|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sydney Pollack (July 1, 1934 - May 26, 2008) was an Academy Award-winning American film director, producer and actor. He directed over 21 films and 10 television shows, acted in over 30 films or shows, and produced over 44 films. One of the rare Hollywood talents who excelled at both acting and directing, Sydney Pollack fell haphazardly into a craft that eventually earned him three Oscar nominations and one Academy Award. Thanks to his early career as an acting coach, Pollack developed a reputation for being one of the best director for actors to work with. But his filmmaking style was without a signifying mark or defining element with which audiences could identify. In fact, it was quite easy to walk out of the theater having enjoyed the movie without ever knowing Pollack was the director. Be that as it may, Pollack crafted excellent films in his four decades as a filmmaker, adding such luminous titles like “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” (1969), “Three Days of the Condor” (1973), “Tootsie” (1982) and “Out of Africa” (1985) to the American filmmaking canon. Despite a lack of visual flare, American cinema would have suffered without Pollack’s steady contributions. Pollack is best known for directing films Out of Africa (Academy Awards, 1985), Tootsie (1982), Three Days of the Condor (1975), The Yakuza (1975), The Way We Were and Jeremiah Johnson (1972), along with newer films The Interpreter (2005), Sabrina (1995), The Firm (1993) and Havana (1990). He has appeared in over 15 films, including The Interpreter (2005), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Husbands and Wives (1992), The Player (1992), and The Electric Horseman (1979). Most recently he appeared opposite George Clooney in Michael Clayton (2007), a film which he also co-produced. Pollack stayed away from the director’s chair for several years, not returning until 2005 when he helmed "The Interpreter.” Though not as poignant as “Three Days of the Condor,” the action-packed political thriller was notable as being the first film ever shot at the United Nations. The film cast Kidman as a U.N. interpreter who overhears a life-threatening conversation in a language only she and a handful of people on the planet understand, leading to a federal agent (Sean Penn) being dispatched to uncover the plot, only to suspect the interpreter of hiding the larger truth. Though well-acted and solidly shot, “The Interpreter” was the recipient of decidedly mixed reviews that slammed the film for being too generic. Meanwhile, Pollack made his first foray into documentary filmmaking with “Sketches of Frank Gehry” (2005), an intimate look at the famous architect who achieved the rare feat of successfully turning building design into art on his way to becoming a popular figure in American culture. Returning to his first craft – acting – Pollack gave a typically strong performance as the head of a New York law firm who dispatches his morally conflicted corporate fixer (George Clooney) to clean up his client’s messes in the high-minded thriller, “Michael Clayton” (2007). Pollack also served as one of the producers and was named when “Michael Clayton” earned an Oscar nod for Best Picture. Sydney Pollack is an Academy Award-winning director, producer, actor, writer and public figure, who directed and produced over 40 films. 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 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 was born in Lafayette, Indiana, to a family of Jewish immigrants from Latvia, the son of Rebecca (née Miller) and David Pollack, a professional boxer and pharmacist. His parents divorced when he was young and his mother, an alcoholic, died at the age of 37 while Pollack was a student at the Neighborhood Playhouse. His brother is the costume designer, producer and actor Bernie Pollack. Pollack was married to Claire Griswold, a former student of his, from 1958 until his death; they had three children, Rachel Pollack, Rebecca Pollack and Steven Pollack (who died in a plane crash in 1993). Rebecca, now married to Hutch Parker has two daughters Gracie Parker 14 and Eloise Parker 9. Rachel, now married to Jonas Sorman, has two children, Freja Sorman 6 and Henry Sorman 1. Steven was married to Belinda Shandel and had two children as well: Hanna Pollack and Renee Pollack. Pollack studied with Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City from 1952 to 1954. He later taught acting there from 1954 to 1959 before embarking on his acting career. He then moved behind the camera to direct and produce. His directing career began in the 1960s with episodes of TV series such as The Fugitive and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He won the Academy Award for Directing for Out of Africa (1985). Pollack had previously been nominated for Best Director Oscars for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? and Tootsie. While directing Tootsie, his rows with Dustin Hoffman became well known. Eventually Hoffman began pushing the idea that Pollack play the role of his agent and Pollack reluctantly agreed. Their off-screen relationship added authenticity to their scenes in the movie, most of which feature them arguing. Pollack has since taken 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. As a character actor, Pollack subsequently appeared in films such as A Civil Action, Changing Lanes, and Eyes Wide Shut, 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. 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 an appearance on NBC's Just Shoot Me. Pollack received the first annual Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking award from the Austin Film Festival October 21, 2006. In the 2002 Sight and Sound Directors' Poll, Pollack revealed his top-ten films: Casablanca, Citizen Kane, The Conformist, The Godfather Part II, La Grande Illusion, The Leopard, Once Upon a Time in America, Raging Bull, The Seventh Seal, and Sunset Blvd. He brought a lawsuit against Danish TV after screening Three Days of the Condor (1975) in pan-and-scan in 1991. (April 1997) The court ruled that the pan scanning conducted by Danish television was a 'mutilation' of the film Three Days of the Condor (1975) and a violation of Pollacks 'Driot Moral', his legal right as an artist to maintain his reputation by protecting the integrity of his work. Nonetheless, the court ruled in favor of the defendant on a technicality. in 20 January 1997. Brother of Bernie Pollack. Winner of year 2000 John Huston Award, presented by Tom Cruise on behalf of Directors Guild of America, as a "defender of artists' rights...a warrior.". Among the 100 best American love movies ranked by American Film Institute in June, 2002, Pollack is the only director credited with two films near the top of list. His The Way We Were (1973) is ranked #6 and Out of Africa (1985) is ranked #13. Three children: a son, Steven Pollack, born in 1959 (died 1993); daughter, Rebecca Pollack, born in 1963; daughter, Rachel Pollack, born in 1969. Pollack's son Steven was one of three occupants of a light plane killed when the aircraft crashed into the carport of an apartment building in Santa Monica, California, on November 26, 1993. Pollack's daughter Rebecca served as vice president of film production at United Artists during the late 1990s. Hosts "The Essentials" on Turner Classic Movies. He directed 12 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Jane Fonda, Gig Young, Susannah York, Barbra Streisand, Paul Newman, Melinda Dillon, Jessica Lange, Dustin Hoffman, Teri Garr , Meryl Streep, Klaus Maria Brandauer and Holly Hunter. Young and Lange won Oscars for their performances in one of Pollacks movies. President of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1986. Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973. Lifelong friends with Robert Redford, both men having made their feature film acting debuts in War Hunt (1962). Was the original choice to direct "Dirty Harry" (1971). Was first choice to direct The Saint (1997). Owns and flies a Cessna Citation 750 jet, N138SP. Death: Pollack died of stomach cancer on May 26, 2008 at the age of 73, at his home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California. Academy Award-winning director Sydney Pollack, who achieved commercial and critical success with the gender-bending comedy "Tootsie" and the period drama "Out of Africa, has died. He was 73. He was best known for directing Dustin Hoffman comedy Tootsie and romantic drama Out Of Africa, for which he won two Oscars. Pollack died of cancer Monday afternoon at his home in Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles, surrounded by family, said agent Leslee Dart. Pollack, who occasionally appeared on the screen himself, worked with and gained the respect of Hollywood's best actors in a long career that reached prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. Pollack's last screen appearance was in "Made of Honor," a romantic comedy currently in theaters, where he played the oft-married father of star Patrick Dempsey's character. He was also a popular and respected character actor, often appearing in small roles in his own films, as he did in Tootsie and The Interpreter. More recently he appeared in Michael Clayton, which he also produced, as well as television series such as Will & Grace, The Sopranos and King Of The Hill. Pollack died at his home in Los Angeles, a family representative said. His illness had come to public attention after he withdrew in August 2007 as the director of an HBO television movie for unspecified health reasons. He had been working on Recount, about the disputed 2000 US presidential election. A frequent collaborator with actor Robert Redford, Pollack's other films as director included The Way We Were, Havana, Three Days Of The Condor and They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Last fall, he played Marty Bach opposite George Clooney in "Michael Clayton," which Pollack also co-produced. The film received seven Oscar nominations, including best picture and a best actor nod for Clooney. In recent years, Pollack produced many independent films with filmmaker Anthony Minghella and a production company Mirage Enterprises. The Lafayette, Ind. native was born to first-generation Russian-Americans. In high school, he fell in love with theater, a passion that prompted him forego college and move to New York and enroll in the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Celebrities Guide 
| WhoABC
Home : Disclaimer
: Terms
: Privacy
Policy : Contact
Us : Links All original content Copyright Celebrities Guide, WhoABC.com © 2004 - 2008. All Rights Reserved |