Let's make this birthday one to remember.

45 years old (Born on January 08, 1979)

Actor; She is famous from Road to Avonlea.

She had intended her feature film debut to be "Itchy", based on a script she wrote about a 12-year-old actress starring on a television series. However, she was unable to get the project greenlighted, and turned to another property she had, an adaptation of one of her favorite short stories, Alice Munro's "The Bear Came Over the Mountain". The story, which deals with a couple dealing with the wife's Alzheimer's disease, appealed to her as her own grandmother had suffered from the affliction. Was originally cast as Penny Lane in Almost Famous (2000). When she dropped out of the film because she did not feel comfortable with the role, writer-director Cameron Crowe considered canceling the film. Brad Pitt, who originally was cast in the role of Stillwater guitarist Russell Hammond and, reportedly, was anxious to work with Polley, quit the film after her departure. Attending the Canadian Film Centre's director's program. [2001] Served on the mayor of Toronto's transition team in 2003. Her father, Michael Polley, said of his famously independent daughter in 1997, "She was at her best when she was out of kilter with society in some way."

Was chosen by Variety as one of "10 Directors to Watch" (January 2007).

The youngest of five children. Both parents, Michael Polley and Diane Polley, were actors and she had her first audition at age 5. She debuted in films at age 6 with One Magic Christmas (1985).

Shares a birthday with Francesco Roder and Amber Benson.

Has lived on her own since she was fourteen years old.

Was presented with the Dallas Star Award at the 2007 AFI Dallas Film Festival.

Has worked with the legendary actress Julie Christie three times: Polley co-starred with her in No Such Thing (2001) and the Goya Award-winning _Vida secreta de las palabras, La (2005)_ ("The Secret Life of Words"), and Christie is playing the lead in Polley's first feature film as a director, Away from Her (2006). Polley is impressed by not only with Christie's talent, but praises her intelligence and independence. After appearing with her in No Such Thing (2001), Polley -- who lost her mother when she was 11 years old -- said that Christie had become one of her surrogate mothers.

Was offered the female lead in the film The Bourne Identity, but declined the part.

Appeared on "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn" (1999) on the 15th of March 2004 to promote the film Dawn of the Dead (2004). She stated that it was her first appearance on an American late-night talk show.

Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007.

In 1994 had surgery to correct scoliosis.

Both Sarah and her husband, David Wharnsby, won 2004 Genie Awards, she for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for My Life Without Me (2003), and he for Outstanding Achievement in Editing for The Saddest Music in the World (2003).

Was member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007.

Dropped out of high school to become a political activist for Socialist groups. Was attacked by police at a political protest at Queens Park in 1995.

Lost some back teeth at a rally, in a violent clash between police and protesters.

Mother died when she was 11.

Appointed to transition advisory group by new Toronto mayor David Miller

Provided vocals on two tracks for The Sweet Hereafter (1997) soundtrack. The Tragically Hip's "Courage" and Jane Siberry's "One More Colour".

One of five children, her birth came eight years after that of her youngest sibling, when her parents were in their mid-forties.

On February 24, 2006, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists awarded her the Award of Excellence for a critically acclaimed career at the 2006 ACTRA Toronto Awards. ACTRA's Toronto chapter, the union's largest, has approximately 21,000 members.

Dec. 2007 - Ranked 49 on EW's The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood.

In November 2005, it was announced that the Harold Greenberg Fund was financially backing 24 film scripts in development, including one by Polley. She is adapting the Alice Munro short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain," which has been optioned by Pulling Focus Pictures. Rechristened "Away from Her," the story is about a philandering husband married to a woman afflicted by Alzheimer's disease.

Names White Zombie (1932) and George A. Romero's Living Dead films as her favorite zombie movies.

Atom Egoyan, who directed her in Exotica (1994) and The Sweet Hereafter (1997), originally considered casting Polley as the character Felicia in Felicia's Journey (1999). After talking it over with her, they jointly decided that she should not take the role as her intelligence and awareness were antithetical to the character, who remains quite unconscious of other characters' motivations.

When she was 12, during the first Gulf war, she attended a children's awards show in Washington, DC, and was seated at a table with some representatives from the Walt Disney Company. They asked her to remove a peace symbol that she was wearing but she refused. Disney has blacklisted her ever since.