Owen Roizman (September 22, 1936 – January 6, 2023) was an American cinematographer. He received five Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography, for the films The French Connection (1971), The Exorcist (1973), Network (1976), Tootsie (1982), and Wyatt Earp (1994). He served on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was president of the American Society of Cinematographers.
Owen Roizman | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 22, 1936 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | January 6, 2023 (aged 86) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Spouse |
Mona Lindholm (m. 1964) |
| Children | 1 |
| President of the American Society of Cinematographers | |
| In office 1997–1998 | |
| Preceded by | Victor J. Kemper |
| Succeeded by | Woody Omens |
His first feature film was Stop (1970), and several other notable credits include The Heartbreak Kid (1972), Three Days of the Condor (1975), Absence of Malice (1981), True Confessions (1981), The Addams Family (1991), and Grand Canyon (1991).[1] He is known for his "gritty" style and received an Academy Honorary Award in 2017.
Early life
editRoizman was raised in Brooklyn,[2] and as a child, he wanted to be a baseball player, physicist, or mathematician.[3] He had a tryout with the New York Yankees but contracted polio as a teenager.[4] His father, Sol, was a cameraman for Movietone News, and upon hearing about the film industry's possible wages, Roizman decided, "I'm going for the money!"[3] He began working during summer breaks at a camera rental store in New York City and later was an assistant to cinematographer Gerald Hirschfeld at MPO Videotronics.[5]
Career
editAfter creating several television commercials, Roizman made his feature film debut in 1970 with Stop.[1] His second film, William Friedkin's The French Connection (1971), earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography.[2] The film set the style for many of his future films, with "gritty New York street photography" and available light.[5]
Throughout the 1970s, he also worked on Play It Again, Sam (1972), The Heartbreak Kid (1972), The Exorcist (1973), Three Days of the Condor (1975), and Network (1976), among others, garnering Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography for The Exorcist and Network.[2] Roizman received two more Academy Award nominations, for Wyatt Earp (1994) and Tootsie (1982). His final film was Lawrence Kasdan's French Kiss (1995).[4]
Roizman was a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 2002 to 2011, representing the Cinematographers Branch, and was a member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). Roizman was ASC president from 1997 to 1998 and served on its board.[5] He received an Academy Honorary Award at the 9th Governors Awards ceremony in 2017.[1]
Roizman was known for collaborating with film directors William Friedkin, Sydney Pollack, and Lawrence Kasdan.
Personal life
editRoizman lived in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles with his wife, Mona. They had a son, Eric, who became a camera operator.[6]
Death
editRoizman died under hospice care at his home on January 6, 2023, at the age of 86.[6]
Filmography
editOther awards
edit| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | American Society of Cinematographers | Lifetime Achievement Award | Won[7] |
| 2000 | Palm Springs International Film Festival | Career Achievement Award | Won |
| 2001 | Camerimage | Lifetime Achievement Award | Won |
| 2011 | Ojai Film Festival | Lifetime Achievement Award (shared with Mitzi Gaynor) | Won[14] |
References
edit- ^ a b c "The Academy to Honor Charles Burnett, Owen Roizman, Donald Sutherland and Agnès Varda with Oscars at 2017 Governors Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. September 6, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
- ^ a b c Rottenberg, Josh (November 10, 2017). "Q&A Cinematographer Owen Roizman, a 2017 honorary Oscar winner, looks back on his career". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
- ^ a b Harris, Will (November 10, 2017). "Owen Roizman Followed Family Footsteps for Legendary Hollywood Career". Variety. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
- ^ a b Cohen, Sandy (November 7, 2017). "In Retirement, Owen Roizman Discovers Digital Photos, Oscar". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
- ^ a b c Williams, David E. (September 6, 2017). "Owen Roizman, ASC Among 2017 Honorary Oscar Recipients". The American Society of Cinematographers. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Barnes, Mike (January 7, 2023). "Owen Roizman, Cinematographer on 'The French Connection' and 'The Exorcist,' Dies at 86". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c Dagan, Carmel (January 7, 2023). "Owen Roizman, Cinematographer of 'The Exorcist' and 'Network,' Dies at 86". Variety. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ Thompson, Howard (23 December 1971). "'Gang That Couldn't' Opens Here". The New York Times.
- ^ Dorr, John H. (2 October 2016). "'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three': THR's 1974 Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ Muir, John Kenneth (2007). Horror Films of the 1970s. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 371. ISBN 978-0-786-49156-8.
- ^ "Filming Independence Where It Happened". American Society of Cinematographers. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Variety. January 1978. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ Canby, Vincent (25 September 1981). "'True Confessions' with De Niro and Duvall". The New York Times. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ "Owen Roizman, ASC honored by Ojai Film Festival". Ojai Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2014-05-12. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
External links
edit- Owen Roizman at IMDb