James Horner

Highest Rated: 100% Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)

Lowest Rated: 11% Black Gold (2011)

Birthday: Aug 14, 1953

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA

Having written the music for major Hollywood films over the course of several decades, composer James Horner amassed an impressive resume that included repeated collaborations with directors Mel Gibson, Ron Howard and James Cameron. In fact, it was with the latter that Horner composed his finest work, the sweeping score for "Titanic" (1997), which netted him two Academy Awards and associated him with the most successful movie of all time. Prior to that, he had made a name for himself composing such popular films as "48 Hrs." (1982), "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" (1982) and "Cocoon" (1985). Horner received his first serious acclaim working with Cameron on "Aliens" (1986), though the two failed to reach a harmonious working relationship that delayed any further collaborations for over a decade. Meanwhile, he went on to score "Field of Dreams" (1989), "Glory" (1989), "Apollo 13" (1995), "Braveheart" (1995) and "A Beautiful Mind" (2001), all of which earned him award recognition at the Golden Globes, Grammys and Academy Awards. Though often accused by critics for recycling hooks and motifs from his previous films, Horner remained one of the preeminent composers working in Hollywood, a fact made clearer when his score for Cameron's stunning "Avatar" (2009) earned him further recognition and acclaim. Horner's death in the crash of his private plane near Santa Barbara on June 22, 2015 stunned friends and fans alike.