Sydney Pollack has died of cancer, aged 73.

The Oscar-winning director lost his 10-month battle with the deadly disease on Monday at his home is Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.

Pollack won critical acclaim and two Academy Awards for his epic romance Out Of Africa starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. The 1985 movie garnered a staggering 11 nominations and won seven including Best Picture.

He was also famed for directing 1973 classic The Way We Were and 1982's Tootsie starring Dustin Hoffman.

While best remembered as a director, Pollack started out as an actor and continued to perform throughout his career, most recently appearing alongside George Clooney in last year's 2007 Oscar-winning picture Michael Clayton.