Joel Pollak has two degrees from Harvard, worked as both a freelance journalist and a political speechwriter in his native South Africa, had a brief career as an actor in European movies and TV advertisements, and published two books while still at Harvard Law. This immigrant and Orthodox Jew became a U.S. citizen in 1987.

It’s an impressive resume for a 33 year old. And now Pollak is running for Congress in his home district in Illinois.