Danny Elfman Net Worth: A Legacy in Film Music and Beyond

Danny Elfman is an American composer, singer, songwriter, and actor who has a net worth of $50 million. Danny Elfman is known as the lead singer and songwriter for the rock band Oingo Boingo (1979-1995) and for scoring music for numerous television shows and films. He has written scores for more than 100 feature films to date, and he has scored 16 films that were directed by Tim Burton, including “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” (1985), “Batman” (1989), “Edward Scissorhands” (1990), and “Big Fish” (2003). Danny has also written scores or theme music for numerous television shows, most notably “The Simpsons” (1989) and “Desperate Housewives” (2004). Elfman has appeared in the films “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden” (1977), “Forbidden Zone” (1980), “Back to School” (1986), and “The Gift” (2000), and he has lent his voice to the Tim Burton films “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993), “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005), and “Corpse Bride” (2005). He also served as an associate producer on “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

Danny Elfman Early Life

Danny Elfman was born Daniel Robert Elfman on May 29, 1953, in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in a Jewish household with mother Blossom (a teacher and writer), father Milton (a teacher and Air Force veteran), and brother Richard, who is an actor, journalist, and musician. During his youth, Elfman enjoyed spending time at the local cinema in Baldwin Hills, where he watched horror, science-fiction, and fantasy movies and was introduced to the scores of composers Franz Waxman and Bernard Herrmann. In elementary school, Danny was rejected from the school orchestra for “having no propensity for music,” but in high school, he became friends with classmates who were interested in music and turned him on to jazz and Stravinsky.

Danny Elfman Musical Beginnings and Influences

Danny Elfman’s musical journey took flight with his involvement in The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, where he initially honed his craft as a musician. Becoming the lead singer and songwriter of Oingo Boingo after Richard Elfman’s departure, Elfman’s talents started to shine. His musical prowess expanded beyond the band as he delved into composing scores for films, starting with the 1980 movie Forbidden Zone. Collaborating with renowned director Tim Burton, Elfman worked on iconic projects like Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Batman, solidifying his place in the film industry.

Danny Elfman Career

The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo performed in nightclubs and on the streets of L.A. until the late 1970s when Richard left to pursue a career as a filmmaker. Richard made a film, “Forbidden Zone,” that was based on the group’s stage performances, and Danny composed the movie’s songs as well as the score. After Richard left the group, Danny took over, and The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo became a new wave band called Oingo Boingo. The group released eight studio albums between 1981 and 1994, and their single “Weird Science,” which was on the 1985 album “Dead Man’s Party,” was the theme song for the film and TV series of the same name. Oingo Boingo fans Tim Burton and Paul Reubens enlisted Danny to write the score for the 1985 film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” and Elfman then scored the films “Back to School” (1986), “Wisdom” (1986), “Summer School” (1987), “Beetlejuice” (1988), “Midnight Run” (1988), “Big Top Pee-wee” (1988), “Hot to Trot” (1988), and “Scrooged” (1988). He won a Grammy for scoring 1989’s “Batman,” and he also scored 1992’s “Batman Returns.” Danny scored 25 films throughout the ’90s, beginning with 1990’s “Nightbreed,” “Dick Tracy,” “Darkman,” and “Edward Scissorhands” and ending with 1999’s “Instinct,” “Anywhere but Here,” and “Sleepy Hollow.” He also wrote the score and 10 songs for 1993’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and provided Jack Skellington’s singing voice. Elfman scored 1997’s “Men in Black,” followed by 2002’s “Men in Black II,” 2012’s “Men in Black 3,” and 2019’s “Men in Black: International,” and he earned a Grammy nomination for scoring the first film in the series. In the first decade of the 2000s, he received Grammy nominations for scoring 2001’s “Planet of the Apes,” 2002’s “Spider-Man,” 2003’s “Big Fish,” 2005’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” and 2008’s “Milk,” and he also scored “Chicago” (2002), “Hulk” (2003), “Charlotte’s Web” (2006), “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (2008), and “Terminator Salvation” (2009). Elfman scored 2010’s “Alice in Wonderland,” 2012’s “Dark Shadows,” “Frankenweenie,” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” and 2013’s “Oz the Great and Powerful,” “Epic,” and “American Hustle.” He composed the score for all three films in the “Fifty Shades of Grey” series (2015-2019), and around this time, he also scored “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015), “Goosebumps” (2015), “Alice Through the Looking Glass” (2016), “The Girl on the Train” (2016), “Justice League” (2017), “The Grinch” (2018), “Dumbo” (2019), “Dolittle” (2020), and “The Woman in the Window” (2021).

Read More: LeAnn Rimes Net Worth

Danny Elfman Personal Life

During his teenage years, Danny dated future Sonic Youth vocalist/guitarist/bassist Kim Gordon, and he later married Geri Eisenmenger and had two daughters, Lola (born in 1979) and Mali (born in 1984), with her. After Elfman and Eisenmenger divorced, he married actress Bridget Fondaon November 29, 2003, and they welcomed son Oliver on January 21, 2005. Danny’s nephew is actor Bodhi Elfman, the husband of “Dharma & Greg” star Jenna Elfman. Danny has said that he became an atheist at age 11 or 12, and in a 2015 interview, he referred to himself as a “cynic-ologist.” He supported Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, and he scored a video about Joe Biden that played at the 2020 Democratic National Convention just before Biden accepted the presidential nomination. Elfman’s hearing was significantly damaged during his years as a member of Oingo Boingo, and it was a factor in his departure from the band. In 2007, Danny received an honorary doctorate from the North Carolina School of the Arts.

Danny Elfman Awards and Nominations

Elfman has been nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Music, Original Dramatic Score for “Good Will Hunting,” Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score for “Men in Black,” Best Music, Original Score for “Big Fish,” and Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score for “Milk.” He has received three Primetime Emmy nominations, winning Outstanding Main Title Theme Music for “Desperate Housewives” and Outstanding Music Direction for the “Live from Lincoln Center” episode “Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton.” The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films has nominated Danny for 15 Saturn Awards, and he won Best Music for “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Mars Attacks!,” “Men in Black,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Spider-Man,” and “Frankenweenie.” He has won more than 40 BMI Film Music Awards, including the Richard Kirk Career Achi

Danny Elfman Real Estate

According to public records, Danny paid $2.13 million for a home in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles in 2000. Danny and Bridget spent three years and roughly $3 million renovating the home, which dates back to the 1920s, and in 2015, they acquired the house next door for $3.6 million. In October 2020, Elfman and Fonda put the combined estate on the market for $14.6 million. If sold separately, the larger original home was listed for $8.8 million, and the smaller home was listed for $5.8 million. Ultimately the homes were sold separately, the larger one for the $8.8 million asking price and the smaller one at a discount for $4.2 million. In 2021, over two transactions separated by several months, Danny and Bridget plunked down a combined $8 million for two side-by-side homes in Encino, California. The combined property spans 2.2 acres. They also own a ranch in Santa Barbara, which Danny acquired in the mid-1990s.

FAQs

Who is Danny Elfman? 

Danny Elfman is an American composer, singer, songwriter, and actor. He was the lead singer and songwriter for the band Oingo Boingo and is widely known for composing scores for numerous films and television shows, including works for director Tim Burton.

What is Danny Elfman’s net worth? 

Danny Elfman has a net worth of approximately $50 million.

What are some famous films scored by Danny Elfman? 

Elfman has composed music for more than 100 films, including Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Men in Black (1997), Spider-Man (2002), and Big Fish (2003).

What is Danny Elfman’s connection with Tim Burton? 

Danny Elfman has collaborated with Tim Burton on 16 films, including Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Conclusion

Danny Elfman’s journey from the lead singer of Oingo Boingo to one of the most iconic film composers in Hollywood is a testament to his versatile talents. With a net worth of $50 million, Elfman has made an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, composing memorable scores for films, television shows, and collaborating with directors like Tim Burton on numerous projects. His distinctive musical style has earned him multiple accolades and a lasting legacy in both the music and film worlds. Despite personal challenges, including hearing loss, Elfman continues to influence and inspire through his art, leaving an enduring impact on popular culture.

Read Next: Joyce DeWitt Net Worth