American cinematographer (1936–2023)
Owen Roizman
Born (1936-09-22 ) September 22, 1936Died January 6, 2023(2023-01-06) (aged 86) Occupation Cinematographer Spouse
Mona Lindholm
(
m. 1964)
Children 1 In office 1997–1998Preceded by
Victor J. Kemper Succeeded by Woody Omens
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 .
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
Roizman 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
After 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
Roizman lived in the
Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles with his wife, Mona. They had a son, Eric, who became a camera operator.
[6]
Death
Roizman died under hospice care at his home on January 6, 2023, at the age of 86.
[6]
Filmography
Other awards
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
^
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
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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
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