Born on
October 20, 1955, Thomas Montgomery Newman shares his profession with several other members of his family. The son of
Alfred Newman, who
composed music for
films since the early
1930s up until his death in 1970, he is also the
nephew of
Lionel Newman and
Emil Newman, both major
Hollywood music directors, as well as the
cousin of
Randy Newman, a musician most well-known as the composer and songwriter for children's pictures including
Toy Story,
A Bug's Life, and
Monsters, Inc.
Newman grew up in
Los Angeles and attended college at the
University of Southern California, finally earning a
masters in music from
Yale. He played in multiple bands, including
The Innocents and
Tokyo 77 and did work in
theater, where his talent was recognized by
Broadway composer
Stephen Sondheim in his score for a theatrical
production entitled
Three Mean Fairy Tales.
Newman's breakthrough into mainstream film music occured in 1983, when his uncle allowed him the opportunity to
orchestrate cues to
John Williams's
score during the final scene of
Return of the Jedi. Soon afterward, a friend asked Newman to assist with scoring for the 1984 film
Reckless, his first
motion picture score.
Perhaps most remarkable about Newman is his unique style of
composition. In addition to traditional
orchestral instrumentation, Newman often makes use of exotic, decidedly non-traditional sounds in his
soundtracks, venturing into unique ethnic and electronic flavors that add an energetic distinction to even the most mundane of film settings.
During the 1990s, Newman began to gain distinction as one of the most talented and innovative composers in Hollywood. His score for 1992's
Scent of a Woman, earned him much mainstream recognition, as well as a
BMI Film Music Award (an honor which he would recieve multiple times for later works). His haunting soundtracks for
The Shawshank Redemption and
Little Women were both nominated for
Oscars in 1994. He has scored music for the opening title sequences of the
television programs
Six Feet Under and
Boston Public, though Newman's most famous and, argueably, best work was for
Sam Mendes's 1999 film
American Beauty, which, in addition to be nominated for an Oscar, also won a
Grammy for Best Soundtrack.
Complete Filmography:
1984 -
Reckless,
Grandview, U.S.A,
Revenge of the Nerds
1985 -
Desperately Seeking Susan,
Girls Just Want to Have Fun,
The Man With One Red Shoe,
Real Genius
1986 -
Jumpin' Jack Flash,
Gung Ho
1987 -
Light of Day,
The Lost Boys,
Less Than Zero
1988 -
The Great Outdoors,
The Prince of Pennsylvania
1989 -
Cookie
1990 -
Men Don't Leave,
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael,
Naked Tango
1991 -
Career Opportunities,
The Rapture,
Decieved,
The Linguini Incident,
Fried Green Tomatoes
1992 -
The Player,
Whispers in the Dark,
Scent of a Woman
1993 -
Flesh and Bone,
Josh and S.A.M.
1994 -
Threesome,
The Favor,
Corrina, Corinna,
The Shawshank Redemption,
The War,
Little Women
1995 -
Unstrung Heroes,
How to Make an American Quilt
1996 -
Up Close and Personal,
Phenomenon,
American Buffalo,
The People vs. Larry Flynt
1997 -
Mad City,
Red Corner,
Oscar and Lucinda
1998 -
The Horse Whisperer,
Meet Joe Black
1999 -
American Beauty,
The Green Mile
2000 -
Erin Brockovich,
My Khmer Heart,
Pay It Forward
2001 -
In The Bedroom
2002 -
The Salton Sea,
Road to Perdition,
White Oleander