Sydney Pollack Biography
Summary
"Sydney Irwin Pollack" (July 1, 1934 - May 26, 2008) was an American film director, producer and actor. Born in Lafayette, Indiana to Russian Jewish immigrants, Pollack studied with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, where he later taught acting. He began directing television shows in the 1960s before moving to films.
Pollack directed more than 21 films and 10 television shows, acted in over 30 films or shows, and produced over 44 films. Some of his best known works include "Jeremiah Johnson" (1972), "The Way We Were" (1973), "Three Days of the Condor" (1975) and "Absence of Malice" (1981). His 1985 film "Out of Africa" won him Academy Awards for directing and producing; he was also nominated for Best Director Oscars for "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" and "Tootsie", the latter of which he also appeared in. Later films included "Havana" (1990), "The Firm" (1993), "Sabrina" (1995) and "The Interpreter" (2005).
Early life
Sydney Pollack was born in Lafayette, Indiana, to a family of Jewish immigrants from Russia, the son of Rebecca (née Miller) and David Pollack, a semi-professional boxer and pharmacist. The family relocated to South Bend and his parents divorced when he was young. His mother, an alcoholic with emotional problems, died at the age of 37 while Pollack was a student.
Despite earlier plans to attend college and then medical school, Pollack left Indiana for New York City soon after finishing high school at age 17. Pollack studied acting with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse from 1952 to 1954, working on a lumber truck between terms. After two years' army service until 1958, he returned to the Playhouse at Meisner's invitation to become his assistant. In 1960, John Frankenheimer, a friend of Pollack's, asked him to come to Los Angeles in order to work as a dialogue coach for the child actors on Frankenheimer's first big picture, "The Young Savages". It was during this time that Pollack met Burt Lancaster, who encouraged the young actor to try directing.
Career
Pollack found initial success in television in the 1960s by directing episodes of series such as "The Fugitive" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". His film directing debut was 1965's "The Slender Thread", starring Sidney Poitier and Anne Bancroft. Over time, Pollack's films received a total of 48 Academy Award nominations, winning 11 Oscars. His first Oscar nomination was for his 1969 film "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?". He was later nominated again in 1982 for "Tootsie". For his 1985 film "Out of Africa" starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, Pollack won Academy Awards for directing and producing.
While directing "Tootsie", his rows with star Dustin Hoffman became well known. Eventually Hoffman began pushing the idea that Pollack play the role of his agent, and Pollack reluctantly agreed despite not having had any film roles in 20 years. Their off-screen relationship added authenticity to their scenes in the movie, most of which feature them arguing. Pollack subsequently took on more acting roles in addition to producing and directing. He appeared as himself in the Documentary "One Six Right", describing his joy of owning and piloting his Citation X jet aircraft.
He resumed his acting career with appearances in such films as "The Player" (1992) and "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999), often playing corrupt or morally conflicted power figures. As a character actor, Pollack appeared in films such as "A Civil Action", and "Changing Lanes", as well as his own, including "Random Hearts" and "The Interpreter". He also appeared in Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives" as a New York lawyer undergoing a midlife crisis, and in Robert Zemeckis' "Death Becomes Her" as an emergency room doctor. His last role was as Patrick Dempsey's father in the 2008 romantic comedy "Made of Honor", which was playing in theaters at the time of his death. He had a recurring guest star role on the NBC sitcom "Will & Grace", playing Will Truman's (Eric McCormack) unfaithful but loving father, George Truman. In 2007, Pollack made guest appearances on the HBO TV series "The Sopranos" and "Entourage" as well as appearances on NBC's "Just Shoot Me" and "Mad About You".
Pollack received the first annual Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking award from the Austin Film Festival on October 21 2006. As a producer he helped to guide many films that were successful with both critics and movie audiences, such as "The Fabulous Baker Boys", "The Talented Mr. Ripley", and "Michael Clayton", a film in which he also starred in opposite George Clooney, and for which he received his sixth and final Academy Award nomination, in the Best Picture category. He formed a production company called "Mirage Enterprises" with the English director Anthony Minghella.
Influences
In the 2002 "Sight and Sound" Directors' Poll, Pollack revealed his top-ten films: "Casablanca", "Citizen Kane", "The Conformist", "The Godfather Part II", "Grand Illusion", "The Leopard", "Once Upon a Time in America", "Raging Bull", "The Seventh Seal", and "Sunset Boulevard".
Personal life and death
Pollack was married to Claire Griswold, a former student of his, from 1958 until his death. They had three children: Rachel, Rebecca, and Steven Pollack. Steven Pollack died in a plane crash in 1993. Sydney's brother Bernie Pollack is a costume designer, producer, and actor.
Concerns about Pollack's health had surfaced in 2007 when suddenly he stepped out of directing HBO's television film "Recount". The film aired on May 25 2008. Pollack died the next day of cancer at his home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California, surrounded by family.
Filmography
Producer
"The Fabulous Baker Boys" (1989) executive producer
"Presumed Innocent" (1990) producer
"Sense and Sensibility" (1995) executive producer
"Sliding Doors" (1998) producer
"The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999) executive producer
"Iris" (2001) executive producer
"The Quiet American" (2002) executive producer
"Cold Mountain" (2003) producer
"Breaking and Entering" (2006) producer
"Michael Clayton" (2007) producer
"Recount" (2008) executive producer
"Upcoming"
"Margaret" (2008) producer
"The Reader" (2008) producer
External links
(Sydney Pollack Detailed Biography)
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Sydney Pollack.
