ILM Sculptor Richard Miller Passed Away at the Age of 80

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Richard Miller passed away on Thursday at the age of 80, two days after his birthday.

What's Happening:

  • Richard Miller passed away peacefully in his sleep on Thursday at his home in North Carolina. He was a cancer survivor but died after an extensive stay in hospice care.
  • Miller is most famously known for his decades of work at Industrial Light and Magic, which included creating Princess Leia’s gold bikini for Return of the Jedi and Davy Jones’ tentacled beard for two Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
  • He joined the company to work on Return of the Jedi in 1983 and was a part of 55 features and numerous projects.

Other Credits Include:

  • Star Wars prequels
  • Star Trek movies including Generations (1994) and First Contact (1996)
  • The first three Pirates of the Caribbean films
  • The last two Back to the Future features
  • Ghostbusters (1984)
  • Howard the Duck (1986)
  • Innerspace (1987)
  • Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
  • Willow (1988)
  • Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
  • The Rocketeer (1991)
  • Hook (1991)
  • The Mask (1994)
  • Jumanji (1995)
  • Planet of the Apes (2001)

What They're Saying:

  • “With his artistic skill in evidence, an agreeable demeanor and a wry sense of humor, Richard fit right in from the start and became a fixture at ILM,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “Richard will be dearly missed by the entire ILM family, but his artistic contribution lives on in each of the films he contributed to and in the fond memories of all who knew him.”