Renowned Hollywood Icon, Known for The X-Files and Lost, Passes Away at 78

Legendary New Zealand-born cinematographer John Bartley died on Sunday in Los Angeles, aged 78.

The Emmy Award-winning cameraman was born in Wellington in 1947, and went on to become one of film and TV’s most expressive visual storytellers.

His death was confirmed by his close friend, Australian filmmaker Polly Pierce, in a social media statement.

‘It’s with such a heavy heart to write that my long-time mentor and dear friend, the cinematographer John S Bartley ASC CSC, has passed on,’ Polly began.

‘If it wasn’t for John and his landmark work on @thexfilestv I wouldn’t be in film.’ 

Bartley’s signature dark, suspenseful filming style defined the first three seasons of The X-Files, while his work on Lost captured the vibrant, mysterious beauty of the tropics.

Both series were hugely popular worldwide, earning Bartley widespread acclaim. 

He was also the director of photography for many Hollywood movies, including the Sylvester Stallone film First Blood, Vin Diesel’s The Chronicles of Riddick and the 2014 RoboCop remake.

Across his celebrated career, Bartley earned three American Society of Cinematographers Award nominations and two Primetime Emmy nominations for The X-Files, and won the coveted award in 1996. 

He also received Emmy nominations for his work on episodes of Lost and Bates Motel.

Born to a career Army officer and a theatre cashier, Bartley faced early hardship when his father died when he was 12 years old.

He and his brother spent afternoons in their mother’s ticket booth at the theatre, where musicals and live performances first sparked his love of storytelling.

After completing high school in New Zealand, Bartley apprenticed as an electrician before moving to Sydney at age 20 to work as a lighting director in theatre and television.

He later relocated to Canada, where he began freelancing as a gaffer in Vancouver, learning from acclaimed cinematographers including Sven Nykvist, Hiro Narita, Tak Fujimoto and Bob Stevens.

By the mid-1980s, Bartley was shooting commercials and music videos, making his feature debut on the independent film Beyond the Stars, starring Martin Sheen.

His television work expanded with episodes of Roswell, 21 Jump Street, and The Commish, leading to his breakthrough with The X-Files in 1993, where he collaborated closely with series creator Chris Carter to craft the show’s eerie visual style.

Bartley’s credits spanned decades and genres, including Bates Motel, Roswell, Wu Assassins, Eight Legged Freaks, and second-unit cinematography on The Chronicles of Riddick and The X-Files: I Want to Believe movie. 

He became an ASC member in 1997, a recognition of his peerless contribution to the art of cinematography. 

Reflecting on his career, Bartley once said: ‘The best advice I can give anyone is that there is nothing easy about working in this industry. 

‘You have to love it, because it is tough on family life when you are working 70 to 80 hours a week. Not everyone can do it.’

Bartley leaves behind a legacy of visual storytelling that continues to inspire filmmakers around the world.