Roizman was a member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) and served as president of the group from 1997 to 1998. The news was confirmed by the ASC.
“We are deeply sorry to hear that cinematographer Owen Roizman, ASC passed away at the age of 86 after a long illness.” read the Instagram post.
During his career, Roizman was nominated five times for an Academy Award. While working with William Friedkin on The French Connection, he was nominated for the first time.
We are deeply sorry to hear that cinematographer Owen Roizman, ASC has passed away at the age of 86 after a long illness. Nominated five times for his camera work, he received an honorary Academy Award in 2017 for his contributions to cinema. We are preparing a full memorial. pic.twitter.com/mYSvXH7GwF
— American cinematographer (@AmericanCine) January 7, 2023
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2011, Roizman talked about how Friedkin got him the job. The French Connection was only his second film, but Friedkin had seen Stop, where he had previously worked.
Friedkin said, “I like your work in that; what I want to do … what I want it to be is a kind of realistic street photography.” I said, ‘Why not? I should be able to do anything you tell me. I’m a cameraman.’ He liked my attitude, ‘ he said.
In 1973 he worked again with Friedkin on The Exorcist, which also received a nomination for Best Cinematography. The artist would also be nominated for an Oscar for his work on Sidney Lumet’s Network, Sydney Pollack’s Tootsie and Lawrence Kasdan’s Wyatt Earp. In 2017, Roizman received an Academy Honorary Award.
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Roizman was born in New York City on September 22, 1936, and he grew up there. As a child, he wanted to be a baseball player and even tried out for the New York Yankees.
When he was a teenager, however, he contracted polio. His father worked as a cameraman for Movietone News and later joined MPO Videotronics to help cameraman Gerald Hirschfeld.
For me, Owen Roizman was number one. RIP 😢 pic.twitter.com/HiQSR0Glkb
— Sean Bakker (@Lilfilm) January 7, 2023
He also starred in The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight (1971), Play It Again, Sam (1972) by Herbert Ross, The Heartbreak Kid (1972) by Elaine May, and The Addams Family by Barry Sonnenfeld.
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