Sydney Pollack was born on July 1, 1934, in Lafayette, Indiana, USA. His mother, named Rebecca Pollack, divorced from his father, named David Pollack, an alcoholic, who died at age 37, when Sydney Pollack was 16.

From 1952-1954 young Pollack studied acting with Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York. From 1954-1959 he taught acting at Neighbourghood Playhouse. In 1958, Pollack married his former student Claire Griswold. They had three children. Their son, Steven Pollack, died in a plane crash on November 26, 1993, in Santa Monica, California. Their daughter, Rebecca Pollack, served as vice president of film production at United Artists during the 1990s. Their youngest daughter, Rachel Pollack, was born in 1969.

Pollack began his acting career on stage, then made his name as television director in the early 1960s. He made his big screen acting debut in War Hunt, where he met fellow actor Robert Redford. He called on his good friend Redford to play opposite Natalie Wood in This Property Is Condemned. Pollack and Redford worked together on six more films over the years. His biggest success came with Out of Africa, starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. For this film he won two Oscars: one for Best Direction and one for Best Picture. Pollack also made success in producing films such as The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Quiet American and Cold Mountain. Pollack returned to the director's chair in 2004, when he directed The Interpreter, the firs ever film shot on location at the United Nations Headquarters and within the General Assembley in New York City.
He brought a lawsuit against Danish TV after screening Three Days of the Condor 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 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 is ranked #6 and Out of Africa 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