“The best part of the day”: The musician that Paul Thomas Anderson called working with “like Christmas”
Paul Thomas Anderson has spoken about his long-running creative partnership with Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, describing their collaboration as one of the most rewarding aspects of his filmmaking process. Speaking to Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 6 Music, the director explained that the pair work closely from early in a project, sharing drafts and ideas well before a score is finalised, a process he likened to receiving "Christmas morning" gifts each time new music arrives from Greenwood. The remarks underline how central Greenwood's scores have become to Anderson's distinctive style, alongside his ensemble casts and San Fernando Valley settings.
The two have worked together on every Anderson film since 2007, spanning There Will Be Blood through to this year's Oscar-winning One Battle After Another, with Greenwood also earning Academy Award nominations for his scores on Phantom Thread and One Battle After Another. Anderson noted that unused music from past projects often resurfaces in later films, reflecting the depth of their ongoing exchange. The duo is increasingly regarded alongside pairings such as Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann, or Steven Spielberg and John Williams, as one of cinema's defining director-composer relationships.
- Paul Thomas Anderson praises his creative bond with composer Jonny Greenwood
- Greenwood has scored every PTA film since 2007's There Will Be Blood
- Anderson likens receiving Greenwood's new music to "Christmas morning"
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Paul Thomas Anderson is an American film director known for movies including There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread and this year's One Battle After Another. For nearly two decades he has worked repeatedly with Jonny Greenwood, best known as the guitarist of the band Radiohead, who composes original music for his films.
Greenwood has written the score for every Anderson film since 2007, and his work on Phantom Thread and One Battle After Another has each earned him an Oscar nomination. The pairing has become one of the more talked-about director-composer relationships in modern cinema, often mentioned in the same breath as historic duos like Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann, or Steven Spielberg and John Williams.
Anderson's films are also known for their ensemble casts and settings in California's San Fernando Valley, with Greenwood's music considered a key part of that overall style. Understanding this long-standing collaboration helps explain why comments from either man about their working relationship attract attention from film fans and critics alike.