Ivor Leslie ‘Les’ Dilley, the Oscar-winning art director and production designer known for his work on iconic films like Star Wars, Alien and Raiders of the Lost Ark, has died.
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Dilley passed away on May 20 from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease, his family told The Hollywood Reporter. He was 84.
Dilley was born on July 11, 1941, in Rhondda, Wales. He began his film career at 15 with a construction and plastering apprenticeship at the Associated British Picture Corporation. By 23, he worked as a plasterer on From Russia With Love (1963) and later served as an assistant art director on Jesus Christ Superstar and Kelly’s Heroes.
After working as an art director on 1973’s Three Musketeers and its 1974 sequel, he joined the U.K. team for Star Wars. There, he helped design and build R2-D2, the Jawas’ sandcrawler, and Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder.
He went on to serve as art director for The Empire Strikes Back, as well as the Indiana Jones flick Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien, Superman, and An American Werewolf in London.
As a production designer, his impressive genre credits also include The Abyss, Exorcist III, Invaders From Mars, Casper, Black Knight and Deep Impact.
Leslie “Les” Dilley Won Academy Awards for the Original Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark
While Abyss, Empire, and Alien earned him Oscar nominations, it was New Hope and Raiders that brought him Academy Awards for Best Art Direction. Both wins were shared with fellow art director Norman Reynolds, who passed away in 2023.
After finishing work as a production designer on the British kids’ show Teacup Travels in 2017, Dilley retired. His IMDB profile also includes a credit for the unreleased web series New-Gen.
Meanwhile, in 2020, the British Academy Cymru Awards, BAFTA’s Welsh branch, recognized him with the Outstanding Contribution to Film and Television Award. The ceremony included heartfelt tributes from industry icons like George Lucas, Ridley Scott, and other collaborators, who praised his impressive career and lasting influence.
Per Deadline, Dilley is survived by his wife of 38 years, Leslie, their four children—Sophia Dilley, Leslie John Dilley II, Ivory Dilley, and EmmaJane Dilley—as well as his daughter from his first marriage, Georgia Dilley. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Arsion, Nausicaä, Cal, and Leslie John III, along with extended family in England and Wales.