Robert Richardson (cinematographer)
Robert Richardson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Richardson in 2026 | |
| Born | Robert Bridge Richardson August 27, 1955 Hyannis, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Education | AFI Conservatory |
| Alma mater | AFI and RISD |
| Years active | 1981–present |
Robert Bridge Richardson, ASC (born August 27, 1955) is an American cinematographer.[1]
Known for his work with Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino,[2] he explores a variety of visual styles, both with film and digital cameras.
He is one of three living people who has won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography three times,[3] along with Vittorio Storaro and Emmanuel Lubezki.
Early life and education
[edit]Richardson graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Film/Animation/Video and received his MFA from AFI Conservatory.[4] He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from The American Society of Cinematographers.[4]
Career
[edit]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 in 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.[5] 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. He 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 a visual consultant). He began a long working relationship with Martin Scorsese in 1995, with Casino. Also in 1995, he was the 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[6] 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.[7]
In 2026, a feature documentary portrait of his career titled Robert Richardson: The White Devil was selected to screen at the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival where Richardson was also honoured with the Crystal Globe For Outstanding Artistic Contribution.[8]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]Documentary
[edit]Film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Front Line | Jeff B. Harmon Christopher Wenner |
With Jacques Audrain |
| 1997 | Fast, Cheap & Out of Control | Errol Morris | |
| 1999 | Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. | ||
| 2008 | Shine a Light | Martin Scorsese | Concert film |
| Standard Operating Procedure | Errol Morris | With Robert Chappell | |
| 2011 | George Harrison: Living in the Material World | Martin Scorsese | With Martin Kenzie |
| 2017 | The Return | Erich Joiner | |
| 2021 | JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass | Oliver Stone | |
| TBA | In between Stars and Scars: Masters of Cinema | Yi Zhou | With Yi Zhou |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Desperate Dreams | Daniel J. Blackburn Maria Centrella |
TV movie |
| 1985 | America Undercover | Himself Terry Dunn Meurer |
Episode "Losin' It: Sex and the American Teenager" |
| 1987 | Unsolved Mysteries | John Cosgrove | Segment Missing...Have You Seen This Person? |
| 2021 | JFK: Destiny Betrayed | Oliver Stone | Miniseries |
Award and nominations
[edit]| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Best Cinematography | Platoon | Nominated | [11] |
| 1989 | Born on the Fourth of July | Nominated | [12] | |
| 1991 | JFK | Won | [13] | |
| 1999 | Snow Falling on Cedars | Nominated | [14] | |
| 2004 | The Aviator | Won | [15] | |
| 2009 | Inglourious Basterds | Nominated | [16] | |
| 2011 | Hugo | Won | [17] | |
| 2012 | Django Unchained | Nominated | [18] | |
| 2015 | The Hateful Eight | Nominated | [19] | |
| 2019 | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Nominated | [20] |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Best Cinematography | Platoon | Nominated | [21] |
| 2004 | The Aviator | Nominated | [22] | |
| 2009 | Inglourious Basterds | Nominated | [23] | |
| 2011 | Hugo | Nominated | [24] |
American Society of Cinematographers
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography | Born on the Fourth of July | 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 | |
Miscellaneous awards
References
[edit]- ↑ "Robert Richardson". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014.
- ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (July 6, 2026). "Robert Richardson: The White Devil review – tempestuous DoP's relationship with A-list directors laid bare". The Guardian. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
- ↑ Pavlus, John (January 2005). "High Life". American Cinematographer.
- 1 2 Silander, Liisa (February 21, 2019). "Lifetime Achievement in Cinema". Rhode Island School of Design. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
- ↑ Wise, Damon (July 5, 2026). "Robert Richardson Interview: The Three-Time Oscar Winner On Working With Oliver Stone, Predicting Tarantino's Next Move, And The Wildest Shoot He Ever Worked On – Karlovy Vary". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
- ↑ Thompson, Andrew O. (October 1997). "Desert Noir". American Cinematographer. Vol. 78, no. 10. p. 44. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
Ultimately, Richardson was unable to complete the final photography on U-Turn due to a prior commitment to director Barry Levinson's project Wag the Dog. When shooting resumed in the desert outside of Los Angeles after the winter holidays, cinematographic chores were assumed by Jeff Kimball.
- ↑ 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. Archived from the original on September 6, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- ↑ "'Robert Richardson: The White Devil' Debuts Trailer as B-Rated Boards Documentary About Tarantino, Scorsese, Stone Cinematographer". Variety. June 25, 2026. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Brad Pitt's Zombie Nightmare: Inside the Troubled 'World War Z' Production". The Hollywood Reporter. June 12, 2012.
- ↑ "Someone Important Fought To Keep Their Name Off Of World War Z, Here's Why". CINEMABLEND. February 4, 2016.
- ↑ "59th Academy Awards". Oscars.org. January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ↑ "62nd Academy Awards". Oscars.org. October 5, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ↑ "64th Academy Awards". Oscars.org. October 9, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ↑ "72nd Academy Awards". Oscars.org. April 22, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ↑ "77th Academy Awards". Oscars.org. October 5, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ↑ "82nd Academy Awards". Oscars.org. December 4, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ↑ "84th Academy Awards". Oscars.org. October 7, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ↑ "85th Academy Awards". Oscars.org. October 7, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ↑ "88th Academy Awards". Oscars.org. February 16, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ↑ "92nd Academy Awards". Oscars.org. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ↑ "40th British Academy Film Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ↑ "58th British Academy Film Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ↑ "63rd British Academy Film Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ↑ "65th British Academy Film Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ↑ "The 3rd Annual Hollywood Critics Association Awards Nominations". Hollywood Critics Association. November 25, 2019.
External links
[edit]- Robert Richardson at IMDb
- Robert Richardson at the TCM Movie Database (archived)
- American Cinematographer Magazine, interview with Robert Richardson about The Aviator
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