Jason KingRIP Sydney Pollack
May 27th 2008 07:22
I cannot believe it. I am in total shock. I had the honour of shaking this man's hand at a preview screening of Random Hearts in 1999 where he surprised a lot of us by turning up in Sydney on a Sunday morning (I think). He contributed so much to the fabulous art form known as film and the industry is at a tremendous loss. His body of work covering nearly every aspect of film is phenomenal and I even watched a film this morning, Leatherheads - he was the Exec Producer.
Famed actor-director Sydney Pollack has died from cancer at the age of 73 at his home in the coastal Los Angeles suburb of Pacific Palisades at 5:00pm (local time).
Pollack had devoted more time to producing and acting of late, and is currently in cinemas playing Patrick Dempsey's father in the romantic comedy Made Of Honour.
The tall, curly-haired Indiana native once described his acting stints as "an excuse to spy on other directors."
"Directors are very territorial," he told CNN.com in a 2005 interview.
"They're like lions, urinating on every corner of the stage."
Sydney Pollack is an Academy Award-winning director, producer, actor, writer and public figure, who directed and produced over 40 films.
He was born on July 1, 1934, in Lafayette, Indiana, USA, to a family of Russian-Jewish immigrants. His mother, Rebecca Miller, was a homemaker. His father, David Pollack, was a professional boxer turned pharmacist. His parents divorced when he was young. His mother, an alcoholic, died at age 37, when Sydney Pollack was 16. He spent his formative years in Indiana, graduating from his HS in 1952, then moved to the New York City.
From 1952-1954 young Pollack studied acting with Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York. He served two years in the army, and then returned to the Neighbourghood Playhouse and taught acting. In 1958, Pollack married his former student Claire Griswold. They had three children. Their son, Steven Pollack, died in a plane crash on November 26, 1993, in Santa Monica, California. Their daughter, Rebecca Pollack, served as vice president of film production at United Artists during the 1990s. Their youngest daughter, Rachel Pollack, was born in 1969.
Pollack began his acting career on stage, then made his name as television director in the early 1960s. He made his big screen acting debut in War Hunt (1962), where he met fellow actor Robert Redford, and the two co-stars established a life-long friendship. Pollack called on his good friend Redford to play opposite Natalie Wood in This Property Is Condemned (1966). Pollack and Redford worked together on six more films over the years. His biggest success came with Out of Africa (1985), starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. For this film he won two Oscars: one for Best Direction and one for Best Picture.
Pollack showed his best as a comedy director and actor in Tootsie (1982), where he brought feminist issues to public awareness using his remarkable wit and wisdom, and created a highly entertaining film, which was nominated for ten Academy Awards. Pollack's directing revealed Dustin Hoffman's range and nuanced acting in gender switching from a dominant boyfriend to a nurse in drag, a brilliant collaboration of director and actor that broadened public perception about sex roles. Pollack also made success in producing such films as The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), The Quiet American (2002) and Cold Mountain (2003). Pollack returned to the director's chair in 2004, when he directed The Interpreter (2005), the first film ever shot on location at the United Nations Headquarters and within the General Assembley in New York City.
He won 2 Oscars and won 18 other film awards. LEGEND
Most of the biography is supplied by IMDB.
Famed actor-director Sydney Pollack has died from cancer at the age of 73 at his home in the coastal Los Angeles suburb of Pacific Palisades at 5:00pm (local time).
Pollack had devoted more time to producing and acting of late, and is currently in cinemas playing Patrick Dempsey's father in the romantic comedy Made Of Honour.
The tall, curly-haired Indiana native once described his acting stints as "an excuse to spy on other directors."
"Directors are very territorial," he told CNN.com in a 2005 interview.
"They're like lions, urinating on every corner of the stage."
Sydney Pollack is an Academy Award-winning director, producer, actor, writer and public figure, who directed and produced over 40 films.
He was born on July 1, 1934, in Lafayette, Indiana, USA, to a family of Russian-Jewish immigrants. His mother, Rebecca Miller, was a homemaker. His father, David Pollack, was a professional boxer turned pharmacist. His parents divorced when he was young. His mother, an alcoholic, died at age 37, when Sydney Pollack was 16. He spent his formative years in Indiana, graduating from his HS in 1952, then moved to the New York City.
From 1952-1954 young Pollack studied acting with Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York. He served two years in the army, and then returned to the Neighbourghood Playhouse and taught acting. In 1958, Pollack married his former student Claire Griswold. They had three children. Their son, Steven Pollack, died in a plane crash on November 26, 1993, in Santa Monica, California. Their daughter, Rebecca Pollack, served as vice president of film production at United Artists during the 1990s. Their youngest daughter, Rachel Pollack, was born in 1969.
Pollack began his acting career on stage, then made his name as television director in the early 1960s. He made his big screen acting debut in War Hunt (1962), where he met fellow actor Robert Redford, and the two co-stars established a life-long friendship. Pollack called on his good friend Redford to play opposite Natalie Wood in This Property Is Condemned (1966). Pollack and Redford worked together on six more films over the years. His biggest success came with Out of Africa (1985), starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. For this film he won two Oscars: one for Best Direction and one for Best Picture.
Pollack showed his best as a comedy director and actor in Tootsie (1982), where he brought feminist issues to public awareness using his remarkable wit and wisdom, and created a highly entertaining film, which was nominated for ten Academy Awards. Pollack's directing revealed Dustin Hoffman's range and nuanced acting in gender switching from a dominant boyfriend to a nurse in drag, a brilliant collaboration of director and actor that broadened public perception about sex roles. Pollack also made success in producing such films as The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), The Quiet American (2002) and Cold Mountain (2003). Pollack returned to the director's chair in 2004, when he directed The Interpreter (2005), the first film ever shot on location at the United Nations Headquarters and within the General Assembley in New York City.
He won 2 Oscars and won 18 other film awards. LEGEND
I didn't grow up thinking of movies as film, or art, but as movies, something to do on a Saturday afternoon.
Sydney Pollack
Sydney Pollack
Most of the biography is supplied by IMDB.
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
I really liked him as an actor too in the small parts he played like in Changing Lanes and Eyes Wide Shut. He had a very dignified, authoritative presence about him.
Comment by Jason King
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He was even the original choice to direct "Dirty Harry" (1971).
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Comment by Jason King
Salty Popcorn
David: Never seen Three Days of the Condor so will check it out. I loved his acting, great at comedy as well as the dramatic.
Journeywoman: Thanks