LOS ANGELES: Five-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Allen Daviau has died of coronavirus at the age of 77.
Daviau, best known for his work on Steven Spielberg's 'E.T. the Extraterrestrial' and 'Empire of the Sun'. died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, reported Deadline.
"Allen was diagnosed about a week ago and went to West Hills Hospital because of underlying conditions. In the last few days, as his condition went downhill and it was clear that he wasn't going to survive, his friends and healthcare advocates and our staff worked to bring him back to MPTF, because he wanted to die at home. This had been his home for the last eight years," Bob Beitcher, MPTF president and CEO said.
Daviau, a native of New Orleans, was nominated for best cinematography Academy Awards for Spielberg movies 'The Color Purple', 'Empire of the Sun' and 'E.T.the Extraterrestrial' and also two Barry Levinson films, 'Avalon' and 'Bugsy'.
Spielberg also released a statement following Daviau's demise.
'In 1968, Allen and I started our careers side by side with the short film Amblin. Allen was a wonderful artist but his warmth and humanity were as powerful as his lens. He was a singular talent and a beautiful human being,' the filmmaker said.
Daviau's other credits include John Schlesinger's 'The Falcon and the Snowman', Albert Brooks' 'Defending Your Life' and Peter Weir's 'Fearless'.
One of his final films was 2004's 'Van Helsing'. Art Directors Guild honored Daviau with its lifetime achievement award in 1997, while the American Society of Cinematographers bestowed him with the honor in 2007.
He also served as Cinematographer-in-Residence at the University of California, Los Angeles.