Ross McDonnell obit

Ross McDonnell, ‘The Trade’ Cinematographer, Dies at 44

The filmmaker won two Emmy Awards for his work on the Showtime series and the documentary 'The First Wave.' 

He was not on the list.

Ross McDonnell, an Irish Emmy-winning filmmaker, who is most known for his cinematography on The Trade, has died. He was 44.

His family announced in a notice on RIP.ie that McDonnell died “unexpectedly” on Nov. 5.

“He will be very sadly missed by his loving parents, sister, niece, aunt, uncles, cousins, extended family and his many dear friends, LJ, and also his colleagues in Ireland, U.S.A. and around the World,” the notice read.

This comes more than a week after NBC News reported that a body was found at a New York City beach on Nov. 17. Law enforcement sources told the outlet that the “remains appeared to be of filmmaker Ross McDonnell,” who had disappeared earlier this month. Police responded to a 911 call about a torso with human legs attached found lying at Breezy Point Beach in Queens.

McDonnell was last seen on Nov. 4, riding a bicycle after leaving his apartment in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, the outlet reported. The bike was then found later, locked up at Fort Tilden Beach in Queens.

The New York City medical examiner’s office will determine his cause of death. Sources told NBC News that no foul play is suspected and there is no indication of suicide.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, McDonnell has worked as a cinematographer on several projects, including Colony, Dollhouse, Snake Dance, Life Is Sacred, Forever Pure, Elián, No Stone Unturned, One Million American Dreams, The First Wave and Edge of the Unknown with Jimmy Chin.

But it was his work on the Showtime series The Trade, which ran for two seasons, that won him an Emmy Award for outstanding cinematography: documentary in 2021. The following year, he won an Emmy for cinematography for Matthew Heineman’s COVID-19 doc, The First Wave.

He also served as a co-producer on The First Wave and The Trade.

McDonnell is survived by his parents Maureen and Nicky, his sister Louise and niece Eva.