--- name: "Howard Ashman" canonical: "https://film.one/person/howard-ashman" fi1m_id: "howard-ashman" imdb_id: "nm0039141" tmdb_id: 62049 wikidata_id: "Q1334295" roles: ["Writer","Producer"] born: "17 May 1950" died: "14 March 1991" reviewed_on_fi1m: 7 average_fi1m_score: 68 average_as: "writer" average_over: 5 updated: "2026-09-24T03:02:31.683184+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Howard Ashman ## Identity Howard Ashman - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/howard-ashman - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** howard-ashman - **IMDb ID:** nm0039141 - **TMDB ID:** 62049 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1334295 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Ashman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1334295, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0039141/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/62049 Writer and producer. Born 17 May 1950 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Died 14 March 1991. ## Details - **Work:** Writer, Producer - **Born:** 17 May 1950, Baltimore, Maryland, USA - **Died:** 14 March 1991 - **Active:** 1986–2023 - **Also known as:** Howard Elliott Ashman - **Titles on Fi1m:** 7: 5 writing, 2 producing - **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscars (2 won · 2 nominated) - **Average Fi1m score:** 68, as writer, over 5 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 78 (2), 1990s 86 (2), 2010s 61 (2), 2020s 58 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 68 to 69 across 5 titles - **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 2 under 60 - **Genres:** Family 4, Fantasy 4, Romance 4, Adventure 3, Animation 1, Comedy 1 - **Screen time:** 10 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $3,448m across 5 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Ashman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1334295, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0039141/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/62049 ## Streaming the US now - **Disney+:** [*The Little Mermaid*](https://film.one/film/the-little-mermaid-1989.md) (80) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Biography Howard Elliott Ashman (1950–1991) was an American playwright, lyricist and stage director. He studied at Boston University, Goddard College and Indiana University, where he earned an MFA, and later served as artistic director of the WPA Theater in New York. With composer Alan Menken he created the stage musical *Little Shop of Horrors* (1982), which he also directed, and wrote the screenplay for its 1986 film adaptation. Ashman joined Walt Disney Animation Studios as lyricist and co-producer on *The Little Mermaid* (1989). He contributed to *Beauty and the Beast* (1991) and *Aladdin* (1992), both released after his death. Ashman died in New York City on 14 March 1991. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, howardashman.com, nytimes.com.* ## On Fi1m (7) ### Wrote (5) — the average rests on these - *The Little Mermaid* (2023), Fi1m 58, Lyricist — [page](https://film.one/film/the-little-mermaid.md) - *Aladdin* (2019), Fi1m 57, Lyricist — [page](https://film.one/film/aladdin-2019.md) - *Beauty and the Beast* (2017), Fi1m 65, Lyricist — [page](https://film.one/film/beauty-and-the-beast-2017.md) - *Aladdin* (1992), Fi1m 82, Lyricist, Songs — [page](https://film.one/film/aladdin.md) - *Little Shop of Horrors* (1986), Fi1m 76, Musical, Screenplay, Lyricist — [page](https://film.one/film/little-shop-of-horrors.md) ### Produced (2) - *Beauty and the Beast* (1991), Fi1m 91, Executive Producer, Songs — [page](https://film.one/film/beauty-and-the-beast.md) - *The Little Mermaid* (1989), Fi1m 80, Producer, Songs — [page](https://film.one/film/the-little-mermaid-1989.md) ## Complete filmography (13) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *The Little Mermaid* (2023), Lyricist — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/the-little-mermaid.md) - *Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration* (2022), Lyricist - *Aladdin* (2019), Lyricist — Fi1m 57, [page](https://film.one/film/aladdin-2019.md) - *Beauty and the Beast* (2017), Lyricist — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/beauty-and-the-beast-2017.md) - *God Bless You, Mr Rosewater* (2016), Lyricist, Book - *Aria for a Cow* (2015), Lyricist - *Waking Sleeping Beauty* (2009), In Memory Of - *Aladdin* (1992), Lyricist, Songs — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/aladdin.md) - *Beauty and the Beast* (1991), Executive Producer, Songs, In Memory Of — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/beauty-and-the-beast.md) - *Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue* (1990), Lyricist - *The Little Mermaid* (1989), Producer, Songs, Additional Dialogue — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/the-little-mermaid-1989.md) - *Oliver & Company* (1988), as Songs - *Little Shop of Horrors* (1986), Musical, Lyricist, Screenplay — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/little-shop-of-horrors.md) ## Gallery - ![Howard Ashman](https://film.one/media/person/360405/gallery-7d4bc38ebfca.jpg) Howard Ashman — Image via TMDB - ![Howard Ashman](https://film.one/media/person/360405/gallery-b48f6538c46a.jpg) Howard Ashman — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 2 won, 2 nominated - 1993: Best Original Song (nominated), for *Friend Like Me* - 1992: Best Original Song (won), for *Beauty and the Beast* - 1990: Best Original Song (won), for *Under the Sea* - 1987: Best Original Song (nominated), for *Mean Green Mother From Outer Space* ### Golden Globes — 0 won, 2 nominated - 1993: Best Original Song (nominated), for *Prince Ali* - 1989: Best Original Song (nominated), for *Kiss the Girl* ### Other awards — 2 won, 3 nominated - Tony Award for Best Original Score 2014: Tony Award for Best Original Score (nominated), for *Aladdin* - Tony Award for Best Original Score 2008: Tony Award for Best Original Score (nominated), for *The Little Mermaid (musical)* - Disney Legends 2001: Disney Legends (won) - Tony Award for Best Original Score 1994: Tony Award for Best Original Score (nominated), for *Beauty and the Beast* - Grammy Award for Best Children's Music Album 1991: Grammy Award for Best Children's Music Album (won), for *The Little Mermaid: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack* *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/howard-ashman