Sydney Pollack was an American director, producer, and actor who became renowned by directing acclaimed films such as Tootsie (1982), Out of Africa (1985), They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969), The Firm (1993), Jeremiah Johnson (1972), Three Days of the Condor (1975), Absence of Malice (1981), The Way We Were (1973), among others.
Born Name
Sydney Irwin Pollack
Nick Name
Sydney
Sydney Pollack as seen at the Metropolitan Opera House in 2006 (Arthur / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Age
He was born on July 1, 1934.
Died
He passed away on May 26, 2008, from either pancreatic or stomach cancer at the age of 73 years in Los Angeles, California.
Sun Sign
Cancer
Born Place
Lafayette, Indiana, United States
Nationality
Occupation
Director, Producer, Actor
Family
Father – David Pollack (Semi-professional Boxer, Pharmacist)
Mother – Rebecca Miller (Homemaker)
Siblings – Bernie Pollack (Brother)
Net Worth
At the time of his death, Sydney Pollack’s net worth was $18 million according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.
Build
Slim
Height
6 ft or 183 cm
Weight
74 kg or 163 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Sydney Pollack had dated –
Claire Bradley Griswold (1957-2008) – The Michael Clayton (2007) actor was happily married to Claire Bradley Griswold from September 22, 1958, until his death on May 26, 2008. Together, the couple had raised 3 children – son Steven Pollack (February 7, 1959–November 1993), and daughters Rebecca Pollack (b. November 4, 1963), and Rachel Pollack (b. January 4, 1969).
Sydney Pollack as seen in 1986 (Stevan Kragujević / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 RS)
Race / Ethnicity
White
He had Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry.
Hair Color
Black
However, his hair had turned ‘Gray’ by the time of his death.
Eye Color
Green (with slight Brown)
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
Curly hair
Sydney Pollack Favorite Things
Movies – Casablanca (1942), Citizen Kane (1941), The Conformist (1970), The Godfather Part II (1974), The Grand Illusion (1937), The Leopard (1963), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Raging Bull (1980), The Seventh Seal (1957), Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Sydney Pollack as seen in Washington D.C. in 2000 (John Mathew Smith / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Sydney Pollack Facts
He extracted Oscar-nominated performances from 12 actors during his career. These were Jane Fonda in They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969), Gig Young in They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969), Susannah York in They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969), Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were (1973), Paul Newman in Absence of Malice (1981), Melinda Dillon in Absence of Malice (1981), Jessica Lange in Tootsie (1982), Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie (1982), Teri Garr in Tootsie (1982), Meryl Streep in Out of Africa (1985), Klaus Maria Brandauer in Out of Africa (1985), and Holly Hunter in The Firm (1993). Out of them, only Gig Young and Jessica Lange became Academy Award winners in the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ and the ‘Best Supporting Actress’ categories respectively.
In 2009, when Kate Winslet finally won an Oscar for her performance in The Reader (2008), she dedicated her award to the film’s producers Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella, both of whom had passed away the previous year in 2008.
He became lifelong friends with the actor Robert Redford after the two made their acting debuts together in the acclaimed film, War Hunt (1962).
In June 2002, the American Film Institute included 2 films directed by Pollack in its list of the ‘100 Best American Love Movies’: The Way We Were (1973) at #6 and Out of Africa (1985) at #13.
In 1985, he founded his production company called Mirage Enterprises, which Anthony Minghella joined as a partner in 2001. Moreover, his company produced such films as The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), Sense and Sensibility (1995), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Iris (2001), Cold Mountain (2003), Michael Clayton (2007), Breaking and Entering (2006), etc.
The English actress and writer Jean Marsh was born on the same day as Pollack i.e., on July 1, 1934.
His film Tootsie (1982) was chosen by the Library of Congress to be included in the National Film Registry for being ‘culturally, historically or aesthetically’ significant.
Pollack was also an accomplished jazz pianist.
Featured Image by Arthur / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 2.0
