{{Short description|Welsh production designer (1941–2025)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Leslie Dilley | image = Cropped_Photo_of_Leslie_Dilley.jpg | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1941|1|11|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Rhondda]], Wales | death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|5|20|1941|1|11|df=y}} | other_names = Ivor Leslie Dilley<br>Les Dilley | occupation = Production designer, art director | years_active = 1973–2025 }}
'''Leslie Dilley''' (11 January 1941 – 20 May 2025) was a Welsh [[art director]] and [[production designer]]. During his film career from the 1970s to 2000s, he won the [[Academy Award for Best Art Direction]] twice for ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope]]'' (1977) and ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' (1981), sharing this both times with [[Norman Reynolds]]. Dilley received additional Best Art Direction nominations for ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]'' (1979), ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980), and ''[[The Abyss]]'' (1989). Apart from art direction, Dilley was a production designer for ''[[The Exorcist III]]'' (1990), ''[[Casper (film)|Casper]]'' (1995), and ''[[Deep Impact (film)|Deep Impact]]'' (1998).
==Early life and education== Dilley was born in [[Rhondda Valley]], [[South Wales]] on 11 January 1941.<ref name=Jankiewicz>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Jankiewicz |first=Pat |encyclopedia=The Best of Star Wars Insider |title=The Man Who Built R2-D2: Leslie Dilley |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fzCxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA22 |access-date=8 March 2020 |date=November 2019 |publisher=Titan |volume=11: Aliens, Creatures and Droids |location=London |isbn=9781785851964 |page=23}}</ref><ref name="THR">{{cite news |last1=Vlessing |first1=Etan |title=Les Dilley, 'Star Wars,' 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' Art Director, Dies at 84 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/les-dilley-dead-art-director-star-wars-1236229476/ |access-date=24 May 2025 |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter |date=24 May 2025}}</ref> Growing up, Dilley and his family moved to [[London]] and lived in [[Wembley Park]]. For his post-secondary education, Dilley studied architecture at [[Willesden Technical College]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Waddell |first1=Calum |title=The Art of War |magazine=Star Wars Insider |date=October 2015 |issue=140 |page=50 |url=https://archive.org/details/Star_Wars_Insider_October_2015/page/n49/mode/2up |access-date=8 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Langman |first1=Larry |title=Destination Hollywood: The Influence of Europeans on American Filmmaking |date=2000 |publisher=McFarland & Company |location=Jefferson, North Carolina and London |isbn=078640681X |page=186 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fAXRKZOA8CUC&pg=PA186 |access-date=8 March 2020}}</ref> While working as an apprentice [[plasterwork|plasterer]] during college, Dilley was encouraged by a classmate to apply for a job at [[Pinewood Studios]]. After Pinewood told him there were no open positions available, Dilley completed a five year plastering apprenticeship at the [[Associated British Picture Corporation]].<ref>Waddell 2015, pp. 50, 52</ref>
==Career== At the ABPC, Dilley began his career as a [[drafter]] throughout the 1960s.<ref name=Jankiewicz/> While working as an Assistant Art Director during the early 1970s, Dilley became an [[art director]] for ''[[The Three Musketeers (1973 live-action film)|The Three Musketeers]]'' (1973).<ref name=bfi>{{cite web |title=Leslie Dilley |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2baa4bc9c6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506074539/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2baa4bc9c6 |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 May 2016 |website=British Film Institute |access-date=8 March 2020}}</ref> His art director tenure continued throughout the 1970s and 1980s with films such as ''[[Superman (1978 film)|Superman]]'' (1978), ''[[An American Werewolf in London]]'' (1981) and ''[[Never Say Never Again]]'' (1983).<ref name=galeincontext>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television |title=Leslie Dilley |year=2002 |publisher=Gale |volume=44 |via=Gale in Context}}</ref> Outside of these movies, Dilley won the [[Academy Award for Best Art Direction]] for ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977) and ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' (1981). He additionally received Academy Award nominations for his art directorship on ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]'' (1979), ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980), and ''[[The Abyss]]'' (1989).<ref name=dePriest>{{cite news |last1=dePriest |first1=Joe |title=Art director keeps the ocean on his mind |work=Rocky Mount Telegram |date=25 July 1988 |page=11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Academy Award nominations told |work=Kilgore News-Herald |date=14 February 1990 |page=3}}</ref>
During the 1990s to 2000s, Dilley primarily worked as a [[production designer]]. Some of his production works during these decades include ''[[The Exorcist III]]'' (1990), ''[[Casper (film)|Casper]]'' (1995), ''[[Inspector Gadget (film)|Inspector Gadget]]'' (1999), ''[[Son of the Mask]]'' (2005) and ''[[Little Man (2006 film)|Little Man]]'' (2006).<ref name=bfi/> Dilley also made cameo appearances in his production designed films, including ''[[Deep Impact (film)|Deep Impact]]'' (1998) and ''[[Pay It Forward (film)|Pay It Forward]]'' (2000).<ref name=galeincontext/>
==Death== Dilley died from complications of Alzheimer's disease on 20 May 2025, at the age of 84.<ref name="THR"/>
==Selected filmography== Dilley won two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction and was nominated for three more: ;Won * ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977) * ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' (1981)
;Nominated * ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]'' (1979) * ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980) * ''[[The Abyss]]'' (1989)<ref name="Oscars1990">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1990 |title=The 62nd Academy Awards (1990) Nominees and Winners |access-date=1 August 2011|work=oscars.org}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0226898}}
{{Academy Award Best Production Design}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dilley, Leslie}} [[Category:1941 births]] [[Category:2025 deaths]] [[Category:Welsh art directors]] [[Category:British film designers]] [[Category:Best Production Design Academy Award winners]] [[Category:People from Rhondda]] [[Category:Deaths from Alzheimer's disease]]