---
name: "Dean Tavoularis"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/dean-tavoularis"
fi1m_id: "dean-tavoularis"
imdb_id: "nm0851790"
tmdb_id: 2875
wikidata_id: "Q940271"
roles: ["Production designer"]
born: "18 May 1932"
died: "22 April 2026"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 10
average_fi1m_score: 83
average_over: 9
updated: "2026-09-26T17:08:29.493167+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Dean Tavoularis

## Identity

Dean Tavoularis

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/dean-tavoularis
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** dean-tavoularis
- **IMDb ID:** nm0851790
- **TMDB ID:** 2875
- **Wikidata ID:** Q940271
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Tavoularis, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q940271, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0851790/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2875

Production designer. Born 18 May 1932 in Lowell, Massachusetts, USA. Died 22 April 2026.

## Details

- **Work:** Production designer
- **Born:** 18 May 1932, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
- **Died:** 22 April 2026
- **Active:** 1967–1998
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 10: 9 crew, 1 other
- **Frequently works with:** [Francis Ford Coppola](https://film.one/person/francis-ford-coppola.md), [Al Pacino](https://film.one/person/al-pacino.md), [Mario Puzo](https://film.one/person/mario-puzo.md), [Diane Keaton](https://film.one/person/diane-keaton.md), [Frederic Forrest](https://film.one/person/frederic-forrest.md), [John Cazale](https://film.one/person/john-cazale.md), [John Milius](https://film.one/person/john-milius.md), [Marlon Brando](https://film.one/person/marlon-brando.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 4 nominated)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 88 (1), 1970s 88 (5), 1980s 78 (2), 1990s 74 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 83 to 76 across 9 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 9, Crime 6, Comedy 2, Adventure 1, Fantasy 1, Mystery 1
- **Screen time:** 21 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $785m across 9 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Tavoularis, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q940271, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0851790/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2875

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*The Godfather*](https://film.one/film/the-godfather.md) (93), [*Little Big Man*](https://film.one/film/little-big-man.md) (72)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Apocalypse Now*](https://film.one/film/apocalypse-now.md) (92), [*The Conversation*](https://film.one/film/the-conversation.md) (92)
- **Paramount+:** [*The Godfather Part II*](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-ii.md) (92), [*The Godfather Part III*](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-iii.md) (63)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse*](https://film.one/film/hearts-of-darkness-a-filmmakers-apocalypse.md) (84)
- **Tubi:** [*Peggy Sue Got Married*](https://film.one/film/peggy-sue-got-married.md) (79)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Dean Tavoularis was an American production designer and art director. Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, he grew up in Los Angeles and began his career at Walt Disney Studios as an in-betweener and storyboard artist before moving into live-action film work.

His first major credit as art director was on *Bonnie and Clyde* (1967). He collaborated extensively with Francis Ford Coppola, serving as production designer on thirteen films including *The Godfather* (1972), *The Godfather Part II* (1974), *The Conversation* (1974), *Apocalypse Now* (1979) and *The Godfather Part III* (1990). He received five Academy Award nominations for art direction and won for *The Godfather Part II*.

Tavoularis died in Paris in April 2026, aged 93. He was married to actress Aurore Clément, whom he met on the set of *Apocalypse Now*.

*Sources: nytimes.com, thetimes.com, deadline.com, en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (10)

### Crew (9) — the average rests on these

- *The Godfather Part III* (1990), Fi1m 63, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-iii.md)
- *Peggy Sue Got Married* (1986), Fi1m 79, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/peggy-sue-got-married.md)
- *Rumble Fish* (1983), Fi1m 77, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/rumble-fish.md)
- *Apocalypse Now* (1979), Fi1m 92, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/apocalypse-now.md)
- *The Conversation* (1974), Fi1m 92, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-conversation.md)
- *The Godfather Part II* (1974), Fi1m 92, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-ii.md)
- *The Godfather* (1972), Fi1m 93, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather.md)
- *Little Big Man* (1970), Fi1m 72, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/little-big-man.md)
- *Bonnie and Clyde* (1967), Fi1m 88, Art Direction — [page](https://film.one/film/bonnie-and-clyde.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse* (1991), Fi1m 84, as Self — [page](https://film.one/film/hearts-of-darkness-a-filmmakers-apocalypse.md)

## Complete filmography (38)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Family* (2023), Thanks
- *The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959* (2016), Production Design
- *Carnage* (2011), Production Design
- *Pina Colada* (2009), as Vincent Miller
- *Angel Eyes* (2001), Production Design
- *CQ* (2001), as Man at Screening (uncredited) · Production Design
- *The Ninth Gate* (1999), Production Design
- *The Parent Trap* (1998), Production Design
- *Bulworth* (1998), Production Design
- *Jack* (1996), Production Design
- *I Love Trouble* (1994), Production Design
- *Rising Sun* (1993), Production Design
- *Shelf Life* (1993), Production Design
- *The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980* (1992), Production Design
- *Final Analysis* (1992), Production Design
- *The Godfather Part III* (1990), Production Design — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-iii.md)
- *New York Stories* (1989), Production Design
- *Tucker: The Man and His Dream* (1988), Production Design
- *A Man in Love* (1987), Production Design
- *Gardens of Stone* (1987), Production Design
- *Peggy Sue Got Married* (1986), Production Design — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/peggy-sue-got-married.md)
- *Rumble Fish* (1983), Production Design — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/rumble-fish.md)
- *The Outsiders* (1983), Production Design
- *Hammett* (1982), Production Design
- *The Escape Artist* (1982), Production Design
- *One from the Heart* (1982), Production Design
- *Apocalypse Now* (1979), Production Design — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/apocalypse-now.md)
- *The Brink's Job* (1978), Production Design
- *Farewell, My Lovely* (1975), Production Design
- *The Godfather Part II* (1974), Production Design — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-ii.md)
- *The Conversation* (1974), Production Design — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/the-conversation.md)
- *The Godfather* (1972), Production Design — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather.md)
- *Little Big Man* (1970), Production Design — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/little-big-man.md)
- *Zabriskie Point* (1970), Production Design
- *Candy* (1968), as Art Direction
- *Petulia* (1968), as Art Direction
- *Bonnie and Clyde* (1967), as Art Direction — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/bonnie-and-clyde.md)
- *The Godfather: On Location*, Actor

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 4 nominated

- 1991: Best Production Design (nominated), for *The Godfather Part III*
- 1989: Best Production Design (nominated), for *Tucker: The Man and His Dream*
- 1980: Best Production Design (nominated), for *Apocalypse Now*
- 1979: Best Production Design (nominated), for *The Brink's Job*
- 1975: Best Production Design (won), for *The Godfather Part II*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/dean-tavoularis