Director Sydney Pollack Dies at 73
May 27, 2008

Nine months after being diagnosed with cancer, acclaimed director Sydney Pollack died on Monday, May 26 inside his Pacific Palisades residence in California. A Native of Lafayette, Indiana, Pollack was one of the most respected and beloved directors in Hollywood, having received a number of directing Oscar nominations over the years, beginning with They Shoot Horses, Don't They? in 1970. Throughout the years, Sydney Pollack went on to receive an Oscar nod for the popular Tootsie in 1982 but finally won a golden statue in 1986 as Best Director for the critically acclaimed Out of Africa, starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep.

Although Sydney Pollack stepped away from the camera to moonlight as an actor - and a great one at that - his directing filmography is one of the most impressive in the history of film, having helmed such respected movies as Absence of Malice, Three Days of the Condor, The Firm, The Way We Were, Out of Africa, and The Electric Horseman. As an actor, Pollack's resume was equally impressive, as he also landed roles in The Player, Woody Allen's Husbands and Wives, and Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut just to name a few.

In 2007, Pollack also served as a producer on the Oscar nominated Michael Clayton while pulling double-duty as an actor in the role of crafty legal player Marty Bach. Ironically, Pollack can still be seen in theaters, as he made his final on-screen appearance in the romantic comedy Made of Honor, starring Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan.

Everyone here at The Deadbolt can already feel the loss of Sydney Pollack and we'll truly miss his screen presence and work behind the camera.