Jordan Cronenweth

Who was Jordan Cronenweth?

Jordan Scott Cronenweth was an American cinematographer based in Los Angeles. He worked on numerous classic films, including Gable and Lombard, Brewster McCloud, and Altered States, but is perhaps best known for Blade Runner.

Cronenweth was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1978. He continued working despite pain for 13 years. His work on Blade Runner won the Best Cinematography Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and got a BSC Award nomination and BAFTA Film Award. He won a 1987 ASC Award and earned an Academy Award nomination for Peggy Sue Got Married.

Cronenweth was initially hired as the director of photography for the film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension but halfway through production producers replaced him with Fred J. Koenekamp.

He was also replaced two weeks into the production of Alien³ after falling ill, and died in 1996. He and his wife Carol had three children, Christie Cronenweth, Tim Cronenweth, and cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth.

A 2003 poll of his peers conducted by the International Cinematographers Guild placed Cronenweth among the ten most influential cinematographers of all time.