Robert Richardson (cinematographer)

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Robert Richardson (cinematographer) : biography

August 27, 1955 –

Robert Bridge Richardson, ASC (born August 27, 1955) is an American cinematographer. He has won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography three times, for his work on JFK, The Aviator, and Hugo. Richardson is and has been a frequent collaborator for several directors, including Oliver Stone, John Sayles, Errol Morris, Quentin Tarantino, and Martin Scorsese. He is one of two living persons who won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography three times, the other being Vittorio Storaro.

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. 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.

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. 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 photographed 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 married to Stephanie Martin with three children from previous relationships, named Kanchan, Maya and BB. His matriarchal family currently runs the Cape Cod Sea Camps situated on the Cape Cod Bay.

Filmography as cinematographer

Year Film Director Other notes
1982 An Outpost of Progress Dorian Walker
1986 Salvador Oliver Stone Nominated: Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography
Platoon Oliver Stone Won: Independent Spirit Award for Best CinematographyNominated – Academy Award for Best CinematographyNominated – BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography
1987 Dudes Penelope Spheeris
Wall Street Oliver Stone
1988 Eight Men Out John Sayles
Talk Radio Oliver Stone Nominated: Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography
1989 Born on the Fourth of July Oliver Stone Nominated: Academy Award for Best CinematographyNominated: ASC Award
1991 The Doors Oliver Stone
City of Hope John Sayles
JFK Oliver Stone Won: Academy Award for Best CinematographyNominated: ASC Award
1992 A Few Good Men Rob Reiner Nominated: ASC Award
1993 Heaven & Earth Oliver Stone Nominated: ASC Award
1994 Natural Born Killers Oliver Stone
1995 Nixon Oliver Stone
Casino Martin Scorsese
1997 U Turn Oliver Stone
Fast, Cheap and Out of Control Errol Morris
Wag the Dog Barry Levinson
1998 The Horse Whisperer Robert Redford Nominated: ASC Award
1999 Snow Falling on Cedars Scott Hicks Nominated: Academy Award for Best CinematographyNominated: ASC Award
Bringing Out the Dead Martin Scorsese
2001 Powder Keg Alejandro González Iñárritu short film
2002 The Four Feathers Shekhar Kapur
2003 Kill Bill: Vol. 1 Quentin Tarantino
2004 Kill Bill: Vol. 2 Quentin Tarantino
The Aviator Martin Scorsese Won: Academy Award for Best CinematographyNominated: ASC AwardNominated: BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography
2006 The Good Shepherd Robert De Niro Nominated: ASC Award
2008 Shine a Light Martin Scorsese
Standard Operating Procedure Errol Morris
2009 Inglourious Basterds Quentin Tarantino Nominated – Academy Award for Best CinematographyNominated – ASC AwardNominated – BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography
2010 Shutter Island Martin Scorsese
Eat Pray Love Ryan Murphy
2011 Living in the Material World: George Harrison Martin Scorsese
Hugo Martin Scorsese Won – Academy Award for Best CinematographyNominated – ASC AwardNominated – BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography
2012 Django Unchained Quentin Tarantino Nominated – Academy Award for Best Cinematography