King of the Paparazzi

Obituary for Edward Woody

“On May 23, 2017, E.L. Woody, “King of the Paparazzi,” passed away from complications of cancer surgery performed in 2009. Born in September,1946, Woody grew up in Orange County in East Texas. He served in the US Army in Vietnam 1968-1969 as a Special Forces Green Beret Medic nicknamed “Shotgun Woody.” Leading a guerilla Montagnard unit, he fought in The Battle of Duc Lap, against North Vietnamese forces attempting to overrun the Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) “A” Camp. On August 25, 1968, he was awarded The Bronze Star Medal For Heroism In Ground Combat In The Republic of Vietnam…”

Read full obituary here.

E.L. Woody, “King of the Paparazzi,” Dies at 70

“…The photographer, who died at the age of 70 of cancer on May 23, snapped the 1991 Elizabeth Taylor-Larry Fortensky wedding from a helicopter above Neverland Ranch and had his car rammed by Sylvester Stallone and his bodyguard after they chased him through West Hollywood. (Woody sued and won a settlement.)

He was among the first paparazzi to heavily incorporate video — a medium that allowed him to land scoops like the Heidi Fleiss scandal and Julia Roberts’ surprise wedding to Lyle Lovett.”

E.L. Woody, King of the Paparazzi, Dies at 70

“E.L. Woody, whose long history as a Hollywood photographer spanned decades, has died at the age of 70. He was the self-proclaimed, undisputed King of the Paparazzi.

Best known as simply Woody, he literally invented the video paparazzi game in the 1990s, and powered “Stars Gone Wild” segments on syndicated entertainment shows, before creating and executive producing the hit E! series “Celebrities Uncensored.”… read more at Extra.com

King of the Paparazzi: E.L. Woody

Meet E.L. Woody “The King of the Paparazzi” and his celebrity footage at Papparazzi TV. Filming all of the biggest stars on the streets of Hollywood since 1993.

Check out these clips and Reels.

Brad Pitt 1994 House of Blues https://youtu.be/4mPq6gqdSwk?t=46s

Leonardo DiCapro: The Early Years (60min) https://youtu.be/WXBRHvURd0Q

Stars Attack! (60 min) https://youtu.be/IZQz8aUyzHI

As well as…
Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Clooney, Tom Cruise and all the rest.

Meet the ‘King of the Paparazzi’

CNN: Meet the ‘King of the Paparazzi”

December 16, 2011

“Daring, combative and savvy to how stars and “paps” need each other, Woody possesses the ability to be confrontational yet sympathetic, particularly with celebrities looking for a break.

“They have to have the photogs. It feeds the ego. Every flash, every click feeds their careers,” he says. “It feeds the supernova of fame.”

A Brief History of the Paparazzi

Brief history of the paparazzi as told by “King of the Paparazzi” E.L. Woody.

A Paparazzo’s Lessons on How Stars Are Born

January 18, 2001 | PETER WHITTLE | SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

…”Since the landmark elevation of gossip and celebrity scandal into a national obsession that was undoubtedly the O.J. trial, the picture or piece of video footage most in demand from Woody and his colleagues is the one featuring a celebrity in a “newsworthy” incident or set of circumstances. Time and again throughout the ’90s, events that would once have been purely paparazzi stories, covered in print by gossip columnists, have been given the status of serious news.

During the unfortunate Monica Lewinsky business, Woody would fight to take pictures or shoot video amid a massive, swirling sea of cameras, many of which belonged to the networks and news organizations that would routinely and, in Woody’s eyes, hypocritically point the finger at the supposedly lower-than-low paparazzi.”

Sly Stallone Makes a French Connection in the Name of Amour

PEOPLE STAFF April 22, 1991 12:00 PM

“…And once back in the States, Sly had a tiny tangle with the law. Roving lensman E.L. Woody filed a complaint with the Los Angeles police claiming that Stallone, at the wheel of a Mercedes 500SL, had pursued the photographer from outside L.A.’s Bar One for two miles. During the pursuit, the photographer contends, Sly allegedly bashed into Woody’s car three times. Sly, calling the 2 A.M. chase right “out of The French Connection,” claimed he was trying to get the photographer’s license-plate number after Woody hit his Mercedes.”

Read full article at people.com

Photographer Tries to Sell Story of ‘Rocky’ vs. Woody

March 30, 1991 | BOB POOL | TIMES STAFF WRITER

…”When Thursday’s incident began, Woody said, he was sitting in a rented 1991 Honda Civic and chatting with a friend, singer-songwriter Philip Norris. He said he uses rented cars to avoid being recognized.

“It was insane. He kept ramming my car repeatedly. What kind of nut uses a $100,000 battering ram?” Woody said of Stallone. “He and his bodyguard in another car were alternating ramming me. I was very lucky not to get hurt.”

Still, the incident was all in a night’s work for Woody, a 6-foot, 3-inch Texan who joined Hollywood’s corps of paparazzi about 16 months ago after working 20 years as a portrait and fashion photographer.

Since then, he said he has sold pictures of movie stars to dozens of European publications, along with American tabloids like the National Enquirer, Star and Globe.”

Read the full article at latimes.com