LEGACY

Owen Roizman, ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘The French Connection’ Cinematographer, Dead at 86

He died in his Encino, California, home Friday after a long battle with an unknown illness.

Cinematographer Owen Roizman, known for his work on The French Connection and The Exorcist, has died at 86 following a long battle with an illness, the American Society of Cinematographers announced Saturday. Roizman had been in hospice care since August, and died Friday in his Encino, California home. The born-and-raised New Yorker was nominated for five Academy Awards throughout his career, spanning his work in The French Connection, The Exorcist, Network, Tootsie and Wyatt Earp. Although he became a cinematic staple, Roizman initially wanted to be a New York Yankee, pivoting upon getting polio as a teen. He went on to produce his first feature film, Stop, in 1970, going on to create more than two dozen films through 1995, when he produced his final film, French Kiss. The renowned cinematographer was honored with an Academy Honorary Award in 2017.