Actor/Director Sydney Pollack Dies of Cancer

This was surprising:

LOS ANGELES (AP) - An agent for actor and director Sydney Pollack says the Academy Award winner has died. He was 73.

Agent Leslee Dart says Pollack died of cancer Monday afternoon at his home in Pacific Palisades. She says Pollack was surrounded by family.

Pollack appeared in some of the films he directed, including the gender-bending hit "Tootsie," which starred Dustin Hoffman. Pollack won producing and directing Oscars for "Out of Africa" in 1985.

I always enjoyed his work. He even starred in a clip that used to run before movies telling you to turn off your cellphone ("Is my directing interfering with your call?").