The Oscar winning producer of The Godfather Part II and many other notable films, Fred Roos died at the age of 89. He had a long-term relationship with Francis Ford Coppola who has served as producer or co-producer of many best known films including the second and third Godfather films (the second bringing him his Oscar), The Conversation, Apocalypse Now, One From The Heart and The Cotton Club.
Recently, Ross also served as Megalopolis of Coppola’s executive producer, which got premiered this week at the Cannes festival. He was born in Santa Monica and started his career in the mailroom at talent agency MCA. He then became an agent and made his mark as a casting director on various films include Five Easy Pieces, American Graffiti and the original The Godfather. He then launched the careers of stars as a casting director named Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Nicolas Cage and Tom Cruise.
He has also worked with Coppola’s family as executive producer of Eleanor Coppola’s Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse and on Sofia Coppola films including Lost In Translation, Somewhere and Priscilla. He got the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Casting Society of America in 1988 and also got award at the Telluride Film Festival in 2004 for his achievement in the film industry.