Newton Thomas Sigel | |
|---|---|
 Sigel in 2023 | |
| Born | August 1955 (age 68) |
| Occupation | Cinematography |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Known for | |
| Spouse | Lisa Chang |
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.
Sigel 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.
Sigel 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.
Camera 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
| Year | Title | Director | DoP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Thin Blue Line | Errol Morris | Stefan Czapsky Robert Chappell |
| 1989 | Heart of Dixie | Martin Davidson | Robert Elswit |
| Wild Orchid | Zalman King | Gale Tattersall | |
| 2013 | World War Z | Marc Forster | Ben Seresin |
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Wonder Years | Steve Miner Carol Black Neal Marlens Jeffrey D. Brown |
3 episodes |
| 1989 | Roe vs. Wade | Gregory Hoblit | TV movie |
| 1990 | Challenger | Glenn Jordan | |
| American Masters | Steven Fischler Joel Sucher |
Episode: "Martin Scorsese Directs" | |
| Cop Rock | Gregory Hoblit | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 1994 | A Time to Heal | Michael Toshiyuki Uno | TV movie |
| 2004 | House | Bryan Singer | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2015 | Battle Creek | Episode: "The Battle Creek Way" | |
| 2017 | The Gifted | Episode: "eXposed" | |
| 2023 | Citadel | Himself Jessica Yu |
Directed along with Jessica Yu and shot all episodes |
| Year | Title | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | El Salvador: Another Vietnam | Glenn Sillber Teté Vasconcellos |
| 1983 | When the Mountains Tremble | Pamela Yates |
| 1990 | American Dream | Barbara Kopple |
