Composer
John Williams
Born 8 February 1932 · Queens, New York City, New York, USA
John Williams (born 1932) is an American composer and conductor, one of the most celebrated film composers in history. He is best known for his long collaborations with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, and for orchestral themes that defined blockbuster cinema, including Star Wars, Jaws and Indiana Jones.
Key films
Jaws (1975)
His menacing two-note motif became a landmark of film scoring and won him his second Academy Award.
Star Wars (1977)
A revival of grand symphonic scoring that launched a decades-long saga and won an Academy Award.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Introduced the Raiders March, the heroic theme that anchored the Indiana Jones franchise.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
An emotional, soaring score with Spielberg that earned him another Academy Award.
Schindler's List (1993)
A restrained, mournful score showing his dramatic range; it won his fifth Academy Award.
Key awards
- 1971 Academy Award for Best Score (Fiddler on the Roof)
- 1975 Academy Award for Best Original Score (Jaws)
- 1977 Academy Award for Best Original Score (Star Wars)
- 1982 Academy Award for Best Original Score (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial)
- 1993 Academy Award for Best Original Score (Schindler's List)
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 200
- 1958Daddy-OComposer
- 1960Because They're YoungComposer
- 1960I Passed for WhiteComposer
- 1961The Secret WaysComposer
- 1961Bachelor FlatComposer
- 1962Diamond HeadComposer
- 1962Flashing SpikesComposer
- 1963Gidget Goes to RomeComposer
- 1964The KillersComposer
- 1964Nightmare in ChicagoComposer
- 1965None But the BraveComposer
- 1965John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!Composer
- 1965The Kathryn Reed StoryComposer
- 1966How to Steal a MillionComposer
- 1966The Rare BreedComposer
- 1966PenelopeComposer
- 1966Not With My Wife, You Don't!Composer
- 1966The PlainsmanComposer
- 1967Valley of the DollsComposer
- 1967A Guide for the Married ManComposer
- 1967FitzwillyComposer
- 1967GhostbreakersComposer
- 1968HeidiComposer
- 1968Sergeant RykerComposer
- 1969The ReiversComposer
- 1969Goodbye, Mr. ChipsComposer
- 1969Daddy's Gone A-HuntingComposer
- 1970Jane EyreComposer
- 1970Story of a WomanComposer
- 1971Fiddler on the RoofComposer
- 1972The Poseidon AdventureComposer
- 1972The CowboysComposer
- 1972ImagesComposer
- 1972Pete 'n' TillieComposer
- 1972The Screaming WomanComposer
- 1973The Long GoodbyeComposer
- 1973The Paper ChaseComposer
- 1973Tom SawyerComposer
- 1973The Man Who Loved Cat DancingComposer
- 1973Cinderella LibertyComposer
- 1974The Towering InfernoComposer
- 1974The Sugarland ExpressComposer
- 1974EarthquakeComposer
- 1974ConrackComposer
- 1975JawsComposer
- 1975The Eiger SanctionComposer
- 1976Family PlotComposer
- 1976MidwayComposer
- 1976The Missouri BreaksComposer
- 1977Star WarsComposer
- 1977Close Encounters of the Third KindComposer
- 1977Black SundayComposer
- 1977The Royal Variety Performance 1977Actor
- 1978SupermanComposer
- 1978Jaws 2Composer
- 1978The FuryComposer
- 19791941Composer
- 1979DraculaComposer
- 1980The Empire Strikes BackComposer
- 1980SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back · as SelfActor
- 1980Star Wars: Music by John Williams · as SelfActor
- 1980The Making of The Empire Strikes Back · as SelfActor
- 1981Raiders of the Lost ArkComposer
- 1981HeartbeepsComposer
- 1982E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialComposer
- 1982MonsignorComposer
- 1983Return of the JediComposer
- 1983From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga · as SelfActor
- 1984Indiana Jones and the Temple of DoomComposer
- 1984The RiverComposer
- 1986SpaceCampComposer
- 1986Amazing StoriesComposer
- 1987Empire of the SunComposer
- 1987The Witches of EastwickComposer
- 1988The Accidental TouristComposer
- 1989Indiana Jones and the Last CrusadeComposer
- 1989Born on the Fourth of JulyComposer
- 1989AlwaysComposer
- 1989The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball · as SelfActor
- 1990Home AloneComposer
- 1990Presumed InnocentComposer
- 1990Stanley & IrisComposer
- 1991HookComposer
- 1991JFKComposer
- 1992Home Alone 2: Lost in New YorkComposer
- 1992Far and AwayComposer
- 1993Jurassic ParkComposer
- 1993Schindler's ListComposer
- 1995SabrinaComposer
- 1995NixonComposer
- 1995The Making of 'Jaws' · as SelfActor
- 1995The Hollywood Soundtrack Story · as SelfActor
- 1996SleepersComposer
- 1996The Making of 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' · as SelfActor
- 1996The Making of '1941' · as SelfActor
- 1997The Lost World: Jurassic ParkComposer
- 1997Seven Years in TibetComposer
- 1997AmistadComposer
- 1997RosewoodComposer
- 1997The Making of 'The Lost World' · as SelfActor
- 1997In the Teeth of Jaws · as SelfActor
- 1997Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery · as SelfActor
- 1998Saving Private RyanComposer
- 1998StepmomComposer
- 1999Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom MenaceComposer
- 1999Angela's AshesComposer
- 1999The Unfinished JourneyComposer
- 2000The PatriotComposer
- 2001Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneComposer
- 2001A.I. Artificial IntelligenceComposer
- 2001The Beginning: The Making of Star Wars Episode I · as SelfActor
- 2001The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' · as SelfActor
- 2001Taking Flight: The Development of 'Superman' · as SelfActor
- 2001Making 'Superman': Filming the Legend · as SelfActor
- 2001Plotting 'Family Plot' · as SelfActor
- 2002Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsComposer
- 2002Catch Me If You CanComposer
- 2002Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the ClonesComposer
- 2002Minority ReportComposer
- 2002The Music of E.T.: A Discussion with John Williams · as SelfActor
- 2003Catch Me If You Can: Behind the Camera · as SelfActor
- 2003The Music of 'Indiana Jones' · as SelfActor
- 2003Building a SceneActor
- 2004Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanComposer
- 2004The TerminalComposer
- 2004Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy · as SelfActor
- 2004When Star Wars Ruled the World · as SelfActor
- 2004Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball? · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2004The Revamping of Dracula · as SelfActor
- 2005Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the SithComposer
- 2005War of the WorldsComposer
- 2005Memoirs of a GeishaComposer
- 2005MunichComposer
- 2005Star Wars: A Musical JourneyActor
- 2005Within a Minute: The Making of Star Wars Episode III · as SelfActor
- 2006Superman II: The Richard Donner CutComposer
- 2006You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman · as SelfActor
- 2006Frankie Laine: An American Dreamer · as SelfActor
- 2007Love Will Tear Us ApartActor
- 2008Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal SkullComposer
- 2008Production Diary: Making of 'The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'Composer
- 2009The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story · as SelfActor
- 2009The Shark Is Still Working · as SelfActor
- 2009No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos · as SelfActor
- 2009Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me · as Self - PerformerActor
- 2010Jaws: The Inside Story · as SelfActor
- 2010Deconstructing Dad: The Music, Machines and Mystery of Raymond Scott · as SelfActor
- 2010Music · as SelfActor
- 2011The Adventures of TintinComposer
- 2011War HorseComposer
- 2011Return to Jurassic Park · as SelfActor
- 2011LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan MenaceComposer
- 2011AFI's Master Class - The Art of Collaboration: Steven Spielberg and John Williams · as SelfActor
- 2011A Conversation with the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later · as SelfActor
- 2012LincolnComposer
- 2012The 'E.T.' Journals · as SelfActor
- 2013The Book ThiefComposer
- 2013Lincoln: An American Journey · as SelfActor
- 2013Tanglewood 75th Anniversary Celebration · as HimselfActor
- 2015Star Wars: The Force AwakensComposer
- 2015A John Williams Celebration · as SelfActor
- 2016The BFGComposer
- 2016HoshinoComposer
- 2016John Williams at the BBC · as selfActor
- 2016John Williams: The Seventh Symphony · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2017Star Wars: The Last JediComposer
- 2017The PostComposer
- 2017Spielberg · as SelfActor
- 2017Score: A Film Music Documentary · as SelfActor
- 2018Leonard Bernstein Centennial Celebration at Tanglewood · as Self - ConductorActor
- 2019Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker · as Oma TresActor
- 2019Star Wars: The Rise of SkywalkerComposer
- 2019Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2019Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge - Adventure Awaits · as SelfActor
- 2020The Skywalker Legacy · as SelfActor
- 2020John Williams: Live in Vienna · as Self - ConductorActor
- 2020A World Without Beethoven? · as SelfActor
- 2021John Williams: The Berlin Concert · as SelfActor
- 2022The FabelmansComposer
- 2022Ennio · as SelfActor
- 2022If These Walls Could Sing · as SelfActor
- 2022The Stories of West Side Story · as SelfActor
- 2022Fiddler's Journey to the Big Screen · as selfActor
- 2022Anne-Sophie Mutter, John Williams & Friends: Beethoven and Williams · as selbstActor
- 2022Piano CinémaComposer
- 2022Williams: Violin Concerto No. 2 & Selected Film Themes · as Self - ConductorActor
- 2022OSN: Il ballo al Cinema con John AxelrodComposer
- 2023Indiana Jones and the Dial of DestinyComposer
- 2023Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford · as SelfActor
- 2023The Making of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny · as SelfActor
- 2023The Fabelmans: A Family in Film · as SelfActor
- 2023Anne-Sophie Mutter - Vivace · as SelfActor
- 2024Music by John Williams · as Self - ComposerActor
- 2024John Williams in Tokyo · as SelfActor
- 2024John Williams: A Legacy In Sound · as SelfActor
- 2024Henry Mancini: 100 at the Hollywood Bowl · as SelfActor
- 2025Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story · as SelfActor
- 2025The Cinema of John Williams (Indiana Jones, E.T., Star Wars and more)Composer
- 2025OSN: Musiche dall'America con Gianna Fratta e Alessandro TavernaComposer
- 2026Disclosure DayComposer
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.