Les Dilley, the Oscar-winning artwork director and manufacturing designer, has died. He was 84.
Dilley died on May 20 on account of problems from Alzheimer’s illness, his household mentioned. “Les’s legacy lives on in the many iconic films he helped bring to life for over six decades and in his family home he personally built as an homage to his work. His love for the motion picture business was evident to the very end. When he wasn’t on set, he enjoyed constructing things in his workshop at home, playing ice hockey, and a good cup of tea. In addition to his incredible work ethic, quirky British humor, and love of life, he was a dedicated and loving husband, father, grandfather and friend to many. He will be greatly missed,” the household mentioned in a press release obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.
Dilley labored on 100 movie and TV initiatives over his 60 12 months profession, along with his largest credit being Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, for which he earned Academy Award trophies for greatest artwork course. That introduced him on set to work with Hollywood administrators like George Lucas, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Irvin Kershner, John Landis and Mimi Leader.
Dilley was additionally nominated for greatest artwork course for Alien, The (*84*) Strikes Back and The Abyss. In 2020, Dilley was honored with a BAFTA Award for his contribution to British cinema.
Born on July 11, 1941, within the Rhondda Valley of South Wales. Dilley’s household on the finish of the Second World War moved to London. At 15 years of age, Dilley began his movie profession with a plastering and building apprenticeship on the Associated British Picture Corporation, whereas additionally learning structure and constructing building at Willesden Technical College.
At age 23, he was a plaster employee on the James Bond film From Russia With Love and continued to work his method up the artwork division ladder as a draughtsman after which assistant artwork director on movies together with like Kelly’s Heroes and Jesus Christ Superstar.
In 1973, Dilley turned an artwork director on Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers, and finally turned a part of the UK workforce engaged on Star Wars for George Lucas, as Dilley labored alongside John Barry, Norman Reynolds and Roger Christian.
Over the subsequent decade, Dilley helped formed the visible id on enduring movies like Superman, Alien, (*84*) Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, An American Werewolf in London, Never Say Never Again and Legend. In 1985, he moved to Hollywood to work as a manufacturing designer on movies like The Abyss, which was launched in 1989 and directed by James Cameron.
For that film, Dilley remodeled an deserted nuclear energy plant in South Carolina into a big underwater filming units, wit the primary underwater tank measuring 55 ft deep by 209 ft vast. “The Abyss was the most challenging for me. It was over a year’s worth of work, very long days with a few nights until 3 am, and on weekends the art department did not stop, so I was continually checking on the construction being done. I had worked with water on Legend, Never Say Never Again and Lucky Lady, so I had some experience with water, but nothing close to the scale of The Abyss. Also, my wife Leslie and I had the first of our four children during that film, so that made that time even more memorable,” Dilley recalled in a 2020 interview in Buzz.
Other credit included The Exorcist III, Guilty by Suspicion, Casper, The Peacemaker, Inspector Gadget, Deep Impact and Men of Honor. In the Nineties, Dilley expanded to work as a second unit director on initiatives like Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, Diabolique, Pay It Forward and Cold Creek Manor.
Dilley is survived by his spouse of 38 years, Leslie Lykes Dilley and their 4 kids. He was a member of AMPAS, BAFTA, ADG, DGA, and SAG. Dilley was repped for his total profession at The Gersh Agency, by the late Phil Gersh, David Gersh and Barbara Halperin.
