Oscar winner Andrew Lesnie dies

The Oscar-winning cinematographer, Andrew Lesnie, who filmed Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and three “Hobbit” movies, died on Monday after suffering from a heart attack. He was 59. Jackson posted a message for Andrew Lesnie on Facebook :

“Being an only child, I grew up wondering what it would be like to have a brother. Andrew was an irreplaceable part of my family and I am in total disbelief that I’ll never again hear his infectious laugh, nor benefit from his quiet wisdom, or enjoy his generous praise. Andrew created unforgettable, beautiful images on screen, and he did this time and again, because he only ever served what he believed in - he was his own artist, separate from me, but always working generously to make what we were trying to create together better. Dearest Andrew, you never sought nor wanted praise - you never needed to hear how good you were, you only ever cared about doing great work and respecting the work of others - you are one of the great cinematographers of our time.”

Lesnie shot eight features with Jackson - the six J. R. R. Tolkien movies plus King Kong (2005) and The Lovely Bones (2009). His most recent foray into Hollywood was 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes. He began his career as a camera assistant on the low-budget horror film Patrick in 1978. He was inducted into the Australian Cinematographers Society Hall of Fame in 2002.

Source: news.com.au