Rosanna Norton, Oscar-Nominated Costume Designer of ‘Tron,’ ‘Carrie,’ Dies at 80

Rosanna Norton, the costume designer who earned an Oscar nomination for her work on the 1982 film “Tron” and created Sissy Spacek’s famous prom dress from “Carrie,” passed away from cancer on May 7 in Los Angeles. She was 80 years old.

She has early achievements in costume design, such as collaborating with Terrence Malick on “Badlands” and working with Brian de Palma on both “Carrie” and “Phantom of the Paradise.

She mentioned in an interview about “Carrie” that they were broke, but she managed to find several prom outfits at a closing store in the Valley. However, she had a seamstress alter a plain pastel pink satin dress for Carrie’s character, changing it from the red described in the book to make a more dramatic impact with the blood splatter seen on Spacek.

During that period, elaborate designs such as prom dresses and bridesmaid gowns were quite intricate with frills and embellishments. However, I aimed to create a bias-cut dress that was strikingly simple and appeared homemade. It featured minimal adornments and was reminiscent of the elegant 1930s style. My intention was for her to stand out while still looking beautiful, yet all the other girls were dressed in frilly, fancy, gathered dresses that resembled teenage attire.”

“I wanted her to look unique among the crowd, but also timeless and elegant, which is why I opted for a simpler design.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Norton was a Bruin at UCLA when she crossed paths with her future spouse, Bill Norton. As a creative professional, Norton was the screenwriter and director behind the movie “Cisco Pike,” where she showcased her talents as both the production designer and costume designer.

She joined the Costume Directors Guild in 1975 and went on to mentor many members of the guild.

In a statement from the guild, Norton expressed her good fortune for meeting film directors Brian de Palma and Terry Malick, which ultimately led to her involvement in several excellent projects. She admitted that if not for these connections, she might have pursued a career as a painter instead.

Among over fifty movies to her name, notable roles were in “The Stuntman,” “Tron,” co-credited with Elois Jenssen, and earned an Academy Award nomination in 1983. She also starred in the live-action adaptation of “The Flintstones.

Norton’s list of accomplishments extends to a variety of films such as “The Brady Bunch Movie,” “Innerspace,” “Airplane!” and its sequel, “Airplane II,” “RoboCop 2,” “Casper,” “The Patriot,” and “The ‘Burbs.

After retiring as a costume designer, Norton returned to painting.

She is survived by two children and five grandchildren.

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2025-05-10 03:00