Mac Quayle
Quayle in 2018
Quayle in 2018
Background information
Birth nameMac Quayle
BornSuffolk, Virginia, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Composer
  • arranger
Years active1991–present

Mac Quayle is an American composer for film, television and video games, best known for his work on the USA Network's Mr. Robot and for FX's American Horror Story.

Quayle was born in Suffolk, Virginia, but moved around the state, living in Richmond, Norfolk and Chesapeake. He attended Matthew Fontaine Maury High School, and graduated from Western Branch High School.[1] Quayle first discovered music at age 6 when he was part of his church's choir, and would take piano and percussion lessons. During school, he served as a band member for two different bands: The Naros and The X-Raves.[1]

Quayle moved to New York City to attend New York University, but departed when his internship at a studio allowed him to make a living working as a keyboard player and programmer. In 2004, he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked as an additional composer for the CBS crime drama Cold Case. He was introduced to film composer Cliff Martinez, and would work under him on films such as The Lincoln Lawyer, Drive and Contagion.[1] His work was noticed by Ryan Murphy when Quayle and Martinez worked on his television film The Normal Heart, and invited him to audition to be the composer for the fourth season of American Horror Story.[2] He was hired the day after his audition.[1] Quayle would also compose the score for Murphy's programs Scream Queens,[3] American Crime Story, Feud, 9-1-1, Pose, The Politician, 9-1-1: Lone Star, and Ratched.[4]

For his work on the first season of Mr. Robot, Quayle was awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series.[5] He would also be nominated for his work on American Horror Story and Feud.[6][7]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2006–2010 Cold Case Additional composer 87 episodes (uncredited)
2014 The Normal Heart Television film
2013 Bad Samaritans Composer 5 episodes
2014–present American Horror Story 74 episodes
2015–2019 Mr. Robot 45 episodes
2015–2016 Scream Queens 23 episodes
2016–present American Crime Story 29 episodes
2017 Feud Miniseries, 8 episodes
2018–present 9-1-1 78 episodes
2018–2021 Pose 26 episodes
2019–2020 The Politician 15 episodes
2020-present 9-1-1: Lone Star 42 episodes
2020-present Ratched 8 episodes
2022 Gaslit Miniseries, 8 episodes

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2011 The Lincoln Lawyer Music programmer Composer: Cliff Martinez
Drive
Contagion Additional composer
2012 Arbitrage
Savages Additional music programmer Composer: Adam Peters
The Company You Keep Additional composer Composer: Cliff Martinez
Stolen Composer: Mark Isham
Spring Breakers Composer: Cliff Martinez
2013 Only God Forgives
2023 Leave the World Behind Composer

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2014 Far Cry 4 Additional composer Composer: Cliff Martinez
2020 The Last of Us Part II Composer: Gustavo Santaolalla

References

  1. ^ a b c d Poulter, Amy (October 17, 2019). "From Hampton Roads to Hollywood: How Mac Quayle became the man responsible for TV's eeriest soundtracks". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Freaks, Screams And Normal Hearts - Composer Mac Quayle". LA 411. May 8, 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  3. ^ Galas, Marj (May 28, 2015). "Composer Gives American Horror Story Queens Music to Scream By". Variety. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  4. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (June 4, 2021). "From Pose to The Politician, Composer Mac Quayle on Scoring Ryan Murphy's Musical Universe". Variety. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Mr. Robot". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  6. ^ "Awards Nominees and Winners". Primetime Emmy Awards. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Emmys 2017: Full List of Nominations". Variety. July 13, 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2022.

External links

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series
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