James Horner backdrop
SOUND . Sound . 61 years (deceased) . Los Angeles, California, USA

James Horner_

OSCAR WINNER Los Angeles, California, USA

"Born — Died "

Born Los Angeles, California, USA
Birthday
61
Lived
50
Credits
Sound
Known For
0.8
Popularity
Updated Feb 20, 2026

Details

Known For
Sound
Occupations
Conductor, Composer
Birthday
(Friday)
Died
Birthplace
Los Angeles, California, USA
Nationality
Citizenship
United States
Languages
English
Spouse
Sara Horner
Children
3 children: Becky Horner, Emily Horner
Parents
Harry Horner
Sibling
Christopher Horner
Residences
Arizona, London, Los Angeles
Education
USC Thornton School of Music, American Film Institute, Verde Valley School, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music
Zodiac Sign
♌ Leo
Chinese Zodiac
蛇 Snake
Name Origin
English < Latin < Ancient Greek < Hebrew (יַעֲקֹב)
Popularity
Tier B -- 51,422 Wikipedia views/month

DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Birthday twin
Shares a birthday (August 14) with Halle Berry
Halle Berry →
Notable
101 total credits -- top 1% among A-tier people
Screen debut
First screen credit at age 56
Year context
Born in 1953 -- Korean War armistice; DNA double helix structure discovered; Dwight D. Eisenhower was US president
Year 1953 →
Zodiac
Born in the Year of the Snake

Filmography (50)

Southpaw
Southpaw
2015 / Film
Composer
Living in the Age of Airplanes
Living in the Age of Airplanes
2015 / Film
Composer
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
2012 / Film
Composer
Titanic 3D
Titanic 3D
2012 / Film
Composer
Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora
Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora
2010 / Film
Self
The Karate Kid
The Karate Kid
2010 / Film
Composer
Avatar
Avatar
2009 / Film
Composer
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
2008 / Film
Composer
All the King's Men
All the King's Men
2006 / Film
Composer
The Legend of Zorro
The Legend of Zorro
2005 / Film
Composer

AWARDS (23)

G
Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score
1998
WON
B
Satellite Award for Best Original Song
1998
WON
G
Academy Award for Best Original Song
1998
WON
G
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
1998
WON

Biography

James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953–June 22, 2015) was an American film composer and conductor. He worked on more than 160 film and television productions between 1978 and 2015. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements alongside traditional orchestrations and for his use of motifs associated with Celtic music. Horner won two Academy Awards for his musical composition to James Cameron's Titanic (1997), which became the best-selling orchestral film soundtrack of all time. He also wrote the score for the highest-grossing film of all time, Cameron's Avatar (2009). Horner's other Oscar-nominated scores were for Aliens (1986), An American Tail (1986), Field of Dreams (1989), Apollo 13 (1995), Braveheart (1995), A Beautiful Mind (2001), and House of Sand and Fog (2003). Horner's other notable scores include Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Willow (1988), The Land Before Time (1988), Glory (1989), The Rocketeer (1991), Legends of the Fall (1994), Jumanji (1995), Casper (1995), Balto (1995), The Mask of Zorro (1998), Deep Impact (1998), The Perfect Storm (2000), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Troy (2004), The New World (2005), The Legend of Zorro (2005), Apocalypto (2006), The Karate Kid (2010), and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012). Horner collaborated on multiple projects with directors including James Cameron, Don Bluth, Ron Howard, Joe Johnston, Edward Zwick, Walter Hill, Mel Gibson, Vadim Perelman, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Nicholas Meyer, Wolfgang Petersen, Martin Campbell, Phil Nibbelink, and Simon Wells; producers including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, David Kirschner, Brian Grazer, Jon Landau, and Lawrence Gordon; and songwriters including Will Jennings, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil. Adding to his two Academy Awards wins, Horner also won six Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, and was nominated for three BAFTA Awards. Horner, who was an avid pilot, was killed in a single-fatality crash while flying his Short Tucano turboprop aircraf

Frequently Asked Questions

How old was James Horner?
James Horner was born on and passed away on at the age of 61.
Where was James Horner born?
James Horner was born in Los Angeles, California, USA.
What movies or shows has James Horner been in?
James Horner has 50 credits in our database. Notable titles include Southpaw (2015), Living in the Age of Airplanes (2015), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), Titanic 3D (2012), Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora (2010).
What is James Horner known for?
James Horner is primarily known as sound. James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953–June 22, 2015) was an American film composer and conductor. He worked on more than 160 film and television productions…
Where can I find more information about James Horner?
You can find more about James Horner on IMDB, TMDB, Wikidata. Their full profile and filmography is available on this page.
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