Fred Roos, the Oscar-winning producer behind the legendary film The Godfather Part II, passed away at the age of 89. His death, which occurred at his residence in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday, was confirmed by a representative on Tuesday. The news comes just days after the premiere of his and Francis Ford Coppola’s latest film, Megalopolis, at the Cannes Film Festival.
In a statement, Roos’s son Alexander “Sandy” Roos shared, “He was determined to never retire from the film business and to go with his boots on. He got his wish.” Indeed, Fred Roos remained actively involved in the film industry until the end of his life, a testament to his enduring passion for cinema.
Roos enjoyed a prolific partnership with Francis Ford Coppola that spanned over five decades. Their collaboration began with The Godfather, where Roos played a pivotal role in the casting of Al Pacino and James Caan, choices that were initially opposed by the studio. Furthermore, he introduced Coppola to John Cazale, another casting decision that would prove to be integral to the film’s success. Together, Roos and Coppola produced some of Hollywood’s most celebrated films, including the best picture nominees The Conversation, Apocalypse Now, and Parts II and III of The Godfather.
Francis Ford Coppola lauded Roos as “one of the great casting talents” in a 2004 interview with the Chicago Tribune. The stories of Roos’s impact on films like the Godfather series and Star Wars have become legendary in Hollywood. Notably, George Lucas sought Roos’s opinions while developing Star Wars. Roos gave Lucas a screenplay annotated with names he recommended, including Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and James Earl Jones. Roos’s contributions also included assembling the young talent for Lucas’ American Graffiti and The Outsiders, effectively launching the careers of numerous future stars such as Tom Cruise, Diane Lane, Richard Dreyfuss, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, and Patrick Swayze.
In an interview about The Outsiders, Roos expressed his philosophy on casting, saying, “I always like to think that actors I put in my movie are going to become stars, and we’ll hear from them again.” His knack for identifying and nurturing talent is evidenced by his knack for convincing reluctant studios, like when he fought hard to cast Harrison Ford as Han Solo. Ford himself acknowledged this in 2004, noting, “Once he believes in you, he is unrelenting. He kept putting me up for parts, and I kept getting rejected.
. Finally, things worked out.”
Over his illustrious career, Roos discovered and elevated numerous actors who would go on to become household names such as Diane Keaton, Laurence Fishburne, Emilio Estevez, Jennifer Connelly, and Alden Ehrenreich. In a 2016 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Roos reflected on his talent-spotting ability, saying, “It’s always kind of intangible. Just a feeling I have about somebody. A lot of people that I’ve been associated with are like that. Jack Nicholson. Harrison. They don’t quite fit any mold.”
Roos’s breakthrough in film came with Richard Lester’s infidelity drama Petulia in 1968, which starred Julie Christie and George C. Scott. Reflecting on this period, Roos once remarked, “Work just flowed to me after that.” His subsequent projects included influential films like John Huston’s Fat City, Michelangelo Antonioni’s Zabriskie Point, Monte Hellman’s Two-Lane Blacktop, and Bob Rafelson’s Five Easy Pieces.
Roos and Coppola achieved the rare feat of garnering two best picture nominations in the same year for The Godfather Part II and The Conversation, ultimately winning for the former. Roos produced several other films for Coppola, including One from the Heart, Rumble Fish, The Cotton Club, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, and Tetro.
His collaborative efforts extended to the Coppola family as well. Roos produced Eleanor Coppola’s Emmy-winning documentary Hearts of Darkness, capturing the making of Apocalypse Now, and took great pride in assisting her with her 2016 film Paris Can Wait. Furthermore, he played a key role in Sofia Coppola’s films, including The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation, helping to introduce audiences to actors such as Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, Elle Fanning, and Cailee Spaeny, who starred in her latest film, Priscilla.
The film industry has lost a visionary and a true champion of talent with the passing of Fred Roos. His work and legacy will continue to inspire filmmakers and actors alike for generations to come.
