Robert Richardson (cinematographer)
Robert Bridge Richardson, ASC (born August 27, 1955) is an American cinematographer.[1] He has won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography three times, for his work on JFK, The Aviator,[2] and Hugo. Richardson is and has been a frequent collaborator for several directors, including Oliver Stone, John Sayles, Errol Morris, Quentin Tarantino, and Martin Scorsese. He is one of three living persons who has won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography three times, the others being Vittorio Storaro and Emmanuel Lubezki.
Robert Richardson | |
|---|---|
 Richardson in 2019 | |
| Born | Robert Bridge Richardson August 27, 1955 Hyannis, Massachusetts, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | AFI Conservatory |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Years active | 1982—present |
| Title | ASC |
| Spouse(s) | Monona Wali Katrin Haberstock Stephanie Martin |
| Children | Kanchan Wali-Richardson Maya Wali Richardson Bibi Haberstock Richardson Madeleine Martin Richardson |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Cinematography JFK, 1991 The Aviator, 2004 Hugo, 2011 |
Life and career
Richardson was born in Hyannis, Massachusetts. He graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Film/Animation/Video and received his MFA from AFI Conservatory. Richardson's work began as a camera operator and 2nd unit photographer on such features as Alex Cox's Repo Man, Dorian Walker's Making the Grade and Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street (all in 1984). At the same time he also served as cinematographer on TV documentaries and docudramas such as America, America for The Disney Channel, God's Peace for the BBC and PBS' The Front Line: El Salvador. His television work and documentary style filmmaking led to his meeting Oliver Stone, who hired him to "shoot" Salvador (1986).
Oliver Stone's major motion picture debut was also Richardson's first film as director of photography. Salvador was also filmed the same year as Stone's Platoon. Platoon would earn Richardson his first Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography. In 1987, Richardson reteamed with Stone on Wall Street. In 1988, he filmed Eight Men Out for John Sayles. In 1989, he earned his second Best Cinematography Oscar nomination for Stone's Born on the Fourth of July.
In 1991, Richardson won the first of his Best Cinematography Academy Awards for his work on Stone's JFK; he also shot Stone's The Doors that same year. He worked with Sayles again in 1991 for City of Hope. In 1992, he worked as director of photography on Rob Reiner's A Few Good Men and served as a 2nd unit photographer for Haskell Wexler on To the Moon, Alice, a "Showtime 30-Minute Movie" (for which he was also credited as visual consultant). He began a long working relationship with Martin Scorsese in 1995, with Casino. Also in 1995, he was cinematographer on Stone's Nixon. In 1997, Richardson photographed Errol Morris's documentary Fast, Cheap and Out of Control as well as filming the majority of Stone's U Turn and serving as director of photography for Barry Levinson's Wag the Dog.
Richardson worked on the 2013 zombie film World War Z, but asked for his name to be taken off the final product. The credited cinematographer is Ben Seresin.[3]
Richardson has four children, Kanchan, Maya, Bibi and Madeleine. His family currently runs the Cape Cod Sea Camps situated on the Cape Cod Bay.
Filmography
Film
 |
Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Documetary films
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Front Line | Jeff B. Harmon Christopher Wenner |
|
| 1999 | Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. | Errol Morris | |
| 2008 | Standard Operating Procedure | ||
| 2011 | George Harrison: Living in the Material World | Martin Scorsese | |
Awards
Academy Awards
| Year | Film | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Platoon | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1989 | Born on the Fourth of July | Nominated | |
| 1991 | JFK | Won | |
| 1999 | Snow Falling on Cedars | Nominated | |
| 2004 | The Aviator | Won | |
| 2009 | Inglourious Basterds | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Hugo | Won | |
| 2012 | Django Unchained | Nominated | |
| 2015 | The Hateful Eight | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Nominated | |
BAFTA Awards
| Year | Film | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Platoon | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 2004 | The Aviator | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Inglourious Basterds | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Hugo | Nominated | |
American Society of Cinematographers
| Year | Film | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Born on the Fourth of July | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1991 | JFK | Nominated | |
| 1992 | A Few Good Men | Nominated | |
| 1993 | Heaven & Earth | Nominated | |
| 1998 | The Horse Whisperer | Nominated | |
| 1999 | Snow Falling on Cedars | Nominated | |
| 2004 | The Aviator | Nominated | |
| 2006 | The Good Shepherd | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Inglourious Basterds | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Hugo | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Nominated | |
Satellite Awards
| Year | Film | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Snow Falling on Cedars | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 2004 | The Aviator | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Inglourious Basterds | Nominated | |
| 2010 | Shutter Island | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Hugo | Nominated | |
Other Awards
References
- "Robert Richardson". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014.
- Pavlus, John (January 2005). "High Life". American Cinematographer.
- Jagernauth, Kevin (February 3, 2016). "Watch: Robert Richardson Explains Why He Took His Name Off 'World War Z' And More In 58-Minute Cinematographer Talk". IndieWire. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- "Brad Pitt's Zombie Nightmare: Inside the Troubled 'World War Z' Production". The Hollywood Reporter.
- "Someone Important Fought To Keep Their Name Off Of World War Z, Here's Why". CINEMABLEND. February 4, 2016.
- https://www.awardscircuit.com/2019/11/25/laofcs-2019-nominations/
External links
- Robert Richardson at IMDb
- Robert Richardson at the TCM Movie Database
- American Cinematographer Magazine, interview with Robert Richardson about The Aviator
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