Person Details

Birthday:

Aliases: Michel Jean Legrand

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Bécon-les-Bruyères, Paris, France

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 204

TV Involvements: 23


Most Famous Work

Biography

Michel Jean Legrand (24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and jazz pianist. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to many songs. His scores for the films of French New Wave director Jacques Demy, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), earned Legrand his first Academy Award nominations. Legrand won his first Oscar for the song "The Windmills of Your Mind" from The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). Legrand was born in Paris to his father, Raymond Legrand, who was himself a conductor and composer, and his mother, Marcelle Ter-Mikaëlian, who was the sister of conductor Jacques Hélian. Raymond and Marcelle were married in 1929. His maternal grandfather was Armenian. Legrand composed more than two hundred film and television scores. He won three Oscars and five Grammys. He studied music at the Conservatoire de Paris from age 11, working with, among others, Nadia Boulanger and graduated with top honors as both a composer and a pianist. He burst upon the international music scene at 22 when his album I Love Paris (album) became a surprise hit. He established his name in the United States by working with such jazz stars as Miles Davis and Stan Getz. His sister Christiane Legrand was a member of The Swingle Singers and his niece Victoria Legrand is a member of the dream pop band Beach House. Legrand composed music for Jacques Demy's films The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), and appeared and performed in Agnès Varda's Cléo from 5 to 7 (1961). He also composed music for Joseph Losey's Eva (1962), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) (which features "The Windmills of Your Mind"), Ice Station Zebra (1968), The Picasso Summer (1969), The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun (1970), The Go-Between (1971), Summer of '42 (1971), Clint Eastwood's Breezy (1973), The Three Musketeers (1973), Orson Welles's last-completed film F for Fake (1974) and would later compose the score for Welles's posthumously-released movie The Other Side of the Wind (2018). He also composed the score for Yentl (1983), as well as the film score for Louis Malle's film Atlantic City (1980). His instrumental version of the theme from Brian's Song charted 56th in 1972 on the Billboard's pop chart. Legrand died of sepsis, during the night of 25–26 January 2019, at the American Hospital of Paris in Neuilly-sur-Seine, where he had been hospitalized for two weeks for a pulmonary infection. His funeral was held in Paris at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on 1 February 2019. He was interred at the Père Lachaise Cemetery. He remained active until his death and had concerts scheduled to take place in the spring. In 1997, Legrand composed the score for the musical Le Passe-muraille, with a book by Didier Van Cauwelaert. It premiered on Broadway in 2002 as Amour and was translated into English by Jeremy Sams and was directed by James Lapine. This musical was his Broadway debut and he was nominated for a Tony Award in 2003 for Best Score. Later he recorded Legrand Affair with Melissa Errico, a 100-piece symphony orchestra that included songs with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. ... Source: Article "Michel Legrand" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Most Famous Work

ABC Afterschool Special
Average
6
Once Upon a Time... Man
Average
8
Once Upon a Time... Life
Average
8
Once Upon a Time… Space
Average
7
Never Say Never Again
Average
6

Never Say Never Again

(1983) Original Music Composer
Once Upon a Time... The Americas
Average
8
Once Upon a Time... The Discoverers
Average
8
Once Upon a Time... Planet Earth
Average
8

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2024 N/A
2022 Self (archive footage)
Self
2021 Self (archive footage)
2018 Self
Self - Music Composer
Self - Composer
Self
2011 Michel Legrand
2008 Self
2007 Self (archive footage)
2006 Self
2003 Self
1998 Self
1995 Self
1993 Self
1987 Self
Self
1985 Self (Variety/Instrumental Album of the Year)
1982 Self - Main Guest
Self
1976 Self
1975 Himself
Self
Self
Self
1974 Self
1972 N/A
Grondin
Self
Self - Main Guest
Self - Guest
1971 Self
1966 Le musicien
Self
1964 Jean (singing voice) (uncredited)
Self
1963 Self
1962 Bob, the Pianist
1959 Self
1956 Self - Nominee
Self
1953 Self
1952 Le chef d'orchestre (uncredited)
Year Character Movie/Tv

Sound

Year Role Movie/Tv
2022 Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
2018 Original Music Composer
2017 Original Music Composer
2015 Music Director
2009 Music
2008 Music
Original Music Composer
2006 Music
2005 Original Music Composer
2003 Music
1999 Original Music Composer
1998 Original Music Composer
1996 Music
Original Music Composer
1995 Music
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
1994 Original Music Composer
Music
1993 Original Music Composer
Music
1992 Music
1991 Music
Original Music Composer
1990 Music
Conductor
Original Music Composer
Music
Music
1989 Original Music Composer
1988 Original Music Composer
Music
Original Music Composer
1987 Original Music Composer
Music
Music
1986 Original Music Composer
1985 Original Music Composer
Music
Original Music Composer
Music
Music
Music
1984 Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Music
1983 Original Music Composer
Songs
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
1982 Music
Music
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Music
1981 Music
1980 Music
Original Music Composer
Conductor
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
1979 Music
Original Music Composer
1978 Music
Music
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
1977 Original Music Composer
Music
1976 Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
1975 Original Music Composer
Music
Original Music Composer
1974 Original Music Composer
Conductor
Original Music Composer
1973 Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Conductor
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Music
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Music
1972 Original Music Composer
Music
Original Music Composer
Music
Original Music Composer
Conductor
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Music
Original Music Composer
Conductor
1971 Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
1970 Original Music Composer
Songs
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
1969 Music
Original Music Composer
Music
Music
Conductor
Original Music Composer
Music
Conductor
1968 Original Music Composer
Conductor
Original Music Composer
Conductor
Music
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Music Director
Music
1967 Music
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Music Director
Original Music Composer
Other
Songs
Original Music Composer
1966 Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Conductor
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
1965 Music
Music
1964 Music
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Music
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Conductor
Songs
1963 Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Music
1962 Original Music Composer
Music
Original Music Composer
Music
Original Music Composer
Songs
Original Music Composer
Music
Music
Sound
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
1961 Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Music
Music
Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Musician
Music
1960 Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Music
Music
1959 Music
1958 Music
1957 Music
Music
1955 Music Director
Original Music Composer
Year Role Movie/Tv

Writing

Directing

Year Role Movie/Tv
1992 Director
1989 Director
Year Role Movie/Tv

Join the discussion

Please Log in to comment