‘King Kong’ costume designer, Anthea Sylbert, dies at 84

Sylbert, an Oscar-nominated costume designer turned film producer, passed away at the age of 84.

According to Variety, her death was confirmed by director Robert Romanus, who directed a documentary about her life.

Sylbert's work as a costume designer left an indelible mark on the film industry during the late 1960s and 1970s.

Her notable projects included King Kong, Chinatown, Rosemary’s Baby, Carnal Knowledge, and many others.

She received two Academy Award nominations for Best Costume Design, one for Chinatown at the 47th Academy Awards and another for Julia at the 50th Academy Awards.

Throughout her career spanning over three decades, Sylbert contributed to 21 films as a costume designer including The Last Tycoon starring Robert De Niro, Julia with Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave, and F.I.S.T. featuring Sylvester Stallone.

Following her costume designing passion, Sylbert transitioned into film production. In 1977, she joined Warner Bros. as VP of special projects and was later promoted to vice president of production at the studio.

By 1980, she was serving as VP of production at United Artists. In 1982, she became an independent producer, partnering with Goldie Hawn.

Sylbert married actor Richard Romanus in 1985. He passed away in December 2023.