Richard Miller, a talented sculptor who worked at Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light and Magic for more than three decades, has passed away. Hollywood Reporter Speaking about his death with an ILM spokesperson confirming Miller passed away on Thursday, December 8, just two days after his birthday. “With his demonstrative technical skills, genial demeanor and wry sense of humor, Richard was a good fit from the start and became an ILM staple,” a statement from ILM said on his death. “Richard will be greatly missed by all of the ILM family, but his artistic contribution lives on both in the films he contributed to and in the fond memories of everyone who knew him.”
While some fans may not know Miller’s name, they are definitely his work now. Two of his biggest claims to fame have been seen in movies around the world, including villain Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Princess Leis’ famous golden bikini from Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Miller’s initial bust of Jones in the Pirates became the blueprint by which a digital animator could make antagonists’ beards flip and move throughout the film, and the film’s visual effects would go on to win Oscars.
“It was a slave costume, it was meant to be stingy,” Miller he said in an interview About the famous Star Wars costume he designed. The reason it was a costume like that was because George said ‘we want to show Princess Leia growing up’. The three episodes took a certain amount of time; so they got a little more mature, which is why the slave costume was introduced. Also the fans are more mature, presumably, and after Fifteen years, twenty years later, a lot of people will come over to me and say ‘You made a Princess Leia costume? It was the best thing I saw as a kid.”
Among his other credits are Miller’s work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Indiana Jones and the lASt Crusade, Back to the Future Part Two and Part Three, The Rocketeer, The Flintstones, The Mask, Congo, Jumanji, Mission: Impossible, Flubber, Sleepy Hollow, The Mummy Returns, Hulk. He would also serve as a model maker for practical effects miniatures in all three previous Star Wars films. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this time.
ILM’s chief model designer, Richard Miller, with just a few of the many he’s created with Lucasfilm. Pictured here from The Rocketeer, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Mask, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Terminator 2, Yoda and Chewbacca busts, and Jumanji. #VFX #ilm #FX #star Wars # Jumanji pic.twitter.com/jqHMU93S3B
– Richard Miller (RichardMillerFX) January 28, 2022
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