Lalo Schifrin, the Argentine-born composer best known for creating the iconic "Mission: Impossible" theme, died Thursday at age 93, according to U.S. media reports.
His son, Ryan Schifrin, confirmed the death to several entertainment publications.
Schifrin scored music for around 100 films, including “The Cincinnati Kid” (1965), “Bullitt” (1968), “Cool Hand Luke” (1968), and “Dirty Harry” (1971). He also composed for television, including the original “Mission: Impossible” series, which later inspired the blockbuster franchise starring Tom Cruise.
Born Boris Claudio Schifrin in Buenos Aires on June 21, 1932, he was raised in a musical family. His father was concertmaster of the city’s Philharmonic Orchestra for 25 years. Schifrin studied classical music and was later influenced by jazz greats like Charlie Parker and Louis Armstrong.
His life changed after a performance caught the attention of jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie.
“So after we finished, Dizzy came to me and said, did you write all these charts? And I said, yes. Would you like to come to United States? I thought he was joking. He wasn't,” Schifrin told NPR in 2007.
“I wouldn't be here had it not been for that moment,” he said.
After moving to the U.S. in 1958, Schifrin composed for film and television, including work for producer Bruce Geller.
Geller’s request for “a theme that's exciting, promising, but not too heavy” led to the signature tune for “Mission: Impossible,” Schifrin recalled in 2015.
“When people go to the kitchen and get a Coca-Cola, I want them to hear the theme and say, Oh, this is ‘Mission: Impossible,’” Geller told him.
Schifrin won multiple Grammy Awards and received several Oscar nominations. In 2018, he was honored with an honorary Academy Award, presented by Clint Eastwood.