Stuart Craig, Oscar-winning designer of 'Gandhi', 'English Patient' and Potter films, dies at 83

Stuart Craig passed away on Sunday following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Stuart Craig, the Oscar-winning production designer and art director best known for his work on the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, has died at the age of 83. He passed away on Sunday following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

The news was shared by fellow designer Neil Lamont on the British Film Designers Guild’s Facebook page. “A true gentleman, with grace, kindness and humility,” Lamont wrote in tribute.

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Born on April 14, 1942 in Norfolk, Craig began his career in film set design in the late 1960s. His first major role as a production designer came on the 1980 sci-fi thriller Saturn 3. The following year he earned his first Oscar nomination for The Elephant Man.

Craig went on to win three Academy Awards for Gandhi (1982), Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and The English Patient (1996). His additional nominations included work across the Harry Potter series, where he created the sets that defined the Wizarding World for audiences worldwide. He later extended that legacy with the Fantastic Beasts films.

Beyond his celebrated fantasy work, Craig’s credits included Notting Hill, Cry Freedom, Chaplin, The Secret Garden, Shadowlands and The Legend of Tarzan.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia Stangroom, and their two children.