultant

2008–2009

5 episodes

 

Christina Ricci and Charlize Theron in Monster (2003)

Monster

7.3

production consultant

2003