Tony Pierce-Roberts BSC began his career in Central Africa, joining the Central African Film Unit as a teenager and working on documentary and wildlife productions. After returning to Britain, he joined the BBC Film Unit at Ealing Studios as an assistant cameraman. He subsequently became a BBC cameraman and worked on a number of television productions, including Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979), Days of Hope, A Voyage Round My Father, and P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang.
In 1980, Pierce-Roberts left the BBC to work as a freelance cinematographer. His early feature credits included Moonlighting (1982) and A Private Function (1984). His cinematography on A Room with a View (1985), directed by James Ivory, was an important stage in his feature-film career. The film received multiple awards and nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Pierce-Roberts for Best Cinematography.
Pierce-Roberts subsequently worked on several films associated with the Merchant Ivory production company and director James Ivory. His credits include Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990), Howards End (1992), The Remains of the Day (1993), and The Golden Bowl (2000). His work on Howards End earned him another Academy Award nomination for cinematography, as well as a BAFTA nomination.
His filmography also extends beyond period drama. He has served as director of photography on productions including Slaves of New York (1989), The Client (1994), Disclosure (1994), The Trench (1999), The Importance of Being Earnest (2002), Underworld (2003), Doom (2005), and De-Lovely (2004). His television credits include both British and international productions.
Among his principal career distinctions are two Academy Award nominations for cinematography, for A Room with a View and Howards End, along with recognition from BAFTA and the British Society of Cinematographers.