Andrew Lesnie, the legendary cinematographer known for his work on films including the “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit,” died Monday. He was 59.
The native Australian died of a heart attack after suffering from a serious
heart condition for the past six months, Variety reported.
“Words cannot express the absolute feeling of loss, particularly for his immediate family,” Ron Johanson, president of the Cinematographers Society in Australia, said in a statement.
Lesnie won an Oscar in 2002 for his work on director Peter Jackson’s “The Fellowship of the Ring.” Other films he worked on during his 40-year career include “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “I Am Legend,” and “Babe.”
His most recent film was “The Water Diviner,” directed by Russell Crowe,
which opened Friday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was inducted into the Australian Cinematographers Society Hall of Fame in 2002.
His work on “Babe” is what initially attracted the attention of Jackson, The Reporter noted.
“I’d never worked with him or even met him before, but he’d shot the 'Babe' films and I thought they looked amazing, the way he’d used backlight and the sun and natural light to create a very magical effect,”
Jackson said in 2004, according to DigitalProducer.com. “And 'Babe' had that larger-than-life feel about it that I wanted."
Memories and condolences poured in on Twitter.
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