Lalo Schifrin, legendary composer behind ‘Mission: Impossible’ theme, dies at 93

Acclaimed composer Lalo Schifrin passed away "peacefully" at 93 on Thursday, June 26, 2025. The Argentine musician is best known for composing the instantly recognizable Mission: Impossible theme. He has also scored over 100 films and TV shows, like the Rush Hour trilogy, The Sting II, Bullitt, Dirty Harry, and more.

His sons, William and Ryan, reportedly confirmed his passing to trade outlets, according to the Associated Press. Writer-director Ryan Schifrin also told Deadline that his father passed away "peacefully" on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, his son Will shared a little detail about his father's health condition just before his passing.

Will Schifrin told The Washington Post that his father had been hospitalized for complications related to his diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

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Throughout his 40-year career, Lalo Schifrin has been nominated for a Grammy Award 19 times, winning four, mainly for his Mission: Impossible theme and a variation of his composition for the M:I franchise. He was also nominated for six Oscars.

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"It is mission accomplished": Lalo Schifrin on receiving his honorary Oscar

While he never won an Oscar trophy, Lalo Schifrin was awarded an honorary Oscar for his contribution to music. He was awarded during the 2018 Governor Awards. The award marks a new milestone as Schifrin becomes one of only three composers to receive an honorary Oscar in the history of the Academy.

Clint Eastwood, for whom the composer made scores in eight movies, including the Rush Hour films, presented him with the award. During his speech, he said that receiving the trophy was a "culmination" of one of his dreams. He said:

"Composing for movies has given me a lifetime of joy and creativity. Receiving this honorary Oscar is a culmination of a dream. It is mission accomplished."

The Academy shared a picture of the late composer when he received his honorary Oscar in 2018 in a tribute amid the news of his passing. The Academy also remembers Schifrin and his legacy in the caption, which reads:

"The countdown begins. The fuse lights. The music hits and suddenly, you're in it. That was the genius of Lalo Schifrin... Schifrin didn't just write music, he built tension, ignited adrenaline, and gave stories their pulse."

In his tribute to the late composer, Clint Eastwood also shared a picture of himself and Schifrin during the 2018 Governor Awards. He said in the caption that the composer's "iconic scores," especially for his film Dirty Harry, are "indelibly woven into the fabric of Eastwood's and Malpaso's cinematic legacy."

While Lalo Schifrin is famous for his many scores for movies and TV shows, he's best known for making the iconic Mission: Impossible theme, especially since the franchise has lived on to this day. The late composer admitted to The Independent in 2018 that he was a late hire for the movie, with the production already in full swing and no theme song in sight. He said:

"It was a bit of a production panic because they were so late with their deadlines."

He called it his "own little Mission Impossible," writing the song in "exactly one-and-a-half minutes." However, Schifrin said that it wasn't because he had plenty of inspiration, but that it was the "need" to do it in a very short time.

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Lalo Schifrin is survived by his wife, Donna, his sons William and Ryan, and his daughter, Frances.

Edited by Bharath S