Tony Walton, Oscar-Nominated Costume Designer for Mary Poppins Has Passed Away at 87
It is with a heavy heart that we here at MickeyBlog share the news that legendary British costume designer, set designer and production designer Tony Walton has passed away at the age of 87. Walton passed away at his Upper West Side apartment in New York of a supposed stroke.
Walton earned an Oscar nomination from his costume work on Mary Poppins and was married to Julie Andrews, his childhood sweetheart, from 1959 through 1968 when the couple divorced. They have one daughter together Emma Walton Hamilton.
Tony Walton won an Oscar for his work on All That Jazz and Tony Awards for Pippin, The House of Blue Leaves as well as a revival of Guys and Dolls. In addition he was nominated for Academy Awards for Murder on the Orient Express and for his costume and design contributions for Diana Ross in The Wiz.
According to a recent piece in The Hollywood Reporter, Walton also earned an Emmy Award for a telefilm Death of a Salesman which starred Dustin Hoffman. He also has an impressive array of Broadway credits including work on Chicago, Anything Goes, Grand Hotel, Uncle Vanya and more. He earned 16 Tony nominations during his incredible career.
Our Executive Director, Kirsten Komoroske, met Tony by chance while visiting the museum in 2015. In the years after their first meeting, Tony & Kirsten shared a special friendship. “Tony was a remarkable person, a brilliant artist, and a cherished friend. I will miss him deeply.” pic.twitter.com/BZmv6sTDWe
— The Walt Disney Family Museum (@WDFMuseum) March 4, 2022
Walt was born in England in 1934 and trained at the Slade School of Art in London and served as a Royal Air Force pilot in Canada. He made his Broadway debut in 1961 as a costume and scenic designer on Once There Was a Russian starring Walter Matthau. The next year he landed a spot on the creative team for Sonndheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
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In addition to his daughter Emma, Walton is survived by his wife, Genevieve LeRoy Walton, stepsister Bridget LeRoy and five grandchildren.
Our deepest condolences goes out to Walton’s family, friends and colleagues.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter