West
Fred Roos, ‘Godfather Part II’ producer and longtime Coppola collaborator, dies at 89
Fred Roos, the Oscar-winning producer of “The Godfather Part II” who helped launch the careers of numerous superstars from Jack Nicholson to Tom Cruise, has died. He was 89.
He died at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday, a representative said Tuesday, just days after his and Francis Ford Coppola’s latest film ” Megalopolis ” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
ROGER STONE’S TRIAL MAY FEATURE CLIP FROM ‘THE GODFATHER: PART II’: REPORT
Roos and Coppola worked together for over 50 years, starting with “The Godfather,” where he advised on the casting of Al Pacino and James Caan against the wishes of the studio, and introduced Coppola to John Cazale. He also produced Coppola’s best picture nominees “The Conversation,” “Apocalypse Now” and Parts II and III of “The Godfather.”
“Fred Roos possessed a casting instinct that was near infallible,” Coppola wrote on Instagram. “He was a great lifelong friend and collaborator with above all a true love for movies.”
Executive Producer Fred Roos poses at The U.S. Premiere of Focus Features “The Beguiled” at Directors Guild of America on Monday, June 12, 2017, in Los Angeles. Roos, the Oscar-winning producer of “The Godfather Part II” who helped launch the careers of numerous superstars from Jack Nicholson to Tom Cruise, died at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif., Saturday, May, 18, 2024, a representative said Tuesday, May 21. He was 89. (Steve Cohn/Invision for Focus Features/AP Images)
The stories about his impact on some of the biggest films of all time, from the Godfather trilogy to “Star Wars,” are the stuff of Hollywood legend. While developing “Star Wars,” George Lucas asked Roos for his thoughts. Lucas got the screenplay back from Roos with several names scribbled on it: Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and James Earl Jones. Roos also helped assemble the young casts for Lucas’ “American Graffiti” and “The Outsiders,” introducing wide audiences to the likes of Cruise, Ford, Diane Lane, Richard Dreyfuss, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon and Patrick Swayze.
“I always like to think that actors I put in my movie are going to become stars and we’ll hear from again,” he said in an interview about casting “The Outsiders.”
Sometimes it took some convincing, like getting Ford in as Han Solo. In 2004, Ford said, “Once he believes in you, he is unrelenting. He kept putting me up for parts and I kept getting rejected. Finally things worked out.”
Other Roos discoveries include Diane Keaton, Laurence Fishburne, Emilio Estevez, Jennifer Connelly and Alden Ehrenreich.
“It’s always kind of intangible. Just a feeling I have about somebody,” Roos said of his ability to spot talent in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2016. “A lot of people that I’ve been associated with are like that. Jack Nicholson. Harrison. They don’t quite fit any mold.”
Roos was born in Santa Monica, California, on May 22, 1934, and raised in Riverside and Los Angeles, where he attended high school at the famous Hollywood High. After graduating from UCLA in 1956, he was drafted and served two tours in Korea with the Army, one alongside Garry Marshall.
He long had a fascination with film, and got his foot in the door working in the mailroom at a talent agency, MCA, Inc, where one of his odd jobs was driving Marilyn Monroe around. Soon he was casting for television shows like “The Andy Griffith Show” and “That Girl.”
His film breakthrough came with Richard Lester’s infidelity drama “Petulia” with Julie Christie and George C. Scott, which came out in 1968.
“Work just flowed to me after that,” Roos said.
That included work for the likes of John Huston (“Fat City”), Michelangelo Antonioni (“Zabriskie Point”), Monte Hellman (“Two-Lane Blacktop”) and Bob Rafelson (“Five Easy Pieces”).
Roos and Coppola would get two best picture nominations in the same year for “The Godfather Part II” and “The Conversation,” winning for the former. Other films he produced for Coppola included “One from the Heart,” “Rumble Fish,” “The Cotton Club,” “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” and “Tetro.”
The Coppola collaboration also extended to the family. Roos produced the late Eleanor Coppola ’s Emmy-winning documentary “Hearts of Darkness” about the making of “Apocalypse Now,” and was especially proud about helping her make her 2016 film “Paris Can Wait.”
He also had a hand in all of Sofia Coppola’s films, including “The Virgin Suicides” and “Lost in Translation,” introducing her to actors like Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, Elle Fanning and Cailee Spaeny, who starred in her latest “Priscilla.” Sometimes he’d suggest well-known people for roles too, as with Colin Farrell in “The Beguiled.”
Outside of the Coppola orbit, he produced Nicholson’s directorial debut “Drive, He Said,” Carroll Ballard’s “The Black Stallion” and Agnieszka Holland’s “The Secret Garden.” He also played a part in getting S.E. Hinton and American Zoetrope to bring “The Outsiders” to Broadway. Last month, it earned 12 Tony nominations.
Roos is survived by his son, Alexander “Sandy” Roos, who was also his producing partner, and his wife, Nancy Drew.
“(He) was determined to never retire from the film business and to go with his boots on,” his son said in a statement. “He got his wish.”
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San Francisco, CA
Chonkers the Gigantic Steller Sea Lion Draws Crowds to Pier 39
“He’s like a Volkswagen! He’s so huge!” said Oluwaseyi Akinbobola, a visitor from Los Angeles who had an extra half hour so she ran down to the pier for a hopeful peek of the elusive sea lion. “I have heard everywhere about this big giant sea lion, and I like to look at things, so just thought I’d check it out.”
Chonkers likely came from up north off the coast of Washington or Oregon and is estimated to weigh between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds (680 and 907 kilograms), said Laura Gill, public programs manager at The Marine Mammal Center in nearby Sausalito. Chonkers has been one of the few Steller sea lions to venture to the pier, which is protected from predators and crashing waves while providing a fish-filled buffet.
“There’s plenty of food in San Francisco Bay for them, so the fish, the rockfish, the anchovies, the herring, there’s a lot of easy prey for them,” she said.
@apnews A surprise guest at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf is quite literally making waves. Meet Chonkers, the name given to a giant Steller sea lion spotted this week lounging among his considerably smaller California sea lion neighbors. Chonkers belongs to the Steller species, the largest of all sea lions, known for their commanding presence and dock-dominating energy. Adult males can weigh over a ton. #sealion #cuteanimals #sanfrancisco #seal #california #fishermanswharf #animals #ocean ♬ original sound – The Associated Press
Denver, CO
Hundreds targeted by Denver text scam show up for fake court hearing
At least 200 people crowded into the Denver City & County building on Friday morning after receiving a scam text about a traffic violation and court hearing.
Colorado is at least the ninth state to be hit by the scam that tries to get people to pay a fine through a QR code printed on an official-looking “final enforcement notice,” county court spokesperson Carolyn Tyler said.
Courts in Arizona, Delaware, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Oregon, South Dakota, and Virginia reported similar scams, she said.
The fake document claims to be from the state of Colorado and the Denver County Traffic Division and is titled “Official Notice of Default and Enforcement Action.” The form instructs people to pay a fee by scanning a QR code on the form or show up for a court hearing — in this case, at 9 a.m. Friday in Denver.
“The court does not contact people this way,” Tyler said. “If you do get communications from the court, you should expect to see your name, your case number and specific identifying information.”
Court employees will never reach out by text to demand payment, county officials said.
Anyone who gets a suspicious text claiming they are in default for a traffic violation should report the information to local police and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office online at stopfraudcolorado.gov or the Denver District Attorney’s Office consumer fraud hotline at 720-913-9179.
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Seattle, WA
Seahawks rookie minicamp tryout players revealed
The Seattle Seahawks kicked off rookie minicamp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton on Friday. While the rookie draft class and undrafted free agents are all slated to participate, there are dozens of unsigned players who’ve received invites, including some non-rookies still trying to get an NFL contract.
Seattle Seahawks rookie minicamp invitees
And yes, Gee Scott Jr is the son of the longtime Seattle radio personality Gee Scott Sr. Gee Scott Jr was part of the New England Patriots and Washington Commanders practice squads last season, but he didn’t play in a game and otherwise is eligible for tryouts.
If you’re wondering about Jalen Milroe’s rookie minicamp eligibility, he accrued a full season and is under contract and therefore cannot participate.
Seahawks rookie minicamp ends on Saturday, May 2.
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