Justin Hurwitz is an American film composer and television writer, best known for composing the score for the movie La La Land (2016), starring and , for which he won 2 Oscars for “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures” and “Best Original Song” for City of Stars song he composed for the soundtrack. He also won 2 Golden Globe Awards for the same achievements in 2017, along with a BAFTA Award for “Best Film Music”.
Justin’s other notable composer credits include Whiplash (2014), Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009), and First Man (2018), a story of the astronaut Neil Armstrong, for which he won a Golden Globe Award for “Best Original Score” in 2019. As a television writer, he wrote comedy for The League sitcom in 2011 and 1 episode of The Simpsons the same year. In 2017, Justin wrote and produced 10 episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, a comedy TV series broadcast by HBO.
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Residence
Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality
Education
Justin attended Nicolet High School in Glendale, Wisconsin, United States.
He then enrolled and later graduated from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, with a specialization in music theory, composition, counterpoint, and orchestration.
Manager
Justin Hurwitz is represented by –
- William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment in Beverly Hills, California, United States
- MAKE GOOD Content in Los Angeles, California, United States
- Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush & Kaller (Legal Representative), Beverly Hills, California, United States
Genre
Stage & Screen, Jazz
Instruments
Piano
Labels
Distinctive Features
- Undercut haircut
- Slim physique
Best Known For
- Being a film composer for La La Land (2016), and Whiplash (2014), First Man (2018)
- Winning 2 Academy Awards (Oscars) and 2 Golden Globe Awards for La La Land (2016) in 2017
- Being a screenwriter for TV series such as The League and The Simpsons in 2011
- Winning a Golden Globe Award for “Best Original Score” for First Man (2018) in 2019
As a Music Composer
The first film he composed music for was a black-and-white romantic musical named Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, released in 2009.
First TV Show
His first television credit as a screenwriter was in an episode of The Simpsons TV series in 2011, titled The Falcon and the D’ohman.
Justin Hurwitz Favorite Things
- Movies – The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), West Side Story (1961)
- Movie Score – Chinatown (1974)
- Melody Writer – John Williams
Source – ,
Justin Hurwitz Facts
- He met and was roommates with during the time he attended Harvard University. That led to him scoring 3 of Damien’s movies – Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009), Whiplash (2014), and La La Land (2016), for which Damien won the Oscar Award for “Best Achievement in Directing” in 2017, and was the youngest director to achieve that.
- He started playing piano at the age of 6 and composing when he was 10, then stopped for a while. After his high school education ended, he came back to it and started studying music at college.
- During his time at college, he was a member of the Harvard Lampoon, an undergraduate humor publication, and an original member of Chester French, an indie-pop band that Damien Chazelle was also a part of.
- The piano Justin grew up playing was a 1920s Steinway M, and it is still located in his apartment as of 2019.
- Ryan Gosling had the lead role in another movie Justin composed, First Man (2018) alongside , , and . The movie tells the story of the legendary mission that made Neil Armstrong the first man to walk on the Moon in 1969.
- Well-known actors such as ,, and starred in the movie he composed, Whiplash (2014).
- He said that the most challenging part about composing is the early stage where he has to find the right melodies. He did hundreds of piano demos trying to find the right themes for the movies he was a film composer for, and only a tiny fraction of them made the cut.
- Justin said that his inspiration for the score in La La Land (2016) were well-known Holywood musicals such as Singin’ in the Rain (1952), Top Hat (1935), Swing Time (1936), and The Band Wagon (1953).
- The song from the soundtrack, Herman’s Habit, was named after his grandfather, who was a jazz saxophonist named Herman. The word “habit” just sounded great to Justin, it had no particular meaning.
- Follow his work on .
Featured Image by uGo and Play / YouTube
Facts of Justin Gabriel Hurwitz
- Gender Male
- full nameJustin Gabriel Hurwitz
- nicknamesJustin
- birthplaceLos Angeles, California, United States
- ethnicity / ethnic backgroundPolish, Russian, Lebanese, and Syrian
- nationalityAmerican
- religionJudaism
- net worth$10 million
- professionFilm Composer, Screenwriter
- weight71 kg or 156.5 lbs
- height5 ft 11 in or 181 cm
- hair colorBlack
- eye colorDark Brown
- body type / buildSlim
- high schoolNicolet High School
- collegeHarvard University
- motherGail née Halabe Hurwitz
- fatherKen Hurwitz
- favorite moviesThe Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), West Side Story (1961)