Donald A. Morgan

Donald A. Morgan is an American cinematographer. He has won 10 Emmy Awards, including seven for Home Improvement and three for The Ranch. In 2022, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. As of 2021, he held the record for the most awarded Black person at the Emmys.

Early life Morgan was born in Philadelphia to American jazz musician Al Morgan and his wife, though the family moved to Los Angeles when his mother took a job as a pathologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. Following in his father's footsteps, Morgan was a musician, playing the stand-up bass in middle school and the bass guitar in high school.

After graduating from Alexander Hamilton High School, Morgan attended Los Angeles Trade–Technical College, where he studied graphic art and architecture.

Career One of the first Black directors of photography at a major network, Morgan started his television career in KTTV's mailroom, advancing to their lighting department. During the 1970s, he worked in Norman Lear productions such as All in the Family, The Jeffersons, and One Day at a Time. Due to the diverse casts in the shows, Morgan had to learn new techniques to appropriately and adequately provide lighting for people with varying skin tones. In 1983, he was named Director of Photography, one of the first Black people to hold such a role on a major network. Morgan went on to contribute to series such as Three's Company, Silver Spoons, Gloria, Home Improvement, Last Man Standing, The Ranch, and The Conners in addition to lighting for other programs, including Baryshnikov on Broadway and the NAACP Image Awards.

Morgan has received various honors for his work. In 1990, he received an Emmy nominated for his work on Bagdad Cafe, which was followed by seven additional Emmys for Home Improvement and three for The Ranch. He has received a total of 21 Emmy nominations, as well as the Career Achievement in Television Award from the American Society of Cinematographers. In 2022, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences inducted him into the Television Hall of Fame. He is the first director of photography to earn the latter honor.

Morgan serves as the Co–Chairman of DEI for the IA Local 600 Cinematographers Guild.

Personal life Morgan is married to Hollywood make-up artist Geneva Nash-Morgan.

Awards and honors In 2020, Morgan received the American Society of Cinematographers Career Achievement in Television Award, and in 2022, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences inducted him into the Television Hall of Fame. He is the first director of photography to earn the latter honor. +Awards for Morgan's work Year Title Award Result Ref.1990Bagdad Cafe, "Prototype" (pilot)Emmy Award for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy SeriesNominated1992Home Improvement, "Luck Be A Taylor Tonight"Emmy Award for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy SeriesWinner1993Home Improvement, "Bye Bye Birdie"Emmy Award for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy SeriesWinner1994Home Improvement, "Twas the Blight"Emmy Award for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy SeriesWinner1995Home Improvement, "My Dinner With Wilson"Emmy Award for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy SeriesWinner1996Home Improvement, "Room Without a View"Emmy Award for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy SeriesWinner1997Home Improvement, "I Was A Teenage Taylor"Emmy Award for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy SeriesNominated 1998Home Improvement, "A Night To Dismember"Emmy Award for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy SeriesWinner1999Home Improvement, "Mark's Big Break"Emmy Award for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy SeriesWinner2003Girlfriends, "Where Everyone Knows My Name"Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera SeriesNominated2011Retired at 35, "Rocket Man"Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera SeriesNominated2014Last Man Standing, "Eve's Boyfriend"Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera SeriesNominated2017, "Easy Come, Easy Go"Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera SeriesWinner2018, "Do What You Gotta Do"Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera SeriesNominated2019, "Reckless"Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera SeriesWinner2020, "It Ain't My Fault"Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera SeriesWinner2021Last Man Standing, "Time Flies"Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera SeriesNominated2021, "A Stomach Ache, a Heart Break, and a Grave Mistake"Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera SeriesNominated2021, "Big Plans"Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera SeriesNominated2022, "The Wedding of Dan and Louise"Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera SeriesNominated2024, "Fire And Vice"Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series (Half-Hour)Nominated

Filmography

Film +Morgan's roles in film Year Title Role1979Bear IslandAerial camera operator1983Off the WallCinematographer1988Rattle and HumLighting technician1992Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian StyleCinematographer2006Let Me Count the Ways (short) Cinematographer Co–executive producer

Television +Morgan's roles in television Year Title Role1979Lighting director1985227Cinematographer1985New Love American StyleLighting director1985–86Lighting designer1986Lighting director1987Changing Patterns (pilot)Lighting designer1987Marblehead MansonCinematographer1987The Pursuit of HappinessCinematographer1988Cadets (pilot)Lighting director1989Coming to AmericaCinematographer1989Homeroom Lighting consultant Lighting designer1989Lighting director1989Sister Kate Cinematographer1989Somerset Gardens (pilot)Lighting director1990Bagdad Cafe1990Hurricane Sam1990-92Lighting director1991Clippers (pilot)Cinematographer 1991In the House (pilot)Lighting director1991–99Home Improvement Cinematographer Lighting designer Lighting director1992Rachel Gunn, R.NCinematographer1992–94Where I LiveCinematographer1993Cinematographer1993Count on MeLighting designer1993 (pilot)Cinematographer1993Saved by the BellLighting director1993–94Boy Meets WorldCinematographer1994All–American GirlCinematographer1994South CentralCinematographer1994Thunder AlleyCinematographer1994-95In the HouseLighting director1994–95MartinCinematographer1994–95Cinematographer1995Cinematographer1995–96MoeshaCinematographer1996BedtimeCinematographer1996BuddiesLighting director1997Bouncers (pilot)Cinematographer1997Built to LastCinematographer1997 Cinematographer1997Life … and StuffCinematographer1997Merry Christmas, George BaileyLighting designer1997Party GirlCinematographer1997Soul Man Cinematographer1997Teen AngelCinematographer1998Brother's KeeperCinematographer1998CostelloCinematographer1998DamonCinematographer1998Linc'sCinematographer1998Oh BabyCinematographer1998Solo en AmericaLighting consultant1999–00Grown UpsCinematographer2000DaddioCinematographer2000Martha Stewart's Christmas DreamCinematographer2000Viva Vegas!Lighting consultant2000–08GirlfriendsCinematographer200132nd NAACP Image AwardsLighting designer2001RebaLighting consultant2001–05My Wife and KidsCinematographer200233rd NAACP Image AwardsLighting designer200334th NAACP Image AwardsLighting designer2003Essence AwardsLighting designer2003Lost at HomeCinematographer2003Cinematographer200435th Annual NAACP Image AwardsLighting designer2004GasCinematographer200536th Annual NAACP Image AwardsLighting designer2005Cinematographer2005StackedCinematographer2005Wild 'n OutCinematographer2005–07Cinematographer200637th NAACP Image AwardsLighting designer2006Let Me Count the Ways (short) Cinematographer Co–executive producer 200738th NAACP Image Awards Cinematographer Lighting designer2007Cinematographer2005–06StackedCinematographer2005–07The War at HomeCinematographer2008The Return of Jezebel JamesCinematographer

Donald A. Morgan

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