CINEMATOGRAPHER Haskell Wexler, the socially conscious two-time Academy Award winner who lensed “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and many other masterpieces, has died at 93.

    Wexler died in his sleep Sunday, his son, Jeff Wexler, told The Hollywood Reporter. News of Haskell’s passing also was posted on Jeff’s website and Haskell’s personal blog.

    Jeff’s blog post reads, “It is with great sadness that I have to report that my father, Haskell Wexler, has died. Pop died peacefully in his sleep, Sunday. Accepting the Academy Award in 1967, Pop said, ‘I hope we can use our art for peace and for love.’ An amazing life has ended but his lifelong commitment to fight the good fight, for peace, for all humanity, will carry on.”

    One of the most influential American cinematographers of all time, Wexler nabbed his first Oscar for making Elizabeth Taylor look haggard in black and white for director Mike Nichols in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1966).

    He garnered a second trophy 10 years later for his work on “Bound for Glory,” Hal Ashby’s biopic of folk singer Woody Guthrie during his Dust Bowl years.

    The Chicago legend also finished shooting Terrence Malick’s spectacular “Days of Heaven” (1978), for which Nestor Almendros received the cinematography Oscar, and photographed the Oscar-winning short-subject documentary “Interviews with My Lai Veterans” (1971).

    Wexler’s other Oscar nominations came for Milos Forman’s best-picture winner “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975), John Sayles’ coal-mining drama “Matewan” (1987) and Ron Shelton’s Huey Long biopic “Blaze” (1989). (SD-Agencies)