John Bailey.Photo:Isa Terli/Anadolu Agency/Getty
Isa Terli/Anadolu Agency/Getty
John Bailey, a noted Hollywood cinematographer who served two terms as president of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has died. He was 81.
“During John’s illness, we reminisced how we met 60 years ago and were married for 51 of those years,” she continued. “We shared a wonderful life of adventure in film and made many long-lasting friendships along the way. John will forever live in my heart.” The cause of his death was not disclosed.
“John was a passionately engaged member of the Academy and the film community. He served as our President and as an Academy governor for many years and played a leadership role on the Cinematographers Branch," they said. “His impact and contributions to the film community will forever be remembered. Our thoughts and support are with Carol at this time.”
John Bailey.Morgan Lieberman/WireImage
Morgan Lieberman/WireImage
Over his nearly 50-year career, Bailey worked on more than 80 films, includingAs Good as It Gets, Ordinary People,The Big Chill,The Accidental Tourist,Groundhog Day,In the Line of FireandHow to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
Bailey was a member of the Cinematographers Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1981 and also held leadership roles. He served 15 years as an Academy governor and became the first cinematographer to be elected president of the Academy in 2017.
At the time, he told theLos Angeles Timeshe was excited to dive into the role. “I love the Academy. I’ve been a member since 1981 and I just found myself slowly over the years becoming more engaged with a lot of the Academy’s programs and initiatives. It seemed like a natural development,” he said.
Producer Michael Shamberg, who worked with Bailey onThe Big Chill, told the newspaper that his former colleague was a “forward-looking choice for the job.”
“To be a cinematographer, you need three skills: you need to be an artist, you need to be a technician and you need to be a manager,” he said. “That’s a pretty good tool kit for the president of the Academy.”
John Bailey.Rodin Eckenroth/Getty
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
After its Board of Governors voted to expel Weinstein in October 2017, the Academy announced in a memo to members that it was establishing a code of ethical standards that its members must uphold, according to theAssociated Press.
Bailey later addressed the situation at the 2018 Oscars luncheon, noting that the Academy was reinventing itself in “this era of greater awareness and responsibility in balancing gender, race, ethnicity and religion," per theAP.
“I may be a 75-year-old white male, but I’m every bit as gratified as the youngest of you here that the fossilized bedrock of many of Hollywood’s worst abuses are being jackhammered into oblivion,” he told the luncheon audience.
source: people.com
