The Oscar-winning costume designer who outfitted Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi and the stormtroopers is gone.
John Mollo, who was handed his statuette by Natalie Wood at the 50th Academy Awards in 1978, died Wednesday at age 86, said the Times of London.
“The characters look as fresh today as they did 40 years ago, which sounds incredibly conceited, but I rather think that that is true,” Mollo told Entertainment Weekly in 2015.
HuffPost noted that when Mollo won the Oscar, he said: “As you see, the costumes from ‘Star Wars’ are really not so much costumes as a bit of plumbing and general automobile engineering.”
Mollo won a second Oscar for “Gandhi.”
He also dressed up “Alien,” “Cry Freedom,” “Air America,” “Chaplin” and other films. According to IMDb, his last credit was on “Hornblower: Duty” in 2003, HuffPost said.
Other coverage and comments:
Sad news…. @HamillHimself https://t.co/mdGhriH3xg
— It’sMarkHamill (@ItsMarkHamill) October 28, 2017
Sad to hear of the passing of original Star Wars costume designer John Mollo. His deceptively simple designs shaped a generation. #Cantina pic.twitter.com/XZZTPkz3N2
— jock (@Jock4twenty) October 28, 2017
John Mollo, the great costume designer, has died. Star Wars, Alien – all sci-fi cinema since then owes him an immense debt. pic.twitter.com/v5H25dINmF
— Paul Franklin (@pauljfranklin) October 27, 2017
Remembering John Mollo and his invaluable contributions for a well-dressed Empire… https://t.co/VVXvYLiNOT pic.twitter.com/h1fkx8XBWF
— Scot Cregan (@scotcregan) October 30, 2017
Here’s to John Mollo. pic.twitter.com/2CyZM4AL1R
— Kitbashed (@Kitbashed) October 28, 2017