Acclaimed Art Director Les Dilley, Known for His Work on 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones,' Passes Away at 84
Meet Les Dilley: The Iconic Art Director and Production Designer Behind Your Favorite Movies
Hailing from Rhondda, Wales, our spotlight is on Les Dilley, an award-winning art director and production designer who left an indelible mark on the film industry. Les was born on July 11, 1941, and his journey began at just 15, with a construction and plastering apprenticeship at the Associated British Picture Corporation.
His big break came in 1963 when he was a plaster worker on From Russia With Love and later an assistant art director on Jesus Christ Superstar and Kelly's Heroes. As time progressed, he took on more prominent roles, such as art director for the 1973 Three Musketeers and its sequel.
A significant turning point in Les' career was joining the UK team for Star Wars: A New Hope, where he played a crucial role in creating physical builds for R2-D2, the sandcrawler, and Luke's landspeeder. He later worked on Empire Strikes Back, contributing to the sequel's design, along with Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien, Superman, and An American Werewolf in London.
His production designer credits include The Abyss, Exorcist III, Invaders From Mars, Casper, Black Knight, and Deep Impact. While Abyss, Empire, and Alien each earned him Oscar nominations, New Hope and Raiders earned him wins for Best Art Direction, both shared with fellow art director Norman Reynolds, who passed in 2023.
retiring after working on the British kids' show Teacup Travels ended in 2017. In 2020, BAFTA's Welsh branch-the British Academy Cymru Awards-honored him with an Outstanding Contribution to Film and Television Award.
Les survived by his wife Leslie and five children, leaving behind a legacy in the many iconic films he helped bring to life for over six decades. His love for the motion picture business was evident to the very end, and he will be deeply missed.
Some of Les' most notable works include:
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) - Art Director
- Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - Art Director
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - Art Director
- An American Werewolf in London (1981) - Art Director
- Alien (1979) - Art Director
- Superman (1978) - Art Director
- The Abyss (1989) - Production Designer
- Never Say Never Again (1983) - Supervising Art Director
- Eureka (1983) - Supervising Art Director
- Legend (1985) - Supervising Art Director
For more news on film, keep tabs on the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. Rest in peace, Les Dilley.
- Les Dilley's art direction in movies like 'Star Wars: A New Hope' and 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' earned him Oscar wins for Best Art Direction, contributions that are still discussed on tech and entertainment websites such as Gizmodo, Io9, and Movies-and-TV.
- Les Dilley's iconic works in films like 'An American Werewolf in London,' 'Alien,' and 'Superman' continue to be referenced in discussions about the future of technology and entertainment.
- Fans of science fiction and fantasy films, from Star Wars and Star Trek to Marvel and Doctor Who, will long remember the significant contributions made by the late Les Dilley in his more than six-decade career as an art director and production designer.
