Birthdate: Apr 5, 1971
Birthplace: Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA
Pharrell Williams (birthname: Pharrell Lanscilo Williams) is one of his generation’s most influential musical voices, working widely across multiple media from recordings to movies, for which he made his first stamp as composer of the soundtracks for the Despicable Me franchise, including Despicable Me (2010), Despicable Me 2 (2013), Despicable Me 3 (2017) and Despicable Me 4 (2024).
Williams was co-composer of the music for Columbia-Sony and Marvel’s hit sequel, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Colm Feore, Paul Giamatti, and Sally Field, grossing $709 million globally. Williams served as both producer (earning an Oscar nomination for best picture) and soundtrack composer of the Space Race drama, Hidden Figures (2016), starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, and Glen Powell, and earning $236 million worldwide for 20th Century Fox.
Pharrell Williams took on voice roles in animated features starting in 2018 as narrator of Universal Pictures’ and Illumination’s $540-million-grossing The Grinch (2018), starring the voices of Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson and Angela Lansbury, and then Williams voiced his first character role (as an ice cream-selling elephant!) in Universal Pictures/Illumination’s $408-million-grossing animated hit sequel, Sing 2 (2021), with the voice cast of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Nick Kroll, Bobby Cannavale, and Bono, under writer Garth Jennings’ direction.
Williams was one of several producers of the little-seen biopic on pro skateboarder (and this film’s director) Mikey Alfred, North Hollywood (2020), with Ryder McLaughlin, Vince Vaughn, and Miranda Cogrove. Williams’s most important film project to date was Morgan Neville’s autobiographical animated docu-portrait (animated with Lego minifigures) for Focus Features, Piece by Piece (2024), in which Williams played himself, and also produced and composed the soundtrack score, and which featured several major pop artists including Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg.
Williams returned to his role as a film soundtrack composer (in a soundtrack shared with fellow composers Hans Zimmer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Nicholas Britell and Mark Mancina) for the Barry Jenkins-directed animated Lion King adventure for Disney, Mufasa: The Lion King (2024), starring the voice cast of Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., John Kani, Seth Rogan, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton and Beyoncé. Williams was producer as well as composer of the soundtrack for the second feature in consecutive years about Williams’ life, the Michel Gondry-directed musical, Atlantis (2025), starring Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Brian Tyree Henry, Quinta Brunson, Janelle Monae, Jaboukie Young-White, Tim Meadows, and Anderson. Paak and Missy Elliott, released by Universal Pictures.
Pharrell Williams was born and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia by parents Carolyn (teacher) and Pharoah Williams (handyman). Williams has two younger brothers, Cato and Psolomon. Williams attended and graduated in 1991 from Virginia Beach’s Princess Anne High School, and then attended Northwestern University, dropping out after his sophomore year. Williams has been married to model/fashion designer Helen Lasichanh since 2013; the couple has four children. Williams’s height is 5’ 9”. Williams’s estimated net worth is $250 million.
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Music Condition: Pharrell Williams has noted that his condition of synesthesia (for example, seeing colors when listening to music) helped promote his involvement and early love of music.
Happy Accident: Williams, whose signature as a recording producer and artist is the “four-count loop” -a stylistic touch at the start of tracks—was an accident during the making of the SWV song, “Right Here.”
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