John Bailey, iconic director of photography and former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood, died yesterday Friday at the age of 81, the Academy announced today in a statement. "It is with deep sadness that I share that my best friend and husband, John Bailey, passed away peacefully in his sleep early this morning. During John's illness we remembered how we met 60 years ago. We shared a wonderful life of film adventures and made many lasting friendships along the way. John will live forever in my heart," wrote his wife, Carol Littleton, film editor on films like Fire in the Body and E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial.
Bailey's professional career spanned nearly five decades. He began as a camera assistant in the road movie Two-Way Paved Road (1971) and later worked as a director of photography since 1978 on titles such as Ordinary People, Silverado, The Accidental Tourist, In the Line of Fire, Caught in time, As good as it gets or How to lose a guy in 10 days.
He was a member of the Cinematographers Section of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1981, serving for 15 years as Governor of the Academy and two terms as President of the Academy from 2017 to 2019, making him the first director of photography to hold that position.
Bailey replaced Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who left the presidency of the Hollywood Academy after four years in office. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the John Bailey Memorial Academy Foundation.
