Daniel Richard Elfman was born on May 29th, 1953 in Amarillo, Texas to Blossom and Milton Elfman. His father was a teacher and
his mother was a novelist of children's stories who won an Emmy award for her writing in a TV movie. Elfman spent his childhood in Los
Angeles, and when he turned 18, he moved with his older brother, Richard, to France (Richard's son Jimmy is married to actress Jenna
Elfman). There, he joined a theater group and became acquainted with the many different instruments of the orchestra. After spending a few years in
France, he moved to Africa. He eventually moved back to the U.S. after contracting malaria, though he still considers his time in Africa a
great benefit to himself.
In 1980, Elfman worked with his brother once again on the film
Forbidden Zone, which Richard directed. He formed a group known as "The
Mystic Knights of Oingo Boingo" and they performed the score that Elfman wrote for
Forbidden Zone (re-released in 1983). The group
could be found in dark taverns and makeshift stages around Los Angeles performing musical/theatrical gigs with theatrical elements. Oingo
Boingo, as it became known, emerged as a permanent group and drew a large cult following until 1995, when the group dissolved. In 1985,
Elfman met Tim Burton, who asked Elfman to score the music for
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. This was Burton's first time directing and
Elfman's first time composing for a big-budget film. Elfman called in his friend and fellow Oingo Boingo member, Steve Bartek, to orchestrate
for him and the quirky project was a success. Thus began the friendship between Elfman and Burton. Elfman first became known by soundtrack
fans in general with his funky, light-hearted score for
Beetlejuice. Combined with Harry Belafonte's songs, the album was an
enormous cult success.
Elfman would continue to score several Tim Burton movies in the following decades, with the exception of
Ed Wood. He won a Grammy
in 1989 for his magnificent theme to
Batman, which Elfman considers to be one of his best scores. Countering notions that the Academy
refuses to honor composers who are self-taught, Elfman finally received two Oscar nominations in 1998, for
Men in Black and
Good
Will Hunting, but then would go several years again without a nomination. Standouts in his career include
Edward Scissorhands in
1990, which contains a cue ("The Grand Finale") that is considered one of the best single tracks in the history of film,
The Nightmare
Before Christmas in 1993, for which Elfman wrote the songs, composed the score, and sang the leading role as Jack Skellington in the movie,
and
Alice in Wonderland in 2010. The composer's ability to merge orchestral and rock elements has yielded impressive results in
unlikely assignments ranging from
Real Steel in 2010 to
Fifty Shades of Gray in 2015.
Besides Tim Burton, Elfman has worked with many other directors, including Brian DePalma, Emilo Estevez, Warren Beatty (who Elfman says is
"insane" to work with), and the Hughes brothers. In 1996, he composed the score to
Freeway which was directed by one of his high school
friends. In return for his services, Elfman asked to be paid only a dollar. He remains one of the few artists to have established himself as both
highly successful composer and a rocker, and he has drawn a large following of fans who find his works to be fresh and innovative. His most lasting
associations may be with superhero films, however, his contributions to
Batman,
Spider-Man, and
The Avengers all balancing
his counter-culture popularity with enthusiasts of Burton's more bizarre inclinations. Outside of film music, Elfman, with the support of his
wife, actress Bridget Fonda, has been active in liberal American political causes, including launching an organization to repel
vice-presidential
candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in 2008.
Danny Elfman poses at his studio in 1988
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