Stephenie McMillan obit

Stephenie McMillan, Film Set Decorator, Dies at 71

 She was not on the list.

Born in Ilford, Essex, on 20 July 1942, but raised in Chigwell, she graduated from the Woodford County High School for Girls. She worked as a secretary in offices of Stillman & Eastwick-Field, a London-based architecture firm.

McMillan was a set decorator for advertisements before moving into film in the 1980s. She was best known for working on all the Harry Potter films.

She received three Academy Award nominations for the first, fourth, and seventh films, as well as a BAFTA and Critics Choice Award nomination for the eighth in the series, which went on to win the American Art Directors Guild's Contribution to Cinematic Imagery in 2012.

Between the years 1984 and 2012, she worked as set decorator on 28 films. 16 of these were in collaboration with noted production designer Stuart Craig, including A Fish Called Wanda (1988), Shadowlands (1993), The English Patient (1996), for which she won an Oscar, Chocolat (2000) and all of the eight Harry Potter films. Her last film was the Coen brothers-scripted Gambit (2012).

McMillan excelled at handling the decoration of large sets. In a February 2011 interview, she said: "I have been so lucky to have had the opportunity to dress these brilliant and huge sets [for the Harry Potter series] with enough time and money to do it properly, so I feel I don't really have any excuse for not getting it right. To have a set that is right for the director and makes the actors feel comfortable, that's really what I strive for."

After completing the Harry Potter film series, McMillan and Craig collaborated on the designs for the Harry Potter theme park in Orlando, Florida, and 'The Magical World of Harry Potter', which Warner built at its studios at Leavesden, Hertfordshire, which opened in April 2012. Thomas Welsh, a former President of the Art Director's Guild, told the Los Angeles Times: "An eye for even the smallest details—and an understanding of how they swayed the story line — set her body of work apart." McMillan likened winning her Oscar "to being elevated to the peerage".

In 1963, she married Russell Miller. The couple had two children and later divorced. In 1978, she married Ian McMillan. After their divorce, she began a relationship with writer Phil Hardy, which lasted twenty years.

McMillan died at her home in Weston Longville, Norfolk, from complications of ovarian cancer, on 19 August 2013, aged 71.

Actress

Vanity Fair (2004)

Vanity Fair

6.2

Dancer - 'Slave Dance' (as Stephanie McMillan)

2004

 

Set Decorator

Cameron Diaz, Colin Firth, Alan Rickman, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Florian Ballhaus, Sidney Carroll, Stuart Craig, Rolfe Kent, Mike Lobell, Adam Ripp, Paul Tothill, and Rob Paris in Gambit (2012)

Gambit

5.7

Set Decorator

2012

 

Ralph Fiennes, Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter, John Hurt, Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, Jim Broadbent, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Ian Hart, Ciarán Hinds, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, Alexandre Desplat, Michael Henbury Ballan, David Barron, Alan Bennett, Sarah Bennett, Sean Biggerstaff, David Bradley, David Bulbeck, Peter Burroughs, Stuart Craig, Mark Day, Mike Edmonds, Alfred Enoch, Tom Felton, Rusty Goffe, Rupert Grint, George Harris, Guy Henry, Andrew Herd, Josh Herdman, David Heyman, Ralph Ineson, Gemma Jones, Tony Kirwood, Steve Kloves, Dave Legeno, Matthew Lewis, Kelly Macdonald, Miriam Margolyes, Helen McCrory, Nick Moran, Devon Murray, Luke Newberry, Ian Peck, Leslie Phillips, Katie Purvis, Daniel Radcliffe, Chris Rankin, Adrian Rawlins, J.K. Rowling, Keijo Salmela, Granville Saxton, Mark Sealey, Eduardo Serra, Judith Sharp, Geraldine Somerville, Richard Trinder, Julie Walters, Emma Watson, Brian Wheeler, Mark Williams, Bonnie Wright, David Yates, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Clémence Poésy, David Ledger, Gabriella Pond, Samantha Davis, Jessica Niles, Persephone Muse, Roseanna Brown, Graham Duff, Joshua Jo, Emil Hostina, Jonothon Masai, Natalia Tena, Georgina Leonidas, Ashley Beaver, Ashley McGuire, Jon Campling, Eva Loy, Nikki Bond, Lily Tello, Phil Holden, Chloé Bruce, David Decio, Katie Leung, Jeff Lipman, Nina Aimer Fox, Jon Key, William Melling, Afshan Azad, Domhnall Gleeson, Spencer Wilding, Natalie Hallam, Binde Johal, Andy Callaghan, Evanna Lynch, Matt Da Silva, Michael Thompson, Charlie Hobbs, Freddie Stroma, Lisa Osmond, Tony Montalbano, Jessie Cave, Benn Northover, Pauline Stone, Peter G. Reed, John Warman, Amber Evans, Ruby Evans, Johann Benét, Grace Meurisse Francis, Louis Cordice, Anna Shaffer, Isabella Laughland, Sean Francis George, Scarlett Hefner, Ninette Finch, Suzanne Toase, Mason Kayne, Tony Adkins, Aimee Holden, Curtis Rowland Small, Paul Bateman, Greg Doherty, Aaron Virdee, George Appleby, Ryan Turner, Ellie Darcey-Alden, Thomas Alan Williamson, Christian Black, Timothy Shieff, Maxwell Laird, Louisa Warren, Adam Brashaw, Kamilla Woodburn, Glen Stanway, Karen Anderson, Sarah-Jane De Crespigny, Arti Shah, Bertie Gilbert, Hebe Beardsall, Jamie McLeod-Ross, Nathan Barris, Mark Dusty Miller, Tim Mcgill Grieveson, Samuel Supple, Gino Picciano, Ifeoma Oboko, Chloe Franks, Sarah Lowe, Elisabeth Roberts, Kelvin Wise, Rohan Gotobed, Chris Knight, Will Dunn, Arthur Bowen, Anthony Allgood, Bob Yves Van Hellenberg Hubar, Joe Kallis, Matthew Hodgkin, Benedict Clarke, Grace Bruce, Hattie Gotobed, Lauren Barrand, Steve Poulsen, Robin Harvey, Jennifer Clegg, Jade Stanger, Victor Akintunde, Gemma Kayla, Helena Barlow, Sian Grace Phillips, Daphne de Beistegui, Toby Papworth, Ariella Paradise, Garry Sayer, Jade Gordon, Jordan Coulson, Nasir Mohamed, Amy Wiles, Israr Azam, Michael Aston, Josh Bennett, Laura Whitfield, Craig Garner, Ryan Webb, Christina Low, Charlie Ryall, Nick Hopper, Alfred Camp, Alain Stash, Steven Hopwood, Lucy Chappell, Chris Chan, Leila Kotori, Sha'ori Morris, Jamie John, Daniella Farley, George Christodoulou, Jada Brevett, Debra Leigh-Taylor, Nick Turner, Collet Collins, Hrvoje Klecz, Ben Champniss, Louisa Bettine, Steve Redford, Isla Jane Selley, Adam Alderman, Rachel Lin, Annabelle Davis, Marta Royles, Zoltan Adorjan, Melissa Gotobed, Dean Conder, Tobi Stubbs, Harper Heyman, Paul Bailey, Natalie Harrison, Phil Wright, Christoph Cordell, Albert Tang, Sandeep Mohan, Sammy Measom, Courtney Fearon, Gideon Tekeste, Rich Goble, and Abram Welsh in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

8.1

Set Decorator

2011

 

Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

7.7

Set Decorator

2010

 

Michael Gambon, Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

7.6

Set Decorator

2009

 

Rupert Grint, Matthew Lewis, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Bonnie Wright, and Evanna Lynch in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

7.5

Set Decorator

2007

 

Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Clémence Poésy, Robert Pattinson, and Stanislav Yanevski in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

7.7

Set Decorator

2005

 

Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

7.9

Set Decorator

2004

 

Rupert Grint, Toby Jones, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

7.5

Set Decorator

2002

 

Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Richard Harris, Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

7.7

Set Decorator

2001

 

Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche in Chocolat (2000)

Chocolat

7.2

Set Decorator

2000

 

Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in Notting Hill (1999)

Notting Hill

7.2

Set Decorator

1999

 

The Avengers (1998)

The Avengers

3.8

Set Decorator

1998

 

John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin in Fierce Creatures (1997)

Fierce Creatures

6.4

Set Decorator

1997

 

Sandra Bullock and Chris O'Donnell in In Love and War (1996)

In Love and War

5.9

Set Decorator

1996

 

Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas in The English Patient (1996)

The English Patient

7.4

Set Decorator

1996

 

Julia Roberts in Mary Reilly (1996)

Mary Reilly

5.8

Set Decorator

1996

 

Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger in Shadowlands (1993)

Shadowlands

7.3

Set Decorator

1993

 

Andrew Knott, Kate Maberly, and Heydon Prowse in The Secret Garden (1993)

The Secret Garden

7.3

Set Decorator

1993

 

Penelope Ann Miller and Tim Daly in Year of the Comet (1992)

Year of the Comet

5.8

Set Decorator

1992

 

Liam Neeson and Laura San Giacomo in Under Suspicion (1991)

Under Suspicion

6.4

Set Decorator

1991

 

Dealers (1989)

Dealers

5.4

Set Decorator

1989

 

John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin in A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

A Fish Called Wanda

7.5

Set Decorator

1988

 

David Huddleston in Santa Claus (1985)

Santa Claus

6.3

Set Decorator

1985

 

Paul McCartney in Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984)

Give My Regards to Broad Street

5.2

Set Decorator

1984

 

Art Department

Robert Downey Jr. in Chaplin (1992)

Chaplin

7.5

set decorator: London

1992

 

Harrison Ford, Anne Archer, and Sean Bean in Patriot Games (1992)

Patriot Games

6.8

set dresser: UK

1992

 

Matt Dillon and Sean Young in A Kiss Before Dying (1991)

A Kiss Before Dying

5.7

set dresser

1991

 

Kristin Scott Thomas, Rupert Graves, and James Wilby in A Handful of Dust (1988)

A Handful of Dust

6.6

set dresser (as Stephanie McMillan)

1988

 

Farrah Fawcett in Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (1987)

Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story

6.9

TV Movie

set decorator: Europe & Africa

1987

 

Thanks

Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 1: The Magic Begins (2009)

Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 1: The Magic Begins

8.0

Video

special thanks

2009

 

Self

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter

6.5

Video

Self

2012

 

Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 1: The Magic Begins (2009)

Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 1: The Magic Begins

8.0

Video

Self - Set Decorator

2009

 

The 69th Annual Academy Awards (1997)

The 69th Annual Academy Awards

6.4

TV Special

Self - Winner

1997

 

Archive Footage

Ellen DeGeneres in The Oscars (2014)

The Oscars

7.7

TV Special

Self - Set Decorator (In Memoriam) (archive footage)

2014

 

TCM Remembers 2013

Music Video

Selfset decorator (archive footage)

2013