Roy Christopher, Famed Production Designer Behind Tony Awards, Oscars and ‘Murphy Brown,’ Dies at 85
Roy Christopher, the a number of Emmy-winning manufacturing designer behind quite a few awards reveals in addition to “Murphy Brown,” “Frasier,” and “Wings,” died on Feb. 2. He was 85.
A rep confirmed to Variety that Christopher died in his sleep.
Nelson Coates, President of the Art Director’s Guild mentioned, “Roy Christopher was a legendary designer & gentleman who consistently raised the bar for excellence in production design through his career and by mentoring of the next generation of designers. He was a major influencer on popular culture and the visual presentation of our industry to the world.”
After graduating from California State University Fresno in 1957, Christopher started his profession as an artwork director, engaged on “The Name of the Game” in 1970. That identical 12 months, he would work on “Jack Benny’s 20th Anniversary TV Special,” and in 1979, Christopher landed the job of artwork director at the Oscars, creating the idea design behind the 51st Annual Academy Awards.
Christopher segued into manufacturing design within the late ’70s and labored on designing the units for 1986’s 58th Annual Academy Awards “Wings” and “Murphy Brown.”
As he continued to work on creating the look of the Academy Awards, Christopher labored on over 16 Oscars telecasts, setting a report for any manufacturing designer. And it was in that area of designing that he would depart his legacy.
Christopher would usually start his technique of designing the units for the telecast earlier than a number could be introduced. He would watch TV whereas he sat with a pad and his Pentel pen.
Christopher incessantly collaborated with producer Gil Cates on methods to maintain the Oscars recent. Oftentimes, he introduced between 200-300 thumbnail sketches as they formulated concepts for the present. Christopher was the mastermind behind Chris Rock’s space-age search for the 77th Academy Awards, and the next 12 months he went retro, “like old movie theaters.”
Throughout his profession that spanned 5 a long time, he acquired 37 Emmy nominations and gained 10. In 2017, the Television Academy inducted Christopher into their Hall of Fame.
In an interview with the Television Academy, Christopher mentioned, “I’d like to teach designers how to read a script, how to break it down, how to think. What they’re really paying for is your mind. They want you to be able to take verbal stuff, written stuff, and translate it into verbal terms — that’s an art. Open your mind to that. Read a poem and paint it.”
Christopher’s distinguished profession was acknowledged by his alumni in 2007 when he acquired an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts diploma from Fresno State and the California State University.
Throughout his profession, Christopher had a love for theater. He designed the units for “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks” which starred “Frasier’s” David Hyde Pierce at the Geffen Playhouse, and he was the mastermind behind the units of “110 In the Shade” when that opened at the Pasadena Playhouse.
The veteran was honored by the Art Directors Guild in 2004 with a Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating his profession and work.
He is survived by his spouse, Dorothy.
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