LONDON (Web Desk) – Legendary cinematographer Andrew Lesnie, who won an Oscar for his work on Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King, died aged 59 on Monday. He had suffered a heart attack.
Lesnie, who began his film career in 1978 as a camera assistant on cult Australian thriller Patrick, was well-known for his collaborations with Peter Jackson. He worked with the director on all six of the Lord Of The Rings and Hobbit films, winning an Oscar for his cinematography on 2002’s Return Of The King.
The cinematographer had studied film and television at Technical and Further Education South Australia (TAFE) and at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School before joining the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as a camera assistant.
The cinematographer often worked with Australian director George Miller on projects such as Mad Max: Road Warrior and the animated Happy Feet. Known for balancing technology with artistic considerations, Lesnie also shot Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), directed by Rupert Wyatt.
He was recently associated with The Water Diviner, the directorial debut of actor Russell Crowe, which opened in US theatres on Friday.
