The Eye Behind Terminator 2: Oscar-Nominated Cinematographer Adam Greenberg Dies
Adam Greenberg, the Oscar-nominated cinematographer behind T2 and a collaborator of Barry Levinson, Ivan Reitman and James Cameron, has died.
We lost a major eye behind the camera. Adam Greenberg, the cinematographer who helped define how The Terminator and T2 look and feel, has died at 88.
From Israel to the Hollywood big leagues
Greenberg started out in Israel, building a steady career that included documentary work. The move to the U.S. in the 1980s opened the floodgates. One of his first American gigs was shooting the sex comedy The Last American Virgin, which is actually a remake of the Israeli hit Lemon Popsicle. He shot both versions for director Boaz Davidson. That early cross-continental run would be a preview of how adaptable he was, no matter the budget or genre.
The Terminator: all grit, no gloss
His real breakthrough was James Cameron's 1984 sci-fi thriller The Terminator. Greenberg gave it a neo-noir vibe but grounded it with a rough, almost documentary-style texture rooted in his early work. The scrappy production forced him to get inventive, and frankly, that pressure cooker helped make the movie look the way it does.
"This forced on me a lot of creativity. I accomplished most of what I set out to do by lighting and mood, rather than using a lot of elaborate equipment we couldn't afford. Of my four electricians, three were trainees and two had never been on a set before."
That little behind-the-scenes nugget tells you everything about why The Terminator still hits: it feels handmade, dangerous, and immediate.
T2 and the Arnold run
Greenberg reunited with Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger for 1991's T2: Judgment Day and earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination for it. Decades later, T2 is still in the conversation for best-shot action movie, period. He kept working with Schwarzenegger after that on Junior, Eraser, and Collateral Damage — very different tones, same dependable eye.
Directors knew exactly who to call
T2 put Greenberg squarely on Hollywood's radar. Barry Levinson brought him in for Toys, Ivan Reitman for Dave, Penny Marshall for Renaissance Man, and Rob Reiner for North. Are those the crown jewels of those directors' filmographies? Not really. But the fact they trusted Greenberg to execute their vision says plenty about his reputation on set.
Final feature and a timely reissue
Greenberg's last feature was 2006's Snakes on a Plane, which is getting a new 4K release from Arrow Video in January. Fitting that a movie built to be a cult item keeps finding new life in sharper form.
Selected credits and collaborations
- Lemon Popsicle (Israel) and The Last American Virgin (U.S.) — both with director Boaz Davidson
- The Terminator (1984) — James Cameron; the breakthrough, shot on ingenuity and nerve
- T2: Judgment Day (1991) — James Cameron; Academy Award nomination for cinematography
- Junior (1994), Eraser (1996), Collateral Damage (2002) — multiple collaborations with Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Toys (1992) — Barry Levinson
- Dave (1993) — Ivan Reitman
- Renaissance Man (1994) — Penny Marshall
- North (1994) — Rob Reiner
- Worked across projects for filmmakers including James Cameron, Kathryn Bigelow, and Samuel Fuller
- Snakes on a Plane (2006) — final feature; Arrow Video 4K arriving in January
Greenberg had range, taste, and the kind of problem-solving brain that makes a cinematographer invaluable. What stands out as your favorite from his filmography? Drop your picks below.