Film director Sydney Pollack dies

Acclaimed US director dies of cancer at his home in Los Angeles.

sydney pollack US film director obit
Pollack directed more than 30 films  [GALLO/GETTY]

He also directed “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” and “Tootsie” with Dustin Hoffman, both of which he received best director nominations for, and “The Firm” with Tom Cruise.
 
Long career

 
Throughout a career spanning five decades, Pollack was also an accomplished producer and actor, starring in Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut” with Cruise and, more recently, “Michael Clayton” with George Clooney.

Pollack’s illness became known after he pulled out of directing a film in August 2007 for unspecified health reasons.

Leslee Dart, Pollack’s agent, told the Reuters news agency that he had been diagnosed with cancer about 10 months ago, although doctors were never able to determine the primary source of the disease.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters. His son, Steven died in a plane crash in 1993, the New York Times said.

Source: News Agencies