Barbara Ling, Oscar-Winning Production Designer for 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,' Dies at 73
The celebrated artist, who re-created 1969 Hollywood for Quentin Tarantino, died Thursday after a battle with cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“I want this to be real. I want to see. I want to smell and I feel that Hollywood. I don’t want to do green screen over here or have the digital interpretation.”
Oscar-winning production designer Barbara Ling has died at the age of 73, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter. She passed away on Thursday in Santa Barbara after a battle with cancer, a spokesperson for WME announced.
Ling was best known for her meticulous work on Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Production Design. She shared the Oscar with set decorator Nancy Haigh.
What was her approach to 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'?
In a 2019 interview, Ling detailed Tarantino's directive for the film's iconic look. "I want this to be real. I want to see. I want to smell and I feel that Hollywood. I don't want to do green screen over here or have the digital interpretation," she recalled him saying. Her mission was to build a tangible 1969 Los Angeles, from reconstructing the Pussycat Theater marquee on Hollywood Boulevard to reviving the Bruin Theater in Westwood. "It was quite an engineering feat," she said.
What other films did she work on?
Her career spanned more than four decades. Ling's credits include designing the fictional Gotham City for Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997), the contemporary Los Angeles of Falling Down (1993), and the period settings of The Doors (1991) and Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). She also recently worked on A Man Called Otto (2022) and the upcoming biopic Michael (2026).
Ling is survived by her wife, Lindsay, and their two sons, Clay and Will.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Barbara Ling die?
Barbara Ling died after a battle with cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A spokesperson for WME confirmed her passing on Thursday in Santa Barbara.
What was Barbara Ling's most famous project?
Barbara Ling won the Academy Award for Best Production Design for her work on Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, where she was tasked with re-creating 1969 Los Angeles in painstaking, practical detail.
What did Barbara Ling say about working with Quentin Tarantino?
Ling said Tarantino's main directive was authenticity. He wanted a real, tactile environment, not digital interpretations. She described the process of rebuilding period facades and signs on Hollywood Boulevard as "an engineering feat" that was "laborious but well worth it."
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