Owen Roizman (September 22, 1936 – January 6, 2023) was an American cinematographer, nominated five times for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
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.
Early life Roizman was raised in Brooklyn, and as a child, he wanted to be a baseball player, physicist, or mathematician. He had a tryout with the New York Yankees but contracted polio as a teenager.
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!" 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.
Career After creating several television commercials, Roizman made his feature film debut in 1970 with Stop. His second film, William Friedkin's The French Connection (1971), earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. The film set the style for many of his future films, with "gritty New York street photography" and available light.
Throughout his career, he garnered a total of five nominations for Best Cinematography.
His final film was Lawrence Kasdan's French Kiss (1995).
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. He received an Academy Honorary Award at the 9th Governors Awards ceremony in 2017.
Personal life and death Roizman lived in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles with his wife, Mona. They had a son, Eric, who became a camera operator.
On January 6, 2023, Roizman died under hospice care at his home at the age of 86.
Filmography Film Year Title Director 1970 Stop! Bill Gunn1971 The French Connection William Friedkin The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight James Goldstone1972 Play It Again, Sam Herbert Ross The Heartbreak Kid Elaine May 1973 The Exorcist William Friedkin 1974 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three Joseph Sargent1975 The Stepford Wives Bryan Forbes Three Days of the Condor Sydney Pollack 1976 The Return of a Man Called Horse Irvin Kershner Network Sidney Lumet1978 Straight Time Ulu Grosbard Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Michael Schultz 1979 The Electric Horseman Sydney Pollack 1980 The Black Marble Harold Becker1981 True Confessions Ulu Grosbard Absence of Malice Sydney Pollack Taps Harold Becker 1982 Tootsie Sydney Pollack 1985 Vision Quest Harold Becker1990 I Love You to Death Lawrence Kasdan Havana Sydney Pollack1991 The Addams Family Barry Sonnenfeld Grand CanyonLawrence Kasdan 1994 Wyatt Earp 1995 French Kiss
Short film Year Title Director 1976 Independence John Huston
Television Year Title Director Notes 1972 Liza with a Z Bob Fosse Concert film 2020 Cine Chalom Yossi Benavraham Episode "EXTRAIT DU FILM "LES TROIS JOURS DU CONDOR" DE SYDNEY POLLACK... 1975"
Ref.:
Awards and nominations Academy Awards Year Title Category Result 1971 The French ConnectionBest Cinematography 1973 The Exorcist 1976 Network 1982 Tootsie 1994 Wyatt Earp 2017Academy Honorary Award
American Society of Cinematographers Year Category Title Result Ref. 1994 Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography Wyatt Earp 1997Lifetime Achievement Award
Other awards Year Award Category Title Result Ref. 1972 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie Liza with a Z 2000 Palm Springs International Film FestivalCareer Achievement Award 2001 CamerimageLifetime Achievement Award 2011 Ojai Film FestivalLifetime Achievement Award (shared with Mitzi Gaynor)
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