What Was Oscar-Winning Filmmaker and Actor Sydney Pollack's Net Worth?

Sydney Pollack directed several critically acclaimed films such as “Out of Africa,” and "Tootsie"

PUBLISHED JAN 22, 2024

Sydney Pollack during 2006 Cannes Film Festival | Getty Images | Photo by David Lodge

Name	Sydney Pollack
Net worth	$18 million (at the time of death)
Salary	N/A
Annual income	N/A
Sources of income	Directing, acting, producing
DOB	July 1, 1934
Age	73
Gender	Male
Nationality	United States of America
Profession	Film director, producer, actor

Sydney Pollack's Net Worth At The Time of his Death

Film director, producer, and actor, Sydney Pollack had an estimated net worth of $18 million at the time of his death in 2008, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Pollack is one of the greatest directors who has created acclaimed films such as “Out of Africa,” "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?," "Tootsie," and "The Firm”.

Out of these, “Out of Africa” won him the Academy Award for Best Director, and “They Shoot Horses, Don't They?” received nine Oscar nominations. The latter also holds the record for getting the most nominations without getting recognition in the Best Picture category.

Sydney Pollack clutches two handfulls of Oscar statuettes | Getty Images

Sources of Income

Early Career and Army Service

Pollack was born in Lafayette, Indiana to Russian-Jewish immigrants David and Rebecca. After his parents divorced, Pollack moved with his mother to South Bend. He moved to New York City after high school. He studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.

However, from 1956 to 1958, Pollack served in the US Army. He returned to the Neighborhood Playhouse to become an assistant to his acting teacher.

Career in Film Directing

Pollack worked as a dialogue coach for the child actors in Frankenheimer's film "The Young Savages." There he met actor Burt Lancaster, who urged him to try his hand at directing. He successfully directed episodes of television shows such as "The Fugitive," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," and "Ben Casey."

He made the transition to film directing in 1965 and debuted with the feature-length film, "The Slender Thread," starring Anne Bancroft and Sidney Poitier. His second film was 1966's "This Property is Condemned," starring Natalie Wood and Robert Redford.

He directed two more films "The Scalphunters" and the war film "Castle Keep," before working on one of his most critically acclaimed films, "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?”. The film starring Jane Fonda earned nine Academy Award nominations, including Pollack's first for Best Director.

Pollack continued to give hits throughout the 70s. In the 80s, Pollack ventured into neo-noir with the 1981 film, "Absence of Malice," starring Paul Newman and Sally Field. The following year he created the biggest commercial hit of his career, the romantic comedy "Tootsie," starring Dustin Hoffman. The film became the second-highest-grossing film of 1982, and received 10 Academy Award nominations.

After that, Pollack finally won the Best Director award for his next film, the 1985 epic romantic drama "Out of Africa." Starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, the film also won the Oscar for Best Picture.

Best Actor William Hurt, Best Supporting Actress Anjelica Houston, Best Actress Geraldine Page and Best Director Sydney Pollack pose with their Oscars | Getty Images

Pollack started the 90s by reuniting with Redford for "Havana," a drama based on the eve of the Cuban Revolution. He then directed the legal thriller "The Firm," starring Tom Cruise in 1993. The film was a commercial smash but Pollack’s 1995 film “Sabrina,” starring Harrison Ford was a greater success. Pollack collaborated with Ford again for the 1999 drama "Random Hearts," based on the novel by Warren Adler.

In the 21st century, Pollack had only two directing credits to his name. The first was a political thriller "The Interpreter," starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn and the second was the documentary "Sketches of Frank Gehry”, both of which released in 2005.

Career in Acting

Pollack appeared on both film and television in shows like the 50s sitcom "The Kaiser Aluminum Hour," "Playhouse 90," "Startime," and "Brenner." In the 60s, Pollack appeared in shows like "The Twilight Zone," "Have Gun – Will Travel," "The Deputy," and "The New Breed."

His film acting debut came in the 1962 film "War Hunt." In the '70s and '80s, he appeared only once in a supporting role in his 1982 film "Tootsie." In the 90s, he played several memorable roles in films such as "The Player," Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives," and Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut."

In the 2000s, Pollack appeared on the television sitcom "Will & Grace," playing the father of Will. Further in 2002, he appeared in a supporting role in the film "Changing Lanes." He then went on to play roles in the films "Fauteuils orchestra" and "Michael Clayton". His final acting role was in the romcom "Made of Honor” in 2008.

Career in Production

In his career, Pollack produced several hits, including "Songwriter," "Bright Lights, Big City," "Presumed Innocent," "Sliding Doors," and "Cold Mountain." He also produced 2007's "Michael Clayton" and 2008's "The Reader”. Both films received Oscar nominations for Best Picture.

Real Estate Assets

Pollack along with his family lived in the famous Pollack family home in LA’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood. After his widow Claire passed away, the home was listed on the market for $7.9 million. The property was originally bought in 1985 for $1.8 million and over the years several renovations and expansions were done. The main mansion was built in the 1940s and was designed by famed architect Wallace Neff. As per Celebrity Net Worth, the home sold for $7.694 million.

Personal Life and Death

Pollack wed his former student Claire Griswold in 1958. The couple had three children named Steven, Rebecca, and Rachel and they remained together for 50 years till Pollack’s death. Pollack died from stomach cancer on May 26, 2008, at his home in Pacific Palisades.