Robert Richardson

Robert Richardson
Born	August 27, 1955 (1955-08-27) (age 54) Hyannis, Massachusetts
Occupation	Cinematographer
Years active	1982—present
Title	ASC
Awards	Academy Award for Best Cinematography The Aviator 2004 Academy Award for Best Cinematography JFK 1991

Robert Bridge Richardson, ASC (born August 27, 1955) is an American cinematographer. He has won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography twice, for his work on JFK and The Aviator. Richardson is a frequent collaborator with director Oliver Stone.

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. Before earning the Best Cinematography Academy Award for work on Stone's JFK, Robert Richardson worked 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). 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 work in El Salvador 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.

Martin Scorsese called on Richardson when he was preparing to direct Casino (1995). In 1991 Richardson won the first of his Best Cinematography Academy Awards for 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, beginning with Casino. In 1995 he was cinematographer on Stone's Nixon. In 1997 Richardson produced 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.

He is divorced with three children, named Kanchan, Maya and BB. His matriarchal family currently runs the Cape Cod Sea Camps situated on the Cape Cod Bay.

Filmography as Cinematographer

External links

• Robert Richardson at the Internet Movie Database
• Robert Richardson at the TCM Movie Database
• American Cinematographer Magazine, interview with Robert Richardson about The Aviator

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