Jean-Pierre Dorléac, ‘Somewhere in Time,’ ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Costume Designer, Dies at 83

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- Jean-Pierre Dorléac died July 23 from natural causes at age 83
- Dorléac earned an Oscar nomination for costume design on the 1981 film "Somewhere in Time"
- Dorléac received 11 Emmy nominations over his career, winning two — for "Battlestar Galactica" in 1979 and "The Lot" in 2001
- Born in Toulon, France in 1943 to an American military service member stationed in Europe, Dorléac studied at the École des Beaux-Arts before his family moved to the U.S., where he started as a Hollywood actor
- Dorléac became Edith Head's protégé after transitioning to costume design with the 1973 play "Marat/Sade" for West Coast Theatre, earning a Drama Critics Circle Award
- Dorléac drew controversy on Twitter in 2021, calling "Battlestar Galactica" actor Patrick Macnee "a horrid person and a lousy actor" in a series of posts
- Dorléac is survived by spouse Gilberto Mello, whom he met 41 years ago in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Why it matters: Dorléac's career spanned decades of Hollywood costume design across film and television, earning an Oscar nomination for "Somewhere in Time" and two Emmy wins — including one for the original "Battlestar Galactica." His death removes a veteran craftsman who shaped the visual identity of multiple acclaimed productions and who was personally mentored by legendary designer Edith Head.




