Biography
Costume designer Richard Hornung was nominated for an Oscar in 1992 for clothing the characters of the Coen brothers'
Barton Fink (1991). Before launching his career in New York as a costume painter and dyer, the Bethlehem, PA, native earned an M.F.A. in design from the University of Illinois. On Broadway, Hornung first worked as an assistant designer on shows such as Brighton Beach Memoirs before becoming a full-fledged costume designer on productions like Candida. It was the Coen brothers who gave Hornung his break in movies on
Raising Arizona (1986). He would continue designing for Coen films with
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994). Hornung worked with other filmmakers too, including
Oliver Stone on
Nixon (1995) and
Stephen Frears on
The Grifters (1990). Hornung's final screen designs can be seen in
City Hall (1996). Hornung died of complications from AIDS on December 30, 1995. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide