Directors Guild of America president Michael Apted saluted Pollack as "the quintessential 'actor's director'," who eschewed cinematic tricks and "let the dialogue and the emotion of a scene speak for itself."
His biggest triumph was the 1985 drama, "Out of Africa." Streep played the Danish owner of a coffee plantation in Kenya, and Redford the adventurer with whom she falls in love.
Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, the film ended up with seven statuettes including Pollack's Oscars for best picture and director.
He followed that film five years later with the drama "Havana," a critical and commercial flop that also starred Redford, this time as a cynical gambler who becomes involved with a Cuban revolutionary in 1958. Other setbacks included 1995's remake of "Sabrina" and 1999's "Random Hearts."
Still, Pollack scored many more triumphs. The first of his six Oscar nominations was for directing Jane Fonda in the 1969 Depression-era drama "They Shoot Horses, Don't They."
He also received directing and producing nominations for his 1982 smash "Tootsie," which starred Dustin Hoffman as a cross-dressing actor. Pollack himself played a small but memorable role as Hoffman's agent.
In one of his more recent roles, Pollack put in a guest turn on the HBO mob drama "The Sopranos" as a former physician imprisoned for killing his family. He also had a recurring part on the NBC sitcom "Will & Grace," as actor Eric McCormack's philandering dad.
On the big screen, Pollack appeared in Robert Altman's "The Player," Robert Zemeckis' "Death Becomes Her" and Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut."
Born on July 1, 1934 in Lafayette, Indiana, Pollack sought his fortune as an actor in New York City after graduating high school. He studied under Sanford Meisner, and went on to assist the legendary acting coach. He secured acting work in television before moving behind the camera.
He made his feature directorial debut in 1965 with "The Slender Thread," starring Sidney Poitier and Anne Bancroft. By then, he had directed numerous episodes of such popular shows as "Ben Casey" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."
He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Claire; two daughters, Rebecca and Rachel; and six grandchildren. Services will be private.
