Poll made his directorial debut in 2007 with the teencomedy filmCharlie Bartlett. He read screenwriter Gustin Nash's film adaptation of C. D. Payne's 1993 novel Youth in Revolt and asked director Jay Roach—with whom he had previously worked on five films—if he had heard of Nash. Roach explained that he had been slated to direct another of Nash's screenplays, Charlie Bartlett, but was forced to back out of the job on the same day.[3] Roach recommended that Poll take the role as director; Poll then pitched himself to the film's producers and was hired.[3] Poll co-produced Sacha Baron Cohen's 2009 mockumentary film Brüno.