Renowned Artist Director Les Dilley, Known for His Work on 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones', Passes Away at 84
Bloomin' 'ell, it's bloody sad news that Les Dilley, the bloody brilliant art director and production designer of a plethora of smashing films, breathed his last on May 20 at the ripe old age of 84, thanks to complications due to blimey, Alzheimer's.
Born on July 11, 1941, in the Rhondda valley of Wales, Dilley kickstarted his film journey with a construction and plastering apprenticeship at the Associated British Picture Corporation when he was just 15. By the age of 33, he was already plastering the walls on 1963's 'From Russia With Love', then lending his hand as an assistant art director on 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and 'Kelly's Heroes'. After that, he took the reins as an art director for 1973's 'Three Musketeers' and its sequel, before joining the UK squad for the legendary 'Star Wars: A New Hope', contributing to the construction of R2-D2, the sandcrawler, and Luke's landspeeder.
Following that, he took the art direction for 'Empire Strikes Back', as well as 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', 'Alien', 'Superman', and 'An American Werewolf in London'. As a production designer, Dilley leaves behind a trail of epic projects like 'The Abyss', 'Exorcist III', 'Invaders From Mars', 'Casper', 'Black Knight', and 'Deep Impact'. While 'The Abyss', 'Empire', and 'Alien' each netted him Oscar nominations, 'New Hope' and 'Raiders' bagged him wins for Best Art Direction, both shared with fellow art director Norman Reynolds, who kick the bucket in 2023.
Post retirement after working on the British kids' show 'Teacup Travels' in 2017, Dilley hung up his plastering shoes for good. (IMDB and Mubi credit him on a web series called 'New-Gen', which as of now, is yet to see the light of day.) In 2020, BAFTA's Welsh branch-the British Academy Cymru Awards-honored him with an Outstanding Contribution to Film and Television Award. There, he was showered with praise from George Lucas, Ridley Scott, and other bigwigs who'd worked with him over the years. Lucas called him "my main contact with the art department, and an all-around great guy. [...] If anybody deserves this award, it’s you."
Dilley leaves behind his wife Leslie and five children. In a statement, the fam said his memory "lives on in the hundreds of iconic films he helped bring to life for over six decades and in his family home he personally built as a tribute to his artistry. His love for the silver screen was evident to the very end. In addition to his incredible work ethic, zany British wit, and lust for life, he was an unyielding and loving husband, father, grandfather, and buddy to many. He will be sorely missed."
[via The Hollywood Reporter]
Now for more io9 news! Check out when to expect 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.
Les Dilley's contribution to the world of movies extended beyond just art direction, as he also served as a production designer, working on films like 'The Abyss', 'Exorcist III', and 'Casper'. In the future, technology may play a significant role in movie-making, as seen in VFX-heavy productions like 'Avengers: Endgame' and 'The Lion King' (movies-and-tv). Gizmodo and io9 are great sources to stay updated on the latest technology in entertainment. Dilley's legacy continues to inspire new generations of filmmakers, as seen in the upcoming web series 'New-Gen'.
