Leslie Dilley

A visionary Welsh art director, Leslie Dilley shapes iconic worlds from *Star Wars* to *Casper*, battling industry skepticism to leave a legacy of cinematic wonder.

Born

January 11, 1941

Died

May 20, 2025

From

Rhondda, Glamorgan, Wales, UK

Also:
Art Department
Art Director

Credits on file

Decades active

Awards

In short · Worked for five decades — 33 credits, 2 Academy Award wins.

Remembered for

Ranked by community engagement + sustained interest across this person's credits in our database.

Recent & in release

1981
Award win
Academy Awards — Oscar — Art Direction
1977
Award win
Academy Awards — Oscar — Art Direction

Biography

Leslie Dilley (January 11, 1941 — May 20, 2025) was a Welsh art director and production designer. From the 1970s to the 2000s, he won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction for *Star Wars* (1977) and *Raiders of the Lost Ark* (1981). He received additional Best Art Direction nominations for *Alien* (1979), *The Empire Strikes Back* (1980), and *The Abyss* (1989). In addition to art direction, Dilley served as a production designer for *The Exorcist III* (1990), *Casper* (1995), and *Son of the Mask* (2005).

Dilley was born in Rhondda Valley, South Wales, in 1941. As a child, he and his family moved to London, where they lived in Wembley Park. For his post-secondary education, Dilley studied architecture at Willesden Technical College. While working as an apprentice plasterer during college, a classmate encouraged him to apply at Pinewood Studios. After being told there were no available positions at Pinewood, Dilley completed a five-year plastering apprenticeship at the Associated British Picture Corporation.

Filmography · 32 of 32

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