John Toll Biography

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JOHN TOLL, ASC (Director of Photography) is one of only a few cinematographers to have the distinction of winning back-to-back Academy Awards® for Best Cinematography: he won his first in 1995 for Edward Zwick's sweeping romantic drama “Legends of the Fall,” and his second in 1996 for his work on Mel Gibson's epic drama “Braveheart,” which additionally brought him a BAFTA Award and the American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Award.

His work on Terrence Malick's World War II drama “The Thin Red Line” earned him an Oscar® nomination, an American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Award as well as a nomination from the British Society of Cinematographers. In addition, the New York Film Critics Circle and Chicago Film Critics Association presented him with awards for Best Cinematography and he received a Jury Special Mention at the Berlin Film Festival.

Toll's most recent work can be seen in his second collaboration with director Edward Zwick on “The Last Samurai” starring Tom Cruise. The film garnered huge critical acclaim and received a nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases from the American Society of Cinematographers.

“Elizabethtown” marks Toll's third project with writer/director Cameron Crowe as he previously photographed “Almost Famous” and “Vanilla Sky.” He also lensed the romantic drama “Captain Correlli's Mandolin.” Among his additional credits as a director of photography are Carroll Ballard's “Wind,” Francis Ford Coppola's “The Rainmaker,” and “Simpatico.”

Early in his career, Toll served as camera operator on some of the most memorable films of the late 1970s and 1980s including: “Norma Rae,” “Urban Cowboy,” “Scarface,” “The Falcon and the Snowman,” “Peggy Sue Got Married” and “Black Widow.” His work will next be seen in “Rise.”