A luxury Range Rover involved in a fatal Malibu crash that claimed the life of a Nobu chef was leased by acclaimed Hollywood composer Harry Gregson-Williams, the California Post has learned.
Ryo Uchimiya, 51, was killed at about 6:50 a.m. Saturday after the SUV struck his parked vehicle on Pacific Coast Highway, near the famed celebrity restaurant.
Authorities said the teenage driver, whose identity has not been released, appeared to be traveling at a high speed before the Range Rover crossed the road’s fog line and crashed into Uchimiya’s car.
According to DMV records, the vehicle was a 2026 Land Rover leased by Gregson-Williams, one of the film industry’s most celebrated composers.
In a brief phone conversation with The Post, the British composer said: “This family is grieving just as the other family.” It is not clear what relationship the 16-year-old driver has to Gregson-Williams or how he came to be driving the SUV.
Authorities have identified the teenager but have not publicly disclosed his name because he is a minor. The investigation into the deadly Malibu collision is ongoing.
Gregson-Williams, 64, is among Hollywood’s busiest and most accomplished film composers. He has lived in Los Angeles for decades.
Born in England, he moved to Los Angeles in the 1990s and went on to compose scores for some of the biggest blockbusters in the world.
His film credits include the Shrek franchise, The Chronicles of Narnia, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Martian, Man on Fire, Chicken Run and Gladiator II.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic has described Gregson-Williams as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after and prolific composers.
He also composed the score for The Dog Stars, a 2026 film starring Jacob Elordi, and recently reunited with Ben Affleck for Animals, a new Netflix thriller directed by and starring Affleck.
Gregson-Williams was photographed with his family at Thursday’s Los Angeles premiere of Animals, which was also attended by Affleck, Washington, Damon and other stars—just two days before the fatal crash.
Uchimiya had worked at the renowned Japanese restaurant for about 25 years. He was believed to have been asleep before reporting for another shift.
The chef was sitting in the back seat when the Range Rover hit his vehicle, setting off a chain-reaction crash involving several parked cars.
Authorities said Uchimiya died at the scene from multiple blunt-force injuries. Friends remembered him as far more than a respected sushi chef.
Steven Zaw, a friend of Uchimiya’s, told The Post that the two families were close and that their children attended the same school.
“He’s an amazing human being, great skier. Taught his kids how to ski. We went on a lot of ski trips together,” Zaw said.
“Amazing chef. He wanted to open a restaurant in Long Beach. On the ski trips he made great meals. Cooks way better than me.” Zaw added: “He loved climbing. We loved him.”
Uchimiya is survived by his wife and two sons.
The fatal collision has renewed scrutiny of the notoriously dangerous stretch of Pacific Coast Highway running through Malibu.
A 21-mile section of the highway has averaged roughly four crash-related deaths a year over the past decade.
