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Oscar-winning British set and costume designer and director Tony Walton, best known for his work on Mary Poppins, passed away on March 2, 2022, at the age of 87.
Walton, one of the most honored and celebrated designers in Hollywood and Broadway who enjoyed a five-decade-long career, died following complications from a stroke. The news was confirmed by his step-daughter Bridget LeRoy and his official website.
Social media platforms were flooded with tributes as soon as his death was announced
Several celebrities took to Instagram and Twitter to pay homage to Tony Walton immediately after news of his demise made headlines.
The official Twitter page of The Museum of Broadway paid tribute to the designer, noting:
Actor Alec Baldwin, who was once directed by Walton in the play Equus, posted on Instagram:
Filipino costume designer Clint Ramos tweeted:
American actor Treat Williams, who worked with Walton on Prince of the City (1981), said:
A tweet from the official page of The Walt Disney Family Museum read:
American actress and singer Betty Buckley tweeted:
Author Mark Harris posted a tweet in remembrance of Walton.
Actress Bebe Neuwirth posted:
Tennis player Patrick McEnroe tweeted in memory of Walton:
Actress Judy Kuhn wrote on her Twitter account:
Tony Walton was honored with three Tony Awards, an Emmy and an Academy Award
Walton was born on October 24, 1935 in England. He later studied art and design at the Slade School of Fine Art in London.
Walton earned himself several Academy Award nominations with his work on movies like Mary Poppins (1964), The Wiz (1978), and Murder on the Orient Express (1974), later winning an Oscar for best art direction for All That Jazz in 1979.
Walton, a three-time Tony Award winner for set design (Pippin, 1973; The House of Blue Leaves, 1986; and Guys and Dolls, 1992), was also honored with 16 Tony Award nominations within a span of a little over three decades.
He also won an Emmy for Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie for his work on Death of a Salesman in 1985 and was elected to the Theater Hall of Fame in 1991.
Some of Walton's most notable designs for Broadway included Chicago, Pippin, Grand Hotel, Uncle Vanya, Annie Get Your Gun, The House of Blue Leaves, Guys and Dolls, Moonlight, and Ashes to Ashes.
He both directed and designed the hit revival of Where’s Charley? (2004), After the Ball (2004), The Importance of Being Earnest (1996), Major Barbara (1997). Other productions that were directed by Walton include Oops! The Big Apple Circus Stage Show (1999), Moby Dick Rehearsed (2005), Busker Alley (2006) and Equus (2010).
Tony Walton, who was married to English actress Julie Andrews from 1959 to 1967, is survived by his wife, the author Gen LeRoy Walton; two daughters, Emma Walton Hamilton and Bridget LeRoy; and five grandchildren. A private service will soon be organized in Sag Harbor, with a public event planned to be held at a later date.
