---
name: "Rachel Portman"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/rachel-portman"
fi1m_id: "rachel-portman"
imdb_id: "nm0006235"
tmdb_id: 3562
wikidata_id: "Q261314"
roles: ["Composer"]
born: "11 December 1960"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 75
average_over: 8
updated: "2026-10-07T11:24:40.832712+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."
---

# Rachel Portman

## Identity

Rachel Portman

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/rachel-portman
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** rachel-portman
- **IMDb ID:** nm0006235
- **TMDB ID:** 3562
- **Wikidata ID:** Q261314
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Portman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q261314, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006235/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3562

Composer. Born 11 December 1960 in Haslemere, Surrey, England, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Composer
- **Born:** 11 December 1960, Haslemere, Surrey, England, UK
- **Active:** 1988–2010
- **Frequently works with:** [Keira Knightley](https://film.one/person/keira-knightley.md), [Lasse Hallström](https://film.one/person/lasse-hallstrom.md), [Leslie Holleran](https://film.one/person/leslie-holleran.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 3 nominated)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 82 (1), 1990s 80 (4), 2000s 63 (2), 2010s 73 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 72 to 69 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 8, Romance 3, Comedy 2, Action & Adventure 1, Family 1, History 1
- **Screen time:** 11 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $296m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Portman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q261314, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006235/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3562

## Streaming the US now

- **The Criterion Channel:** [*Ratcatcher*](https://film.one/film/ratcatcher.md) (88), [*Life Is Sweet*](https://film.one/film/life-is-sweet.md) (84)
- **Peacock:** [*The Storyteller*](https://film.one/tv/the-storyteller.md) (82)
- **Apple TV:** [*The Duchess*](https://film.one/film/the-duchess.md) (66)
- **Pluto TV:** [*The Cider House Rules*](https://film.one/film/the-cider-house-rules.md) (61)
- **Hulu:** [*Chocolat*](https://film.one/film/chocolat.md) (60)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Rachel Portman is a British composer. She was born on 11 December 1960 in Haslemere, Surrey. She studied music at Worcester College, Oxford, and began her career composing for BBC and Channel 4 dramas, including *Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit*, Mike Leigh's *Four Days in July* and Jim Henson's *The Storyteller* series.

Portman has written scores for more than one hundred films, television productions and theatre works. Her film credits include *Life Is Sweet* (1991), *Ratcatcher* (1999), *Chocolat* (2000), *The Duchess* (2008), *Never Let Me Go* (2010) and *One Day* (2011). She was the first female composer to win the Academy Award for Best Original Score, for *Emma* (1996), and received further Academy Award nominations for *The Cider House Rules* (1999) and *Chocolat*. She was appointed OBE in 2010.

*Sources: rachelportman.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (8)

- *Never Let Me Go* (2010), Fi1m 73, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/never-let-me-go.md)
- *The Duchess* (2008), Fi1m 66, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/the-duchess.md)
- *Chocolat* (2000), Fi1m 60, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/chocolat.md)
- *Ratcatcher* (1999), Fi1m 88, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/ratcatcher.md)
- *The Cider House Rules* (1999), Fi1m 61, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/the-cider-house-rules.md)
- *Life Is Sweet* (1991), Fi1m 84, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/life-is-sweet.md)
- *Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit* (1990), Fi1m 86, Music — [page](https://film.one/tv/oranges-are-not-the-only-fruit.md)
- *The Storyteller* (1988), Fi1m 82, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-storyteller.md)

## Complete filmography (104)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Return* (2024), Original Music Composer
- *We Were the Lucky Ones* (2024), series, Original Music Composer
- *Dancing Fruit* (2023), Original Music Composer
- *Julia* (2021), Original Music Composer
- *Godmothered* (2020), Original Music Composer
- *Mimi and the Mountain Dragon* (2019), Music
- *The Street* (2019), Original Music Composer
- *Archie* (2019), Music
- *Their Finest* (2017), Original Music Composer
- *A Dog's Purpose* (2017), Original Music Composer
- *Race* (2016), Original Music Composer
- *Despite the Falling Snow* (2016), Original Music Composer
- *I Wish For You* (2016), Original Music Composer
- *Sainsbury's: Mog's Christmas Calamity* (2015), Music
- *Bessie* (2015), Original Music Composer
- *Dolphin Tale 2* (2014), Original Music Composer
- *Still Life* (2013), Original Music Composer
- *Paradise* (2013), Original Music Composer
- *The Right Kind of Wrong* (2013), Original Music Composer
- *Belle* (2013), Original Music Composer
- *Girl Rising* (2013), Music
- *Private Peaceful* (2012), Original Music Composer
- *Bel Ami* (2012), Original Music Composer, Orchestrator
- *The Vow* (2012), Original Music Composer
- *Snow Flower and the Secret Fan* (2011), Original Music Composer
- *His Way* (2011), Original Music Composer
- *One Day* (2011), Original Music Composer
- *National Theatre Live: London Assurance* (2010), Music
- *Never Let Me Go* (2010), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/never-let-me-go.md)
- *Grey Gardens* (2009), Original Music Composer
- *The Duchess* (2008), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/the-duchess.md)
- *The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2* (2008), Original Music Composer
- *Infamous* (2006), Original Music Composer
- *The Lake House* (2006), Original Music Composer
- *It's a Happy Movie: The Children's Making-of* (2006), Music
- *Twist by Polanski* (2006), Original Music Composer
- *Oliver Twist* (2005), Original Music Composer
- *Because of Winn-Dixie* (2005), Original Music Composer
- *The Manchurian Candidate* (2004), Original Music Composer
- *The Return of the Dancing Master* (2004), Original Music Composer
- *Mona Lisa Smile* (2003), Original Music Composer
- *The Human Stain* (2003), Original Music Composer
- *Nicholas Nickleby* (2002), Original Music Composer
- *The Truth About Charlie* (2002), Original Music Composer
- *Hart's War* (2002), Original Music Composer
- *The Emperor's New Clothes* (2001), Orchestrator, Original Music Composer
- *The Closer You Get* (2000), Original Music Composer
- *Chocolat* (2000), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/chocolat.md)
- *The Legend of Bagger Vance* (2000), Original Music Composer
- *The Cider House Rules* (1999), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/the-cider-house-rules.md)
- *Ratcatcher* (1999), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/ratcatcher.md)
- *The Other Sister* (1999), Original Music Composer
- *Home Fries* (1998), Original Music Composer
- *Beloved* (1998), Original Music Composer, Orchestrator
- *Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas* (1997), as Songs · Original Music Composer
- *Addicted to Love* (1997), Original Music Composer
- *Marvin's Room* (1996), Original Music Composer
- *Palookaville* (1996), Original Music Composer
- *Emma* (1996), Orchestrator, Original Music Composer
- *The Adventures of Pinocchio* (1996), Original Music Composer
- *To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar* (1995), Original Music Composer
- *Smoke* (1995), Original Music Composer, Orchestrator
- *A Pyromaniac's Love Story* (1995), Original Music Composer
- *The Road to Wellville* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *War of the Buttons* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *Great Moments in Aviation* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *Only You* (1994), Original Music Composer, Orchestrator
- *Sirens* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *Friends* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *The Joy Luck Club* (1993), Original Music Composer
- *Benny & Joon* (1993), Original Music Composer
- *Ethan Frome* (1993), Original Music Composer
- *Used People* (1992), Original Music Composer
- *Mr. Wakefield's Crusade* (1992), Music
- *Rebecca's Daughters* (1992), Original Music Composer
- *Elizabeth R: A Year in the Life of The Queen* (1992), Music
- *Flea Bites* (1992), Original Music Composer
- *The Cloning of Joanna May* (1992), series, Original Music Composer
- *Where Angels Fear to Tread* (1991), Original Music Composer
- *Life Is Sweet* (1991), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/life-is-sweet.md)
- *Living with Dinosaurs* (1990), Original Music Composer
- *The Widowmaker* (1990), Music, Original Music Composer
- *Antonia and Jane* (1990), Original Music Composer
- *Shoot to Kill* (1990), series, Original Music Composer
- *Shoot to Kill* (1990), Original Music Composer
- *Sometime in August* (1990), Music
- *Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit* (1990), series, Music — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/oranges-are-not-the-only-fruit.md)
- *The Woman in Black* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *Nice Work* (1989), series, Original Music Composer
- *Young Charlie Chaplin* (1989), series, Original Music Composer
- *Monster Maker* (1989), Music
- *Precious Bane* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *The Storyteller* (1988), series, Original Music Composer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-storyteller.md)
- *The Short & Curlies* (1987), Original Music Composer
- *1914 All Out* (1987), Original Music Composer
- *The Falklands War: The Untold Story* (1987), Original Music Composer
- *A Little Princess* (1987), series, Original Music Composer
- *Good As Gold* (1986), Music
- *Four Days in July* (1984), Original Music Composer
- *Last Day of Summer* (1984), Original Music Composer
- *Sharma and Beyond* (1984), Original Music Composer
- *Reflections* (1984), Original Music Composer
- *Experience Preferred... But Not Essential* (1982), Original Music Composer
- *Privileged* (1982), Original Music Composer

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 3 nominated

- 2001: Best Original Score (nominated), for *Chocolat*
- 2000: Best Original Score (nominated), for *The Cider House Rules*
- 1997: Best Original Musical Score (won), for *Emma*
- 1997: Best Original Musical or Comedy Score (nominated), for *Emma*

### BAFTA Film Awards — 0 won, 3 nominated

- 1993: Best Original Music (nominated), for *Rebecca's Daughters*
- 1991: Best Original Music (nominated), for *Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit*
- 1990: Best Original Music (nominated), for *The Woman in Black*

### Golden Globes — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 2001: Best Original Score (nominated), for *Chocolat*

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won, 2 nominated

- 2015: Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) (won), for *Bessie*
- 2009: Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics (nominated), for *Grey Gardens*
- 2005: Primetime Emmy Award (nominated), for *The Little Prince*

### Other awards — 0 won, 6 nominated

- Grammy Awards 2002: Grammy Awards (nominated), for *Chocolat*
- Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media 2001: Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (nominated)
- Satellite Award for Best Original Score 2001: Satellite Award for Best Original Score (nominated), for *The Legend of Bagger Vance*
- Satellite Award for Best Original Score 1999: Satellite Award for Best Original Score (nominated), for *Beloved*
- AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score 1994: AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score (nominated), for *Sirens*
- BBC Young Composer 1988: BBC Young Composer (nominated)

*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/rachel-portman