George Fenton in 2007. Claire Greenway/Getty Images George Fenton, a five-time Oscar-nominated composer on Cry Freedom, Dangerous Liaisons, Groundhog Day, You’ve Got Mail and dozens of other films, died on Monday. He was 76.
His family confirmed his death to the BBC, writing in a statement, “We are very sad to announce that George Fenton passed away unexpectedly today.” His cause of death wasn’t immediately available.
Born Oct. 19, 1949, in England, Fenton was one of five siblings. His father worked as a mechanical engineer, while his mother was a dancer and dance teacher before becoming a nurse during the war, according to his website.
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After studying the church organ at a young age, Fenton decided to skip college and pursue a career as a performer. He played in various bands while continuing to audition for roles, eventually being cast in Alan Bennett’s play, Forty Years On, in 1968.
Around this time, he also signed a record contract at MCA as a recording artist, as well as one with his band at Decca. Over the next several years, he worked as a session musician with artists such as B. A. Robertson and did some arranging for theater and television, including for Carl Davis.
Fenton was later asked by director Peter Gill in 1974 to write the music for the play, Twelfth Night, for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford. He went on to write dozens of projects across theater, film and TV.
Some of his most notable film work as a composer includes Gandhi (1982), The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Cry Freedom (1987), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), The Fisher King (1991), Groundhog Day (1993), Mary Reilly (1996), The Woodlanders (1997), The Object of My Affection (1998), Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998), You’ve Got Mail (1998), Anna and the King (1999), Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Hitch (2005), Bewitched (2005), Last Holiday (2006), Fool’s Gold (2008), The Bounty Hunter (2010), Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight (2013), Walk on the Wild Side (2016), Cold Pursuit (2019), The Old Oak (2023) and Up Against It (2026).
Fenton also composed several natural history documentary series from David Attenborough’s The Trials of Life (1990) and Life in the Freezer (1993) to Alastair Fothergill’s The Blue Planet (2001) and Planet Earth (2006).
Over his long career, he won two Emmys and earned two Grammy nominations. He was also nominated for five Oscars, including for best score for Gandhi, Cry Freedom, Dangerous Liaisons and The Fisher King, and best song for “Cry Freedom.”
Fenton is survived by his wife Amanda; ex-wife Jane; children Gemma, Grace and Bridget; and grandchildren Lola, Audrey, Alfred, George, Frank and Beatrice.
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