Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story
2025 · Movie
as Self
John Williams
1932-02-08
•
Queens, New York City, New York, USA
John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932) is an American composer and conductor. In a career that has spanned seven decades, he has composed some of the most popular, recognizable, and critically acclaimed film scoresin cinema history. He has a distinct sound that mixes romanticism, impressionism and atonal music with complex orchestration. He is best known for his collaborations with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas and has received numerous accolades including 26 Grammy Awards, five Academy Awards, seven BAFTA Awards, three Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. With 54 Academy Award nominations, he is the second-most nominated person, after Walt Disney, and is the oldest Oscar nominee in any category, at 91 years old. Williams's early work as a film composer includes Valley of the Dolls (1967), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), Images and The Cowboys (both 1972), The Long Goodbye (1973) and The Towering Inferno (1974). He has collaborated with Spielberg since The Sugarland Express (1974), composing music for all but five of his feature films. He received five Academy Awards for Best Score for Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Jaws (1975), Star Wars (1977), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Schindler's List (1993). Other memorable collaborations with Spielberg include Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), the Indiana Jones franchise (1981–2023), Hook (1991), Jurassic Park (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Catch Me If You Can (2002), War Horse (2011), Lincoln (2012), and The Fabelmans (2022). He also scored Superman (1978), the first two Home Alone films (1990–1992), and the first three Harry Potter films (2001–2004). Williams has also composed numerous classical concertos and other works for orchestral ensembles and solo instruments. He served as the Boston Pops' principal conductor from 1980 to 1993 and is its laureate conductor. Other works by Williams include theme music for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games; NBC Sunday Night Football; "The Mission" theme (used by NBC News and Seven News in Australia); and the television series Lost in Space, Land of the Giants and Amazing Stories. Among other accolades, he has received the Kennedy Center Honor in 2004, the National Medal of the Arts in 2009 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2016. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1998, the Hollywood Bowl's Hall of Fame in 2000 and the American Classical Music Hall of Fame in 2004. He has composed the score for nine of the top 25 highest-grossing films at the U.S. box office. In 2022, Williams was appointed an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II, "for services to film music". In 2005, the American Film Institute placed Williams's score to Star Wars first on its list AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores; his scores for Jaws and E.T. also made the list. The Library of Congress entered the Star Wars soundtrack into the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Description above from the Wikipedia article John Williams, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
Music by John Williams
2024 · Movie
as Self - Composer
John Williams in Tokyo
2024 · Movie
as Self
2024 Disney Legends Awards Ceremony
2024 · Movie
as Self - Honoree
John Williams: A Legacy In Sound
2024 · Movie
as Self
Henry Mancini: 100 at the Hollywood Bowl
2024 · Movie
as Self
Anne-Sophie Mutter - Vivace
2023 · Movie
as Self
The Making of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
2023 · Movie
as Self
The Fabelmans: A Family in Film
2023 · Movie
as Self
Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford
2023 · Movie
as Self
Ennio
2022 · Movie
as Self
Fiddler's Journey to the Big Screen
2022 · Movie
as self
Williams: Violin Concerto No. 2 & Selected Film Themes
2022 · Movie
as Self - Conductor
The Stories of West Side Story
2022 · Movie
as Self
Anne-Sophie Mutter, John Williams & Friends: Beethoven and Williams
2022 · Movie
as selbst
If These Walls Could Sing
2022 · Movie
as Self
John Williams Live - Music from the Movies
2021 · Movie
John Williams: The Berlin Concert
2021 · Movie
as Self
The Skywalker Legacy
2020 · Movie
as Self
John Williams: Live in Vienna
2020 · Movie
as Self - Conductor
A World Without Beethoven?
2020 · Movie
as Self
Disney Gallery / Star Wars: The Mandalorian
2020 · TV Show
as Self - Composer (archive footage)
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
2019 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
2019 · Movie
as Oma Tres
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge - Adventure Awaits
2019 · Movie
as Self
Leonard Bernstein Centennial Celebration at Tanglewood
2018 · Movie
as Self - Conductor
Score: A Film Music Documentary
2017 · Movie
as Self
Spielberg
2017 · Movie
as Self
John Williams at the BBC
2016 · Movie
as self
John Williams: The Seventh Symphony
2016 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
A John Williams Celebration
2015 · Movie
as Self
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015 · TV Show
Lincoln: An American Journey
2013 · Movie
as Self
Tanglewood 75th Anniversary Celebration
2013 · Movie
as Himself
The 'E.T.' Journals
2012 · Movie
as Self
A Conversation with the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later
2011 · Movie
as Self
Return to Jurassic Park
2011 · Movie
as Self
AFI's Master Class - The Art of Collaboration: Steven Spielberg and John Williams
2011 · Movie
as Self
Deconstructing Dad: The Music, Machines and Mystery of Raymond Scott
2010 · Movie
as Self
Jaws: The Inside Story
2010 · Movie
as Self
Music
2010 · Movie
as Self
The Shark Is Still Working
2009 · Movie
as Self
No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos
2009 · Movie
as Self
The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story
2009 · Movie
as Self
Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me
2009 · Movie
as Self / Performer
No image
Love Will Tear Us Apart
2007 · Movie
Frankie Laine: An American Dreamer
2006 · Movie
as Self
You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman
2006 · Movie
as Self
Within a Minute: The Making of Star Wars Episode III
2005 · Movie
as Self
Star Wars: A Musical Journey
2005 · Movie
Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
2004 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
When Star Wars Ruled the World
2004 · Movie
as Self
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy
2004 · Movie
as Self
The Revamping of Dracula
2004 · Movie
as Self
Catch Me If You Can: Behind the Camera
2003 · Movie
as Self
The Music of 'Indiana Jones'
2003 · Movie
as Self
Building a Scene
2003 · Movie
The Music of E.T.: A Discussion with John Williams
2002 · Movie
as Self
The Beginning: The Making of Star Wars Episode I
2001 · Movie
as Self
Plotting 'Family Plot'
2001 · Movie
as Self
Taking Flight: The Development of 'Superman'
2001 · Movie
as Self
Making 'Superman': Filming the Legend
2001 · Movie
as Self
The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
2001 · Movie
as Self
Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery
1997 · Movie
as Self
In the Teeth of Jaws
1997 · Movie
as Self
The Making of 'The Lost World'
1997 · Movie
as Self
The Making of 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'
1996 · Movie
as Self
The Making of '1941'
1996 · Movie
as Self
The Making of 'Jaws'
1995 · Movie
as Self
No image
The Hollywood Soundtrack Story
1995 · Movie
as Self
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992 · TV Show
The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball
1989 · Movie
as Self
From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga
1983 · Movie
as Self
Star Wars: Music by John Williams
1980 · Movie
as Self
The Making of The Empire Strikes Back
1980 · Movie
as Self
SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back
1980 · Movie
as Self
The Kennedy Center Honors
1978 · TV Show
as Self
No image
The Royal Variety Performance 1977
1977 · Movie
Previn and the Pittsburgh
1977 · TV Show
as Self
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973 · TV Show
as Self
60 Minutes
1968 · TV Show
as Self
Playhouse 90
1956 · TV Show
as Self (Pianist)
The Oscars
1953 · TV Show
as Self
No image
Montage: Great Film Composers and The Piano
· Movie
Live at the Shrine! John Williams and the World Premiere of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: The 20th Anniversary
· Movie
as Self
Crew Credits
Disclosure Day
2026 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord
2026 · TV Show
Music
Jurassic World Rebirth
2025 · Movie
Music
Superman
2025 · Movie
Music
The Cinema of John Williams (Indiana Jones, E.T., Star Wars and more)
2025 · Movie
Original Music Composer
OSN: Musiche dall'America con Gianna Fratta e Alessandro Taverna
2025 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Music by John Williams
2024 · Movie
Music
Jonas Kaufmann: The Sound of Movies
2024 · Movie
Compositor
Jurassic World: Chaos Theory
2024 · TV Show
Main Title Theme Composer
LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy
2024 · TV Show
Music
Eastwood Symphonic
2023 · Movie
Music
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
2023 · Movie
Original Music Composer, Conductor, Orchestrator
Jurassic World Dominion
2022 · Movie
Main Title Theme Composer
Piano Cinéma
2022 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous: Hidden Adventure
2022 · Movie
Main Title Theme Composer
The Fabelmans
2022 · Movie
Original Music Composer
OSN: Il ballo al Cinema con John Axelrod
2022 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Obi-Wan Kenobi
2022 · TV Show
Main Title Theme Composer
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi
2022 · TV Show
Music
John Williams Live - Music from the Movies
2021 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Book of Boba Fett
2021 · TV Show
Music
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
2021 · TV Show
Music
For the Empire
2021 · TV Show
Music
John Williams: Live in Vienna
2020 · Movie
Music
LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special
2020 · Movie
Music
Battle at Big Rock
2019 · Movie
Main Title Theme Composer
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
2019 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
2017 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Dear Basketball
2017 · Movie
Music
The Post
2017 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Hoshino
2016 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The BFG
2016 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
2015 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Book Thief
2013 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Lincoln
2012 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Darth Maul Returns
2012 · Movie
Theme Song Performance
The Adventures of Tintin
2011 · Movie
Original Music Composer
War Horse
2011 · Movie
Original Music Composer
LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace
2011 · Movie
Original Music Composer
LEGO Star Wars: Bombad Bounty
2010 · Movie
Main Title Theme Composer
The Big Rescue
2009 · Movie
Songs
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
2008 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Lego Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Brick
2008 · Movie
Music
A Timeless Call
2008 · Movie
Music
An Inconvenient Truth
2006 · Movie
Thanks
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
2006 · Movie
Original Music Composer
No image
Päronet och bajskorven
2006 · Movie
Music
War of the Worlds
2005 · Movie
Original Music Composer, Conductor
Munich
2005 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
2005 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Memoirs of a Geisha
2005 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Terminal
2004 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2004 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Minority Report
2002 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2002 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
2002 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Catch Me If You Can
2002 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Music of E.T.: A Discussion with John Williams
2002 · Movie
Thanks
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
2001 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
2001 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Patriot
2000 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
1999 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Angela's Ashes
1999 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Unfinished Journey
1999 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Saving Private Ryan
1998 · Movie
Original Music Composer, Conductor
Stepmom
1998 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
1997 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Seven Years in Tibet
1997 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Amistad
1997 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Rosewood
1997 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Sleepers
1996 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Atlanta 1996: Games of the XXVI Olympiad - Opening Ceremony
1996 · Movie
Conductor
Nixon
1995 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Sabrina
1995 · Movie
Original Music Composer, Songs
Return of the Ewok
1994 · Movie
Music
Jurassic Park
1993 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Schindler's List
1993 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
1992 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Far and Away
1992 · Movie
Original Music Composer
JFK
1991 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Hook
1991 · Movie
Original Music Composer, Songs
Home Alone
1990 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Presumed Innocent
1990 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Stanley & Iris
1990 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
1989 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Born on the Fourth of July
1989 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Always
1989 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Accidental Tourist
1988 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Empire of the Sun
1987 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Witches of Eastwick
1987 · Movie
Original Music Composer, Conductor
SpaceCamp
1986 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Amazing Stories
1986 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Amazing Stories
1985 · TV Show
Main Title Theme Composer
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
1984 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The River
1984 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Return of the Jedi
1983 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Cinderella Revolution
1983 · Movie
Music
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
1982 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Monsignor
1982 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Yes, Giorgio
1982 · Movie
Songs
The Man Who Saved the World
1982 · Movie
Music
Raiders of the Lost Ark
1981 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Heartbeeps
1981 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Empire Strikes Back
1980 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Superman II
1980 · Movie
Music, Theme Song Performance
1941
1979 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Dracula
1979 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Jaws 2
1978 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Fury
1978 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Superman
1978 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Star Wars
1977 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1977 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Black Sunday
1977 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Bloodthirsty Hawk
1977 · Movie
Music
Family Plot
1976 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Midway
1976 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Missouri Breaks
1976 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Jaws
1975 · Movie
Original Music Composer, Conductor
The Eiger Sanction
1975 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Sugarland Express
1974 · Movie
Original Music Composer, Conductor
Conrack
1974 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Earthquake
1974 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Towering Inferno
1974 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Long Goodbye
1973 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Tom Sawyer
1973 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing
1973 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Cinderella Liberty
1973 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Paper Chase
1973 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Poseidon Adventure
1972 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Screaming Woman
1972 · Movie
Main Title Theme Composer, Original Music Composer
Pete 'n' Tillie
1972 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Images
1972 · Movie
Conductor, Orchestrator, Original Music Composer
The Cowboys
1972 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Fiddler on the Roof
1971 · Movie
Conductor, Orchestrator, Music Arranger, Original Music Composer
Jane Eyre
1970 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Story of a Woman
1970 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Reivers
1969 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
1969 · Movie
Original Music Composer, Conductor, Music Supervisor
Daddy's Gone A-Hunting
1969 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Heidi
1968 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Sergeant Ryker
1968 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Valley of the Dolls
1967 · Movie
Original Music Composer
A Guide for the Married Man
1967 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Ghostbreakers
1967 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Fitzwilly
1967 · Movie
Original Music Composer
How to Steal a Million
1966 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Rare Breed
1966 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Plainsman
1966 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Penelope
1966 · Movie
Original Music Composer, Songs
Not With My Wife, You Don't!
1966 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Kathryn Reed Story
1965 · Movie
Original Music Composer
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!
1965 · Movie
Original Music Composer, Conductor
None But the Brave
1965 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Lost in Space
1965 · TV Show
Original Music Composer
The Killers
1964 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Nightmare in Chicago
1964 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Redcap
1964 · TV Show
Original Music Composer
Gidget Goes to Rome
1963 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Best Years
1963 · Movie
Music
Stark Fear
1962 · Movie
Music
Flashing Spikes
1962 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Diamond Head
1962 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Secret Ways
1961 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Bachelor Flat
1961 · Movie
Original Music Composer
The Guns of Navarone
1961 · Movie
Music Arranger
Alcoa Premiere
1961 · TV Show
Music Score Producer
I Passed for White
1960 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Because They're Young
1960 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Daddy-O
1958 · Movie
Original Music Composer
Bachelor Father
1957 · TV Show
Original Music Composer
Today
1952 · TV Show
Conductor
