Adam Greenberg

Adam Greenberg, A.S.C. (; April 11, 1937 – October 31, 2025) was an Israeli-American cinematographer.

Greenberg was noted for his work in Israeli and American productions, including several action films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, most notably the first two Terminator movies, which the sequel earned him a nomination at the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

In 1999, he was a member of the jury at the 21st Moscow International Film Festival.

Life and career Greenberg was raised in Tel Aviv. He began work as a film lab technician in 1958. While working as a newsreel and cameraman in the early 1960s, he worked with filmmaker David Perlov on his 33-minute documentary In Jerusalem (בירושלים, Be-Yerushalayim).

His first job as director of photography came in the form of The Flying Matchmaker, an Israeli musical film based on an operetta by Abraham Goldfaden. The film was selected as the Israeli entry into the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, but was ultimately not nominated. Greenberg shot several well-received and popular films in Israel, soon becoming one of the most noteworthy individuals in the country's film industry, beginning a long-term collaboration with prolific filmmaking duo Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus. Their coming-of-age comedy drama Lemon Popsicle was a massive success, quickly becoming the highest-grossing film in Israeli history and spawning numerous sequels and spin-offs. Greenberg's first American film was the 1980 World War II epic, shot on location in Israel and Ireland, The Big Red One. Afterwards, Greenberg emigrated to the United States, gaining citizenship three years later. Though he worked almost exclusively in Hollywood thereafter, he continued to work with Golan-Globus for years.

In 1982, Greenberg shot The Last American Virgin, an English-language remake of Lemon Popsicle with much of the same creative team. The film failed to match the same level of success as its predecessor however, and the planned sequels failed to materialize. Two years later, he shot the James Cameron-directed science fiction action film The Terminator, which became an unexpected success with both critics and audiences, spawning a highly-profitable franchise and propelling its star Arnold Schwarzenegger to film stardom. Greenberg went on to become a highly prolific director of photography, working primarily in the comedy and thriller genres. Some of these films include the military action film Iron Eagle, the cult vampire Western Near Dark, the neo-noir science fiction thriller Alien Nation, the Best Picture-nominated romantic fantasy film Ghost, Three Men and a Baby, and Sister Act.

In 1991, Greenberg worked with James Cameron on Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the sequel to The Terminator. It was a massive success both critically and financially, winning four Academy Awards (Best Makeup, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Visual Effects), as well as two BAFTAs. The film earned over $519 million worldwide and remains one of the highest grossing films of all time. Greenberg received an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography for his work on the film. This was his second time working with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the two went on to collaborate several more times with Junior, Eraser, and Collateral Damage.

Greenberg's last film had him returning to his native Israel with Footsteps in Jerusalem, an homage to David Perlov that combined In Jerusalem with nine other short documentaries as a means to explore the massive changes Jerusalem has undergone through the decades.

He re-teamed with director James Cameron to oversee the 3-D conversion of Terminator 2 in 2017.

Greenberg died in Los Angeles on October 31, 2025, at the age of 88.

Filmography Film Short film Year Title Director Notes 1963 In Jerusalem David Perlov Documentary short1967 Avraham Heffner Theatre in Israel David Perlov Documentary short

Feature film

Television Year Title Director Notes 1970–1973 Lool Boaz DavidsonUri Zohar 1982 The New Odd Couple Joel Zwick 4 episodes

TV movies Year Title Director 1979 Mary and Joseph: A Story of Faith Eric Till1982 A Woman Called Golda Alan Gibson Remembrance of Love Jack Smight

Accolades Year Award Nomination Title Result 1990 American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography Ghost 1991 Academy Awards Best CinematographyTerminator 2: Judgment Day American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography British Society of Cinematographers Best Cinematography Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Cinematography