Mac Quayle

Frederick MacDonald Quayle, Jr.^[1] was born in Suffolk, Virginia to Fred Quayle, a lawyer and politician, and Brenda Smith.^[2] He spent his early childhood in Richmond before his family moved to Norfolk. He first discovered a passion for music at age six when he sang in the choir of the Christ and St. Luke's Church, later taking piano and percussion lessons.^[3]

He attended Matthew Fontaine Maury High School for three years, but in Quayle's final year of high school, his family moved again to Chesapeake, where he ultimately graduated from Western Branch High School. During school, he served as a band member for two different bands: The Naros and The X-Raves.^[3]

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.^[3]

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 (all 2011).^[3] His work was noticed by Ryan Murphy when Quayle and Martinez worked on his television film The Normal Heart (2014), and invited him to audition to be the composer for the fourth season of American Horror Story.^[4] He was hired the day after his audition.^[3] Quayle went on to compose the score for Murphy's programs Scream Queens,^[5] American Crime Story, Feud, 9-1-1, Pose, The Politician, 9-1-1: Lone Star, and Ratched.^[6] He scored both seasons of the British thriller series The Pact.^[7]

Beginning in October 2018, Quayle collaborated with Gustavo Santaolalla to provide additional music for the 2020 video game The Last of Us Part II.^[8] At the 17th British Academy Games Awards, Quayle, Santaolalla, and Scott Hanau were nominated for the British Academy Games Award for Music.^[9]

For his work on the pilot episode of Mr. Robot, Quayle was awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series.^[10] He was also nominated for his work on American Horror Story and Feud.^[11][12]

Quayle is married to Cat Deakins,^[3] with whom he has two children.^[13]