Famed Director Sydney Pollack Dead at 73
Film director and sometime actor
Sydney Pollack, an elder statesman of Hollywood, is dead. He was 73, and the cause was cancer.
On Monday, the Directors Guild of America issued a statement calling Pollack the "quintessential 'actor's director.'" Throughout his career, Pollack was known for huge hits such as
Tootsie and
Out of Africa, as well as less-lauded films like 1993's
Havana. Most recently, Pollack appeared on-screen in
Made of Honor (as
Patrick Dempsey's father) and
Michael Clayton, which he also produced.
Pollack's films were known as star-laden affairs, having included over the years everyone from Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford (
The Way We Were) to Meryl Streep (in
Out of Africa, which won seven Academy Awards out of 11 nominations).
Pollack other recent productions include
Cold Mountain and
Sketches of Frank Gehry. He also occasionally appeared in TV shows, including
Will & Grace,
Entourage and
The Sopranos.
Pollack is survived by two daughters and his wife, Claire Griswold.
- Anna Dimond
Use our Online Video Guide to see clips of Pollack's work and interviews.
