US actor and director Sydney Pollack has died at the age of 73, an agent says.
Pollack died of cancer at his home in Pacific Palisades today surrounded by his family, his agent Leslee Dart said.
Pollack's biggest success was the 1985 film Out of Africa starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, which won Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture.
Pollack's other notable films include the comedy Tootsie starring Dustin Hoffman and the romantic film The Way We Were, which paired Redford and Barbra Streisand.
He also starred in George Clooney's film Michael Clayton, and took cameo acting roles in productions as diverse as The Player, The Sopranos, and most recently Made of Honor, but spent more time behind the camera directing, from TV's The Fugitive to cinema's The Interpreter.
He was executive producer of almost 50 films.
Pollack's illness came to public attention after he withdrew in August 2007 as the director an HBO television movie for unspecified health reasons. He was diagnosed with cancer about 10 months ago, Dart said, adding that doctors were never able to determine the primary source of the disease.
He is survived by his wife and two daughters. Services will be private, Dart said.
