Sydney Pollack
Sydney Pollack (1934–2008) was an American director, producer, and actor whose long career across studio Hollywood made him one of the most reliable craftsmen of the post-classical era. Trained as an actor at the Neighborhood Playhouse and an early television director, he turned to feature direction in the mid-1960s and built a body of work around mature star vehicles, complex political and emotional questions, and an unfussy visual confidence. His acclaimed films include They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We Were, Three Days of the Condor, Tootsie, Out of Africa (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director), The Firm, Sabrina, and The Interpreter.