Nick McLean, Sr., (born 29 May 1941), full name George Nicholas McLean, is an American cinematographer, best known for his work on the television shows ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...

'', ''

Joey Joey may refer to: People *Joey (name) Animals * Joey (marsupial), an infant marsupial * Joey, a Blue-fronted Amazon parrot who was one of the Blue Peter pets Film and television * ''Joey'' (1977 film), an American film directed by Horac ...

'', ''

Cybill ''Cybill'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, which aired on CBS from January 2, 1995, to July 13, 1998. Starring Cybill Shepherd, the show revolves around the life of Cybill Sheridan, a twice-divorced single mother of tw ...

'', and ''

Evening Shade ''Evening Shade'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from September 21, 1990, to May 23, 1994. The series stars Burt Reynolds as Wood Newton, an ex-professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who returns to ...

''.

Early life and education

McLean was born in

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...

, California, the son of George McLean and Dorothy Jane (née Scott), and raised in the

San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...

. He attended

North Hollywood High School North Hollywood High School (NHHS) is a public high school in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is located in the San Fernando Valley and enrolls approximately 2,500 students. Several neighborhoods, inc ...

. His family was highly involved in the entertainment industry. His uncle was an actor and his step-father, Fred Jackman, Jr., son of the second president of the

ASC ASC may refer to: Educational institutions * Anglican Schools Commission, Australia * Andres Soriano Colleges of Bislig, located in Surigao del Sur, Philippines * Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Georgia Organizations Australia * Australian Singing ...

, was a cinematographer. McLean attended

USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...

on a football scholarship. He then opened a pool hall and a body and fender shop in Van Nuys, California.

Career

McLean's step-father introduced him to the camera department at

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

. McLean got his first job in 1966 as a clapper boy on a television series called '' The Iron Horse''. He worked ten days during the first year and one day the next year. In 1969 McLean became a second assistant cameraman at

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

, working on many shows. The first feature film that he worked on was ''

Red Sky at Morning The common phrase "red sky at morning" is a line from an ancient rhyme often repeated by sailor, mariners: ''Kentucky Weather'', by Jerry D. Hill, 2005, p.139, web: Books-Google-ikC Red sky at night, sailors' delight. Red sky at morning, sail ...

'' with

Vilmos Zsigmond Vilmos Zsigmond ASC (; June 16, 1930 – January 1, 2016) was a Hungarian-American cinematographer. His work in cinematography helped shape the look of American movies in the 1970s, making him one of the leading figures in the American New Wave ...

, who promoted McLean to operator. He did all the aerials on his films, and also on some commercials even after he became a

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

. McLean's first movie as a cinematographer was ''

Stroker Ace Alyson Mackenzie Stroker (born June 16, 1987) is an American actress, author and singer. She is the first wheelchair-using actor to appear on a Broadway stage, and also the first to be nominated for and win a Tony Award. Stroker was a finalist on ...

''. Burt Reynolds then asked McLean to shoot ''

'', which became a highly popular sitcom. McLean continued to work on various film and television projects, as camera operator, cinematographer and director of photography. In 2002 McLean received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography in a Multicamera Series for his work on ''Friends''.

Family

McLean has an older brother, Steve McLean, who is a camera operator; a sister, Linda, who has done various acting work; a son, Nicholas S. McLean, who is a camera assistant; and a daughter, Shay McLean, who is a singer, songwriter, and actress. His wife, Karen, is an animal wrangler for films, television shows and commercials. He also has one granddaughter and two grandsons.

Filmography

Film

* 1979: ''

Cheech & Chong's Next Movie ''Cheech and Chong's Next Movie'' is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Tommy Chong and the second feature-length project by Cheech & Chong, following '' Up in Smoke'', released by Universal Pictures. Plot Cheech & Chong are on a mission t ...

'' * 1982: ''

'' * 1983: '' Staying Alive'' * 1983: ''

Cannonball Run II ''Cannonball Run II'' is a 1984 action comedy film starring Burt Reynolds and an all-star cast, released by Warner Bros. and Golden Harvest. Like the original '' Cannonball Run'', it is set around an illegal cross-country race. This was the l ...

'' * 1983: ''

Stick Stick or the stick may refer to: Thin elongated objects * Twig * The weapon used in stick fighting * Walking stick, a device to facilitate balancing while walking * Shepherd's crook * Swagger stick * Digging stick * Swizzle stick, used to stir d ...

'' * 1984: ''

City Heat ''City Heat'' is a 1984 American buddy-crime-comedy film starring Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds, written by Blake Edwards, and directed by Richard Benjamin. The film was released in North America in December 1984. The pairing of Eastwood and R ...

'' * 1984: '' Twice in a Lifetime'' * 1985: ''

Gung Ho ''Gung ho'' () is an English term, with the current meaning of "overly enthusiastic or energetic". It originated during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) from a Chinese term, ( zh, hp=gōnghé, l=to work together), short for Chinese ...

/Working Class Man'' * 1985: ''

The Goonies ''The Goonies'' is a 1985 American adventure comedy film co-produced and directed by Richard Donner from a screenplay by Chris Columbus, based on a story by Steven Spielberg. In the film, kids who live in the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astori ...

'' * 1986: '' Cobra'' * 1986: ''

Short Circuit A short circuit (sometimes abbreviated to short or s/c) is an electrical circuit that allows a current to travel along an unintended path with no or very low electrical impedance. This results in an excessive current flowing through the circuit ...

'' * 1986: ''

Heat In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is al ...

'' (second unit) * 1986: ''

Spaceballs ''Spaceballs'' is a 1987 American space opera parody film co-written, produced and directed by Mel Brooks. It is primarily a parody of the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy, but also parodies other sci-fi films and popular franchises including ...

'' * 1987: ''

Mac and Me ''Mac and Me'' is a 1988 American comic science fiction film cowritten (with Steve Feke) and directed by Stewart Raffill. Starring Christine Ebersole, Jonathan Ward, and Tina Caspary alongside Lauren Stanley and Jade Calegory, it centers on a "M ...

'' * 1993: '' My Father, the Hero'' (replaced

Francis Veber Francis Paul Veber (born 28 July 1937) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer, and playwright. He has written and directed both French and American films. Nine French-language films with which he has been involved, as either writ ...

) * 1994: '' The Maddening'' * 1999: '' The Last Producer/The Final Hit''

Television

* 1988: ''The Pretenders'' * 1989: ''B-Men'' * 1988-89: '' B.L. Stryker'' * 1990-93: ''

'' * 1991: ''

Maverick Square Maverick Square is a section of the neighborhood of East Boston in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is East Boston's oldest commercial center. At the heart of the square is Maverick Station, which is part of the Blue Line of the MBTA. In ...

'' * 1992: ''

Hearts Afire ''Hearts Afire'' is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, starring John Ritter and Markie Post that aired on CBS from September 14, 1992, to February 1, 1995. The series' title is taken from a line in the Earth, Wi ...

'' * 1993: '' The Man from Left Field'' * 1993: ''Harlan & Merleen'' * 1994-97: ''

'' * 1995: ''

The Home Court ''The Home Court'' is an American sitcom that aired from September 30, 1995, to June 22, 1996, on NBC. The series starred Pamela Reed as a judge and mother who tried to juggle her home and professional lives. ''The Home Court'' was a production o ...

'' * 1998-99: ''

Veronica's Closet ''Veronica's Closet'' is an American sitcom television series created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, that aired on NBC for three seasons, from September 25, 1997, to December 7, 2000. The show stars Kirstie Alley as Veronica "Ronnie" Chase, ...

'' * 1999: ''

'' * 2000-03: ''Friends'' * 2002: ''

Life with Bonnie ''Life with Bonnie'' is an ABC television sitcom that originally aired from September 17, 2002 to April 9, 2004. The show outlined the life of character Bonnie Malloy, who juggled her personal life and her job as a daytime TV talk show host. The s ...

'' * 2004: ''Listen Up'' * 2004: ''

Life on a Stick ''Life on a Stick'' (originally titled ''Related by Family'') is an American sitcom that aired on Fox from March 24 to April 27, 2005. Thirteen episodes of the show were completed, but Fox only showed the first five before pulling the show due to ...

'' * 2005: '' Hot Properties'' * 2005: ''Joey'' * 2006: til Death''

Films as camera assistant/operator

* 1966: '' The Iron Horse'' * 1970: ''

'' * 1970: '' The Touch of Satan/Curse of Melissa/Night of the Demon'' * 1972: ''Domo Arigato/Thank You Very Much'' * 1973: ''The Sugerland Express'' * 1973: ''

Cinderella Liberty ''Cinderella Liberty'' is a 1973 American drama film adapted by Daryl Ponicsan from his 1973 novel of the same title. The film tells the story of a sailor who falls in love with a prostitute and becomes a surrogate father for her 10-year-old mix ...

'' * 1973: ''Larry'' * 1974: ''

Funny Lady ''Funny Lady'' is a 1975 American biographical musical comedy-drama film and the sequel to the 1968 film '' Funny Girl''. The film stars Barbra Streisand, James Caan, Omar Sharif, Roddy McDowall and Ben Vereen. Herbert Ross, who helmed the musi ...

'' * 1975: ''Obsession'' * 1975: ''Sweet Revenge/Dandy, the All American Girl'' * 1975: '' Marathon Man'' * 1976: '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'' * 1976: ''

Close Encounters of the Third Kind ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' is a 1977 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, Cary Guffey, and François Truffaut. It tells the story ...

'' * 1976: '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' * 1977: ''

The Deer Hunter ''The Deer Hunter'' is a 1978 war drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Slavic-American steelworkers whose lives were upended after fighting in the Vietnam War. The three soldiers are played by Robert De Niro, Chr ...

'' * 1977: '' Heaven Can Wait'' * 1978: '' The Rose'' * 1979: ''

Being There ''Being There'' is a 1979 American satire film directed by Hal Ashby. Based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Jerzy Kosiński, it was adapted for the screen by Kosiński and the uncredited Robert C. Jones. The film stars Peter Sellers a ...

/Chance'' * 1979: ''

Cheech and Chong's Next Movie ''Cheech and Chong's Next Movie'' is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Tommy Chong and the second feature-length project by Cheech & Chong, following '' Up in Smoke'', released by Universal Pictures. Plot Cheech & Chong are on a mission t ...

/High Encounters (of the Ultimate Kind)'' * 1980: ''

Honky Tonk Freeway ''Honky Tonk Freeway'' is a 1981 American-British comedy film directed by John Schlesinger. The film, conceived and co-produced by Don Boyd, was one of the most expensive box office bombs in history, losing its British backers Thorn EMI between ...

'' * 1980: ''Rich and Famous'' * 1981: ''

Sharky's Machine ''Sharky's Machine'' is a 1981 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Burt Reynolds, who stars in the title role. It is an adaptation of William Diehl's first novel ''Sharky's Machine'' (1978) with a screenplay by Gerald Di Pego. It ...

'' * 1981: ''

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas ''The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'' is a musical with a book by Texas author Larry L. King and Peter Masterson and music and lyrics by Carol Hall. It is based on a story by King that was inspired by the real-life Chicken Ranch in La Grange ...

'' * 1982: ''

Kiss Me Goodbye Kiss Me Goodbye may refer to: * "Kiss Me Goodbye" (Petula Clark song), a 1968 song by Petula Clark * "Kiss Me Goodbye" (Buck Tick song), a 1990 song by Buck-Tick * "Kiss Me Good-Bye", a 2006 song by Angela Aki, used as the ending theme song for '' ...

Television as director

* 1989: '' B.L. Stryker''

Miscellaneous

* 1991: ''Burt Reynolds' Conversations with...''

References

* * * *

External links

*http://www.cinematographers.nl/PaginasDoPh/mclean.htm * *http://motion.kodak.com/motion/uploadedFiles/joey.pdf {{DEFAULTSORT:McLean, Nick 1941 births Living people American cinematographers North Hollywood High School alumni People from Santa Monica, California