Sydney Pollack facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sydney Pollack
At the Metropolitan Opera House, 2006
Born	Sydney Irwin Pollack (1934-07-01)July 1, 1934 Lafayette, Indiana, U.S.
Died	May 26, 2008(2008-05-26) (aged 73) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Film director producer actor
Years active	1955–2008
Spouse(s)	Claire Bradley Griswold ​ (m. 1958)​
Children	3

Sydney Irwin Pollack (born July 1, 1934 – died May 26, 2008) was a talented American film director, producer, and actor. He directed more than 20 movies and 10 TV shows. He also acted in over 30 films and TV shows. Plus, he produced more than 44 movies!

Sydney Pollack won two Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) for his movie Out of Africa (1985). He won for Best Director and Best Picture. He was also nominated for Best Director Oscars for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) and Tootsie (1982).

Some of his other famous movies include Jeremiah Johnson (1972), The Way We Were (1973), Three Days of the Condor (1975), and Absence of Malice (1981). Later, he directed Havana (1990), The Firm (1993), and The Interpreter (2005). He also produced and acted in Michael Clayton (2007). Pollack appeared in other movies like The Player (1992), Husbands and Wives (1993), and Eyes Wide Shut (1999).

Early Life and Beginnings

Sydney Pollack was born in Lafayette, Indiana. His family had moved from Russia. His parents were Rebecca and David Pollack. His father was a semi-professional boxer and a pharmacist. The family later moved to South Bend. His parents divorced when he was young. Sadly, his mother passed away when he was 16 years old.

Even though he planned to go to college and medical school, Pollack left Indiana for New York City at age 17. He studied acting with a famous teacher named Sanford Meisner from 1952 to 1954. He worked on a lumber truck to help pay for his studies.

After serving in the army for two years, he returned to the acting school in 1958. His teacher, Sanford Meisner, asked him to be his assistant. In 1960, Pollack's friend, John Frankenheimer, invited him to Los Angeles. He worked as a dialogue coach for child actors on Frankenheimer's movie, The Young Savages. This is where Pollack met actor Burt Lancaster, who encouraged him to try directing.

A Successful Career in Film

Sydney Pollack played a director in an episode of The Twilight Zone in 1961. But he found real success in the 1960s by directing TV shows. He directed episodes of popular series like The Fugitive and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. After working in TV, he moved into making movies.

His first movie as a director was The Slender Thread (1965). Over his career, Pollack's films received a total of 48 Academy Award nominations. They won 11 Oscars! His first Oscar nomination was for his 1969 film They Shoot Horses, Don't They?. His second was 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.

Directing Talented Actors

During his career, Sydney Pollack directed 12 actors who received Oscar nominations for their performances in his films. These actors included Jane Fonda, Barbra Streisand, Paul Newman, Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and Holly Hunter. Two of these actors, Gig Young and Jessica Lange, actually won Oscars for their roles in Pollack's movies.

Acting in Movies and TV

Pollack started acting again in the 1990s. He appeared in films like Robert Altman's The Player (1992) and Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut (1999). He often played characters who were powerful but sometimes had problems. He acted in movies such as A Civil Action and Changing Lanes. He also appeared in his own films, including Random Hearts and The Interpreter. The latter was his last movie as a director.

He also acted in Woody Allen's Husbands and Wives and Robert Zemeckis's Death Becomes Her. His very last acting role was as Patrick Dempsey's father in the 2008 romantic comedy Made of Honor. On TV, he was a regular guest star on the show Will & Grace, playing Will Truman's father, George. He also made guest appearances on Just Shoot Me, Mad About You, The Sopranos, and Entourage.

Producing Other Great Films

As a producer, Sydney Pollack helped create many movies that were popular with both critics and audiences. Some of these include The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Michael Clayton. He also acted in Michael Clayton alongside George Clooney. For this film, he received his sixth Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Picture.

He started a production company called Mirage Enterprises with English director Anthony Minghella. Their last film together, The Reader, earned them both Oscar nominations for Best Picture after they had passed away. Besides his many movie awards, Pollack was nominated for five Primetime Emmys (TV awards). He won two: one for directing in 1966 and another for producing, which he received four months after his death in 2008.

His Favorite Films

In a 2002 poll, Sydney Pollack shared his top ten favorite films. These movies likely influenced his own work:

• Casablanca
• Citizen Kane
• The Conformist
• The Godfather Part II
• Grand Illusion
• The Leopard
• Once Upon a Time in America
• Raging Bull
• The Seventh Seal
• Sunset Boulevard

Personal Life and Family

Sydney Pollack was married to Claire Bradley Griswold from 1958 until his death in 2008. Claire was one of his former students. They had three children: Steven, Rebecca, and Rachel. Sadly, Steven passed away in 1993 at the age of 34 in a small plane crash. Claire, Pollack's wife, died in 2011 at 74 years old.

Concerns about Pollack's health began in 2007. He passed away from cancer on May 26, 2008, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 73 years old.

Films and TV Shows

Here is a list of some of the movies and TV shows Sydney Pollack worked on.

Movies he Directed and Produced

Movies he Acted In

TV Shows he Acted In

Awards and Honors

Sydney Pollack received many awards and nominations for his work in film and television.

See also

In Spanish: Sydney Pollack para niños