Fred Roos, the Oscar-winning producer renowned for his work on The Godfather Part II and for launching the careers of numerous superstars including Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise, has passed away at the age of 89. The prolific producer and casting director succumbed at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday. The news of his death was confirmed by his representative on Tuesday, just days following the premiere of his and Francis Ford Coppola’s latest film, Megalopolis, at the Cannes Film Festival.
Roos’s son, Alexander “Sandy” Roos, issued a heartfelt statement saying, “(He) was determined to never retire from the film business and to go with his boots on. He got his wish.”
Fred Roos and Francis Ford Coppola shared a professional relationship that spanned over five decades. Their collaboration began with The Godfather, where Roos played a crucial role in the casting process. Despite facing resistance from the studio, he was instrumental in casting Al Pacino and James Caan, and even introduced Coppola to the talented John Cazale. Roos’s efforts were pivotal in shaping the success of Coppola’s best picture nominees such as The Conversation, Apocalypse Now, and Parts II and III of The Godfather. In a 2004 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Coppola lauded him as “one of the great casting talents.”
The impact of Roos on some of Hollywood’s biggest films is legendary. His involvement went beyond just the Godfather trilogy; he also influenced the casting for Star Wars. George Lucas, during the developmental phase of Star Wars, reached out to Roos for advice. Roos returned the screenplay with names like Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and James Earl Jones scribbled on it. He played a significant role in assembling the young casts for Lucas’ American Graffiti and The Outsiders, helping introduce future stars like Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Diane Lane, Richard Dreyfuss, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, and Patrick Swayze to wider audiences.
In an interview about casting The Outsiders, Roos shared his casting philosophy: “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 tenacity in pursuing talent is reflected in numerous success stories, such as that of Harrison Ford. Despite multiple rejections, Roos continued to push for Ford’s casting as Han Solo, which ultimately catapulted Ford to stardom. “Once he believes in you, he is unrelenting,” Ford once remarked in 2004.
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Roos’s ability to spot talent was almost intuitive. In a 2016 interview with Entertainment Weekly, he described it as “always kind of intangible. Just a feeling I have about somebody.” This instinct led to the discovery of several high-profile actors including Diane Keaton, Laurence Fishburne, Emilio Estevez, Jennifer Connelly, and Alden Ehrenreich.
His career breakthrough came with the Richard Lester’s infidelity drama Petulia featuring Julie Christie and George C. Scott in 1968. “Work just flowed to me after that,” Roos recalled. His illustrious career saw collaborations with iconic directors like John Huston (Fat City), Michelangelo Antonioni (Zabriskie Point), Monte Hellman (Two-Lane Blacktop), and Bob Rafelson (Five Easy Pieces).
Roos’s partnership with Coppola was prolific, garnering two best picture nominations in the same year for The Godfather Part II and The Conversation, with the former clinching the award. He went on to produce several other films for Coppola, including One from the Heart, Rumble Fish, The Cotton Club, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, and Tetro.
The collaboration between Roos and the Coppola family extended beyond Francis. He produced the late Eleanor Coppola’s Emmy-winning documentary Hearts of Darkness, which chronicled the making of Apocalypse Now. He took pride in supporting her directorial venture with the 2016 film Paris Can Wait. Additionally, Roos had a significant influence on all of Sofia Coppola’s films. From The Virgin Suicides to Lost in Translation, he introduced actors like Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, Elle Fanning, and Cailee Spaeny to her, with the latter starring in her latest film, Priscilla.
Fred Roos’s contributions to the film industry have indelibly shaped Hollywood. His astute judgment and knack for recognizing talent brought numerous actors into the limelight and led to the success of some of cinema’s most memorable films. Today, the world bids farewell to a cinematic stalwart whose legacy will continue to live on through the timeless works he helped bring to life.
