| Justin Hurwitz Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 11 in |
| Weight | 71 kg |
| Date of Birth | January 22, 1985 |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Justin Hurwitz is an American film composer and television writer, best known for composing the score for the movie La La Land (2016), starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, 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.
Born Name
Justin Gabriel Hurwitz
Nick Name
Justin
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Born Place
Los Angeles, California, United States
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.
Occupation
Film Composer, Screenwriter
Family
- Father – Ken Hurwitz (Writer)
- Mother – Gail née Halabe Hurwitz (Ballet Dancer, Nurse)
- Others – Herman (Grandfather) (Jazz Saxophonist)
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
- Varèse Sarabande
-
Back Lot Music
-
Editions Milan Music
-
Milan Records
-
Mis. Label
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 11 in or 181 cm
Weight
71 kg or 156.5 lbs
Race / Ethnicity
Multiracial (White and Middle Eastern)
Justin has Polish, Russian, Lebanese, and Syrian ancestry.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Distinctive Features
- Undercut haircut
- Slim physique
Religion
Judaism
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 – IMDb, Reddit AMA
Justin Hurwitz Facts
- He met and was roommates with Damien Chazelle 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 Claire Foy, Christopher Abbott, and Kyle Chandler. 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 Miles Teller, Austin Stowell, and Melissa Benoist 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.
- In January 2022, it was revealed that Justin had filed a lawsuit against talent agency, WME, claiming that they cheated him out of profits from live performances of the La La Land score.
- Follow his work on Spotify.
Featured Image by uGo and Play / YouTube
