A younger presence in the film industry was taken from the world recently, and while most people might not recognize his name, his work might sound a bit more familiar.

Jeffrey Ian Pollack died at the age of 54, and was a presence in African American cinema in the early 90s, but has not been seen much seen since then.

Pollack was a producer of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, the work that would be most familiar to his audiences, and the popular comedy that jump-started the career of actor Will Smith.

In addition, he was the director of the films Above The Rim, which starred Tupac Shakur, and Booty Call, a comedy with Tommy Davidson and Jamie Foxx.

He also directed the David Spade comedy, Lost And Found, which was released in 1999.

Jeffrey Ian Pollack was found collapsed early Monday morning in the Greenbelt jogging area of Hermosa Beach, which is about 20 miles southwest of Los Angeles. He was discovered by an unidentified woman who was out jogging, and called the police.

Tommy Thompson, the police captain, reported that there were no signs of foul play, and said “It’s still unknown how he died, we’re not sure if it was a heart attack. But there were no signs of foul play.”

Thompson also mentioned how important it is to carry someone’s ID on them at all times, even when running, because if something happens, then people will not be able to identify them. Pollack did not have an ID or a cell phone on him at the time.

Jeffrey Ian Pollack was an avid runner and a softball player. However, he has died of natural causes while running, and it appears that he may have had a heart attack despite being in good physical shape.

RIP Jeffrey Ian Pollack….damn.

— Chimi Jean (@Chimichamu) December 26, 2013

He was also the founder of Handprint Entertainment with his partner Benny Medina. Clients that he had with management team included Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, and Tyra Banks, although the firm closed in 2008.

Jeffrey Ian Pollack graduated from the University of Southern Califronia School of Film. At the age of 54, he was taken far before his time, and he had not directed a film in several years. While he does not have a well-known name, his films were popular with certain audiences.

Image via Youtube