---
name: "Michael Coulter"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/michael-coulter"
fi1m_id: "michael-coulter"
imdb_id: "nm0183533"
tmdb_id: 7021
wikidata_id: "Q1273264"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "29 August 1952"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 7
average_fi1m_score: 77
average_over: 7
updated: "2026-10-07T11:24:40.826201+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Michael Coulter

## Identity

Michael Coulter

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/michael-coulter
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** michael-coulter
- **IMDb ID:** nm0183533
- **TMDB ID:** 7021
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1273264
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Coulter, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1273264, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0183533/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/7021

Cinematographer. Born 29 August 1952 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 29 August 1952, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
- **Active:** 1983–2014
- **Frequently works with:** [Hugh Grant](https://film.one/person/hugh-grant.md), [Duncan Kenworthy](https://film.one/person/duncan-kenworthy.md), [Richard Curtis](https://film.one/person/richard-curtis.md), [Alan Rickman](https://film.one/person/alan-rickman.md), [Emma Thompson](https://film.one/person/emma-thompson.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 82 (2), 1990s 81 (3), 2000s 58 (1), 2010s 74 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 77 to 73 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 6, Comedy 5, Romance 4, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 1
- **Screen time:** 12 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1,002m across 6 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Coulter, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1273264, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0183533/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/7021

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*Four Weddings and a Funeral*](https://film.one/film/four-weddings-and-a-funeral.md) (80)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*Housekeeping*](https://film.one/film/housekeeping.md) (78)
- **Apple TV:** [*Outlander*](https://film.one/tv/outlander.md) (74)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Love Actually*](https://film.one/film/love-actually.md) (58)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Michael Coulter is a Scottish cinematographer. Born in Glasgow in 1952, he entered the film industry through local production companies and went freelance in 1975. He collaborated extensively with director Bill Forsyth on early features including *That Sinking Feeling* (1979) and *Gregory's Girl* (1981), and later operated the camera for Chris Menges on *Local Hero* (1983).

Coulter shot *Four Weddings and a Funeral* (1994) and *Sense and Sensibility* (1995), for which he received Academy Award and BAFTA nominations for Best Cinematography. He has also served as director of photography on *Notting Hill* (1999), *Love Actually* (2003), *The Bank Job* (2008) and episodes of *Outlander*. He is a member of the British Society of Cinematographers and is related by marriage to director Charles Gormley.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (7)

- *Outlander* (2014), Fi1m 74, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/tv/outlander.md)
- *Love Actually* (2003), Fi1m 58, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/love-actually.md)
- *Notting Hill* (1999), Fi1m 78, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/notting-hill.md)
- *Sense and Sensibility* (1995), Fi1m 85, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/sense-and-sensibility.md)
- *Four Weddings and a Funeral* (1994), Fi1m 80, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/four-weddings-and-a-funeral.md)
- *Housekeeping* (1987), Fi1m 78, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/housekeeping.md)
- *Local Hero* (1983), Fi1m 86, Camera Operator — [page](https://film.one/film/local-hero.md)

## Complete filmography (41)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *A Scottish Love Scheme* (2024), Director of Photography
- *The Spirit of 1926* (2022), Cinematography
- *A Castle for Christmas* (2021), Director of Photography
- *Wild Bill* (2019), series, Director of Photography
- *The Hustle* (2019), Director of Photography
- *Career Girl* (2016), Director of Photography
- *The Lovers* (2015), Director of Photography
- *Outlander* (2014), series, Director of Photography — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/outlander.md)
- *The Bank Job* (2008), Director of Photography
- *Love Actually* (2003), Director of Photography — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/love-actually.md)
- *Killing Me Softly* (2002), Director of Photography
- *Mansfield Park* (1999), Director of Photography
- *Notting Hill* (1999), Director of Photography — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/notting-hill.md)
- *My Giant* (1998), Director of Photography
- *FairyTale: A True Story* (1997), Director of Photography
- *Eskimo Day* (1996), Director of Photography
- *Sense and Sensibility* (1995), Director of Photography — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/sense-and-sensibility.md)
- *The Neon Bible* (1995), Director of Photography
- *Being Human* (1994), Director of Photography
- *Four Weddings and a Funeral* (1994), Director of Photography — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/four-weddings-and-a-funeral.md)
- *Foreign Affairs* (1993), Director of Photography
- *The Long Day Closes* (1992), Director of Photography
- *Monster in a Box* (1992), Director of Photography
- *Where Angels Fear to Tread* (1991), Director of Photography
- *The Widowmaker* (1990), Director of Photography
- *Diamond Skulls* (1990), Director of Photography
- *Bearskin: An Urban Fairytale* (1989), Cinematography
- *Breaking In* (1989), Director of Photography
- *The Dressmaker* (1988), Director of Photography, Cinematography
- *Housekeeping* (1987), Director of Photography — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/housekeeping.md)
- *Heavenly Pursuits* (1986), Director of Photography
- *The Good Father* (1985), Director of Photography
- *No Surrender* (1985), Director of Photography
- *Restless Natives* (1985), Camera Operator
- *Local Hero* (1983), Camera Operator — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/local-hero.md)
- *Coup de Torchon* (1981), First Assistant Camera
- *Gregory's Girl* (1980), Director of Photography
- *That Sinking Feeling* (1980), Director of Photography
- *A Week's Vacation* (1980), Assistant Camera
- *Death Watch* (1980), Second Assistant Camera
- *The Odd Man* (1978), Cinematography

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1996: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Sense and Sensibility*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/michael-coulter