Newton Thomas Sigel, ASC (born August 1955; sometimes credited as Tom Sigel) is an American cinematographer[1] best known for his collaborations with director Bryan Singer on films like The Usual Suspects, Valkyrie, and the X-Men film franchise. He has also worked with filmmakers like Haskell Wexler, Mike Newell, David O. Russell, Terry Gilliam, Alan Ball, Robert Redford, and Nicolas Winding Refn. He is a BAFTA Award, Independent Spirit Award, Critics' Choice Award, and Satellite Award nominee.
Newton Thomas Sigel | |
|---|---|
 Sigel in 2023 | |
| Born | August 1955 (age 68) |
| Occupation | Cinematography |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Known for | |
| Spouse | Lisa Chang |
Life and career
editSigel was born in Detroit, Michigan,[2] and studied painting in New York City,[1] becoming an artist-in-residence at the Whitney Museum of American Art.[1] He began his career working with experimental filmmaker Kenneth Anger as a camera operator.[1] Becoming a documentary filmmaker, he shot a number of projects filming, including El Salvador: Another Vietnam, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. His photography caught the attention of DP Haskell Wexler,[1] and the two spent several years developing what would become the 1985 film Latino, his first feature film as director of photography.[1]
Sigel worked mostly on television films and as a second unit DP throughout the 1980s before shooting the comedy film Rude Awakening. He regularly served under Robert Richardson on films like Platoon and The Doors. Starting with The Usual Suspects, he has become the regular cinematographer of director Bryan Singer.
Personal life
editSigel is Jewish[3] and married to Lisa Chang.[1] His father, Irving Sigel, was a psychologist who worked for the Educational Testing Service. His mother, Roberta Sigel, was a professor at Rutgers who studied gender and politics.
Filmography
editCinematographer
editFilm
editShort film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Suspicious | David Koepp | |
| 2001 | Ambush | John Frankenheimer | Segment of The Hire |
| 2004 | Keep Right | Tim Godsall | |
| 2005 | The Big Empty | Himself Lisa Chang | |
| 2013 | Happy Birthday | Brett Ratner | Segment of Movie 43 |
| 2018 | Arcade Fire: Money + Love | David Wilson | With Christophe Collette |
Television
editTV movies
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Home Fires | Michael Toshiyuki Uno | With Rick F. Gunter |
| Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Pat Hobby Teamed with Genius | Rob Thompson | ||
| Tales from the Hollywood Hills: A Table at Ciro's | Leon Ichaso | ||
| 1988 | Perfect People | Bruce Seth Green | |
| 1989 | Roe vs. Wade | Gregory Hoblit | |
| 1990 | Rock Hudson | John Nicolella | |
| Challenger | Glenn Jordan | ||
| Turner & Hooch | Donald Petrie | TV pilot | |
| Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter | Percy Adlon | Segment "So In Love" | |
| A Promise to Keep | Rod Holcomb | ||
| 1991 | Murder in High Places | John Byrum | |
| 1993 | Daybreak | Stephen Tolkin | |
| 1994 | A Time to Heal | Michael Toshiyuki Uno |
TV series
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Great Performances | Paul Bogart | Episode "Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Natica Jackson" |
| 1988 | The Wonder Years | Steve Miner Carol Black Neal Marlens Jeffrey D. Brown | 3 episodes |
| 1999 | Cop Rock | Gregory Hoblit | Episode "Pilot" |
| 2004 | House | Bryan Singer | Episode "Pilot" |
| 2015 | Battle Creek | Episode: "The Battle Creek Way" | |
| 2017 | The Gifted | Episode "eXposed" | |
| 2023 | Citadel | Himself Jessica Yu | 4 episodes |
Documentary works
editFilm
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | We Are the Guinea Pigs | Joan Harvey | With Mark Benjamin, Tom Houghton, Tom Hurwitz and Peter Schnall |
| 1981 | El Salvador: Another Vietnam | Glenn Sillber Teté Vasconcellos | |
| 1983 | When the Mountains Tremble | Himself Pamela Yates | |
| 1988 | Inheritance | William Donovan | |
| 1990 | Teatro! | Edward Burke Ruth Shapiro Pamela Yates |
Short film
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Atomic Artist | Glenn Silber |
TV movie
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Oliver Stone: Inside Out | Steven Fischler Joel Sucher | With Martin D. Toub |
TV series
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | American Masters | Steven Fischler Joel Sucher | Episode "Martin Scorsese Directs" |
Director
editDocumentary film
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Resurgence: The Movement for Equality vs. the Ku Klux Klan | Co-directed with Pamela Yates |
| 1983 | When the Mountains Tremble |
TV movie
- Point of Origin (2001)
TV series
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2004-2006 | House | Episodes "Maternity" and "Lines in the Sand" |
| 2023 | Citadel | 6 episodes (Co-directed 2 episodes with Jessica Yu) |
Other credits
editCamera operator
| Year | Title | Director | DoP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Lucifer Rising[4] | Kenneth Anger | Chris O'Dell |
2nd unit director of photography
| Year | Title | Director | DoP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Platoon | Oliver Stone | Robert Richardson |
| 1987 | Dead of Winter | Arthur Penn | Jan Weincke |
| Matewan | John Sayles | Haskell Wexler | |
| Wall Street | Oliver Stone | Robert Richardson | |
| 1991 | The Doors | ||
| 1995 | Casino | Martin Scorsese | |
| 2010 | Eat Pray Love | Ryan Murphy |
Additional photography
Awards and nominations
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL". www.cinematographers.nl. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ Newton Thomas Sigel Biography) at radaris.com
- ^ "Valkyrie director faces Jewish past while filming in Berlin." Schleier, Curt. www.jweekly.com The Jewish News of Northern California.Published December 19, 2008. Accessed December 28, 2017.
- ^ "The ASC – American Cinematographer: Road Warriors". theasc.com.