American Cinematographer - February 2019 - 77

IN MEMORIAM
Tony Askins, ASC, 1943-2018

Emmy-winning cinematographer
Tony Askins, ASC died the morning of
Nov. 4 at the age of 75.
Born on July 21, 1943, Monroe P.
"Tony" Askins Jr. was a Hollywood
legacy. His father, Monroe P. Askins Sr.,
ASC, was a top cinematographer wellknown for shooting such television
series as Gunsmoke, Peyton Place, Sea
Hunt and The Munsters. The senior
Askins would eventually propose his
son for membership in the ASC - as
would fellow ASC members Philip H.
Lathrop and Emil Oster - and the
younger Askins would be welcomed
into the Society in November 1987. By
that point, he had been working in the
motion-picture industry for 20 years,
starting as a film loader at CBS Studio
Center before becoming a camera
assistant.
As he climbed the ranks from
assistant to operator, Askins worked for a number of ASC
members, including Lathrop, Joe Biroc, Richard C. Glouner, Jacques
Marquette and Richard Moore. He was eventually assigned as
director of photography on producer Aaron Spelling's ABC series
The Love Boat, and would shoot more than 70 episodes of the
long-running show.
"In a six-year period we covered most of the world," Askins
told AC. "I was fortunate enough to see how films are made in
other countries."
He later photographed The Colbys, Hotel, and several other
Spelling productions, as well as the series Perfect Strangers, Step by
Step, Love & Money and According to Jim. He would also shoot the
pilots for such shows as Becker, 8 Simple Rules, Less Than Perfect
and Two and a Half Men.
The cinematographer's greatest success came with the hit
NBC comedy Will & Grace. For his expert efforts on the show,
Askins earned six Emmy nominations for Outstanding Cinematography For a Multi-Camera Series, winning four times, for the
episodes "Sons and Lovers," "A Chorus Lie," "Sex, Losers and
Videotape" and "Friends With Benefits."
Askins' first nomination came in 2000 for the episode
"Acting Out," which follows Will (Eric McCormack) and Jack (Sean
Hayes) as they go to Rockefeller Center to complain when a kiss
between two gay men scheduled to air on TV doesn't happen. The
episode was filmed in part on actual locations in New York City,
where Askins and a trimmed-down crew filmed two walk-andtalks between the actors, one at Rockefeller Plaza and the other

on Riverside Drive. "I spent quite a few
years working on locations in foreign
countries," Askins described. "I found
that one of the most important things
is just making sure everyone understands exactly what we're doing, especially if we're trying to pull off a fair
amount of work in one day, as we were
for this episode.
"You're also at the mercy of the
weather," he added. "You have to hope
that it works on your behalf, and in this
case it did. It was kind of overcast,
which made a natural silk for us. We
had to wait an hour for the light intensity to build up enough to photograph.
But we had the day pretty well planned
out, and that helped things come off
very smoothly."
In all, Askins photographed 164
episodes of Will & Grace from 19982005, after which he retired, recommending that his operator, Gary Baum, continue shooting the
show. Baum is today an ASC member, and he won a 2018 Emmy
for the recent revival of the series.
"Tony was my mentor and my friend," Baum reflects. "In all
the years, I never heard Tony raise his voice or have anything but
positive things to say. His encouragement and mentorship are
legendary for anyone who was graced by his presence. He taught
me patience and respect for all of the crafts.
"His humanity and respect for nature encompassed his
philosophy of life, which transcended all," Baum continues. "I
would not be here doing my job, or be a member of the ASC, if
it wasn't for him. I owe him a debt of gratitude for all that he has
taught me by example."
In a letter to the ASC membership regarding his retirement, Askins wrote on April 20, 2005: "I would like to thank all of
you for the friendship and kindness that you have shown me over
the years. I became a member of the ASC in 1987, and it's been
an honor to belong to such a wonderful organization. I cherish the
time we've shared together and will truly miss you all. Thank you
for all the support over the years and the strong camaraderie of
our distinguished organization.
"The motion-picture industry has been in my family as long
as I can remember," Askins noted. "It's a wonderful blessing when
a man can go to work loving what he does."
- David E. Williams

www.ascmag.com

February 2019

http://www.ascmag.com

American Cinematographer - February 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - February 2019