John Bailey, Cinematographer and Former Academy President, Dead at 81

Bailey worked on such films as 'As Good as It Gets,' 'The Big Chill' and 'The Accidental Tourist'

John Bailey, a noted Hollywood cinematographer who served two terms as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has died. He was 81.

Bailey's death was announced by his wife, Carol Littleton, in a statement released via the Academy on Friday. ”It is with deep sadness I share with you that my best friend and husband, John Bailey, passed away peacefully in his sleep early this morning," she said.

"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.

In a joint statement of their own, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said they were "deeply saddened" by the news of Bailey's death.

“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.”

Over his nearly 50-year career, Bailey worked on more than 80 films, including As Good as It Gets, Ordinary People, The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist, Groundhog Day, In the Line of Fire and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

In 2015, he was honored by the American Society of Cinematographers with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

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 the Los Angeles Times he 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.

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Producer Michael Shamberg, who worked with Bailey on The 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."

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However, during Bailey's two-year tenure in the top post, the Academy faced a number of notable challenges, including declining ratings for its annual awards broadcast and criticism for the lack of diversity among its nominees. In addition, just two months into his presidency, the #MeToo movement was ignited by The New York Times and The New Yorker's explosive reports of sexual assault allegations against industry power player Harvey Weinstein.

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 the Associated 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 the AP.

"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.

Bailey is survived by his wife, who is an Oscar-nominated film editor and former Academy governor.

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