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. [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
Sydney Pollack Detailed Biography
Sydney Pollack (born July 1, 1934 in Lafayette, Indiana) is an American actor, producer, and director. His career started in the 1960s, directing 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's acting career kickstarted when he was directing Tootsie with Dustin Hoffman, of which his rows with the dedicated method actor became well known. Hoffman had begun pushing the idea that Pollack play the role of his agent, which Pollack reluctantly agreed to do. The scenes of Pollack and Hoffman arguing is actually a reflection of their relationship off screen during the making of the film. A first rate character actor, Pollack went onto appear in several films such as A Civil Action and Eyes Wide Shut, as well as his own including The Interpreter. He is a recurring guest star on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, playing Will Truman's unfaithful but loving father, George Truman.
