Thomas Newman

Even his brother, David Newman, is involved with music. But if anyone was up to the challenges presented by his family reputation, it has been Thomas Newman and he has become a prolific and highly respected composer in his own right. In 1994, he was twice nominated for the Oscar, one for Little Women and the other for The War. He was born and raised in Los Angeles. He launched his music career following studies at the University of Southern California and Yale, gaining experience with several bands. In 1984, he contributed his first few songs for the features Reckless and Revenge of the Nerds and wrote his first full-fledged score for Grandview, U.S.A. (all 1984). Newman has often worked with producer/director Jon Avnet, on such films as Fried Green Tomatoes (1992). A double Oscar nominee in 1995 for his work on Little Women and The Shawshank Redemption, Newman was subsequently nominated for his scores to Unstrung Heroes (1995), American Beauty (2000) and The Road to Perdition (2002). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide