An Acclaimed ‘Harry Potter’ Figure Has Died: Eduardo Serra Was 81

Portuguese cinematographer Eduardo Serra, known for his work on franchise fare like the last two Harry Potter movies and original films like M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable, has died. He was 81.

The news was announced by the Portuguese Film Academy. The cause of death was not listed.

Serra was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1943, and began his career as a cinematographer in 1976. He is the only person of Portuguese descent to be nominated for an Oscar twice: once in 1997 for his work on the Helena Bonham Carter-starring romance The Wings of The Dove, and again for his work on the 2003 drama Girl with a Pearl Earring starring Scarlett Johansson.

Most of his work was on European films, particularly from Britain and France. His two most frequent collaborators were the famous French New Wave directors Patrice Leconte and Claude Chabrol.

However, he did work on several American films, like the 1998 drama What Dreams May Come starring Robin Williams, 2000’s Unbreakable, the 2004 Bobby Darin biopic Beyond the Sea, and two collaborations with Edward Zwick: Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and Defiance, starring Daniel Craig.

After his work on Defiance, he was tapped by Harry Potter director David Yates to serve as cinematographer on the last two films of the series, Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Marek Żydowicz, producer and director of the Camerimage festival, honored Serra via a post on his Instagram page. The caption read, “Eduardo was a warm, humble, and devoted friend of the festival. He visited us many times, always capturing the attention of students, young artists, and masters of the camera. His knowledge, sensitivity, and extraordinary mastery of light delighted his colleagues in the film industry as well as audiences around the world. Meetings and conversations with him were both enlightening and inspiring.”