Joe Roth
Joseph E. Roth[1] is an American film executive, producer and director. He co-founded Morgan Creek Productions in 1988 and was chairman of 20th Century Fox (1989–1993), Caravan Pictures (1993–1994), and Walt Disney Studios (1994–2000) before founding Revolution Studios in 2000, then Roth Films.
Joe Roth | |
|---|---|
 Roth in December 2016 | |
| Born | Joseph Emanuel Roth New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Film director, chairman of 20th Century Fox (1989–1993) and Walt Disney Studios (1994–2000) |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Spouse(s) | Donna Arkoff
( m. 1980; div. 2004)Irene Oh
( m. 2006) |
| Children | 3 |
Early life
Roth was born to Frances and Lawrence Roth.[2] In 1959, Roth's father volunteered his son to be a plaintiff in the ACLU's effort to abolish mandatory prayer in public schools. The case, filed in New York, went through several appeals, finally reaching the U.S. Supreme Court in 1962. The Court ruled that such prayer was unconstitutional under the First Amendment, in the landmark case of Engel v. Vitale.[3]
Roth attended Boston University, graduating in 1970 with a bachelor's degree in communication.[1]
Career
Over the course of his career, he has produced over 40 films, and has directed six to date, including 1990's Coupe de Ville, 2001's America's Sweethearts and 2006's Freedomland.
In 1988 by Roth and James Robinson co-founded Morgan Creek Entertainment.[4] The name came from Roth's favorite film, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek.[5] The company had box-office hits including Young Guns and Major League.
In 1992, he co-founded Caravan Pictures with Roger Birnbaum, which had a production deal with The Walt Disney Studios. Roth moved on to be Disney studio chief on August 24, 1994.[6] Disney CEO Michael Eisner was so set on replacing Jeffrey Katzenberg as Disney studio chief with Roth that he forgave the $15 million cost overrun debt for I Love Trouble and paid Roth $40 million of fees for 21 unproduced films under the deal.[7]
Roth, who was ranked 6th in Premiere Magazine's 2003 Hollywood Power List, produced the 76th annual Academy Awards. Roth announced that in October 2007, when Revolution's distribution deal with Sony Pictures ends, Revolution Studios will close and he will join Sony as a producer.
On November 13, 2007, Roth was introduced as the majority owner of a Seattle, Washington–based Major League Soccer franchise along with Paul Allen. Seattle Sounders FC—which calls CenturyLink Field home—began regular season play in 2009. On November 12, 2015, Roth passed on majority ownership to Adrian Hanauer.
Personal life
He was married to Donna Arkoff whose father was movie producer Samuel Z. Arkoff.[8] They have three children. They resided in the Dolores del Río House, designed by architect Douglas Honnold for Irish production designer Cedric Gibbons and Mexican actress Dolores del Río in 1929 in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California.[9]
Filmography
All films, he was producer unless otherwise noted.
Film
- As director
| Year | Film |
|---|---|
| 1986 | Streets of Gold |
| 1987 | Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise |
| 1990 | Coupe de Ville |
| 2001 | America's Sweethearts |
| 2004 | Christmas with the Kranks |
| 2006 | Freedomland |
- Miscellaneous crew
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Conversation | Production assistant | |
| 1988 | Young Guns | Presenter | |
| Dead Ringers | |||
| 1990 | The Exorcist III |
- As an actor
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Tunnel Vision | Player-Announcer | |
| 1977 | Cracking Up | Man | |
- Production manager
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Armageddon | Executive in charge of production |
- Thanks
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Dead Presidents | Special thanks |
| 2002 | Punch-Drunk Love | |
| Gangs of New York | ||
| 2009 | Bandslam | Thanks |
Television
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 76th Academy Awards | Television special | |
| 2007 | Demons | Executive producer | Television film |
| 2011 | Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza | Executive producer | |
| 2010−12 | Are We There Yet? | Executive producer | |
| 2012−14 | Anger Management | Executive producer | |
| 2019 | This is Football | Executive producer | Documentary |
| The Plot Against America | Executive producer | ||
| Panic |
- Thanks
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | American Masters | Special thanks | Documentary |
References
- "B.U. Bridge". October 27, 2003.
- New York Civil Liberties Union: "Obituary: Steven Engel, Plaintiff in Landmark School Prayer Case" February 6, 2008
- Hammer, Joshua. "The Sly Dog at Fox". Newsweek, May 25, 1992.
- Masters, Kim (November 14, 2013). "Joe Roth's 'Third Act': From 'Gigli' to Billion-Dollar Producer and Pro Soccer Superstar". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
- Harmetz, Aljean (April 25, 1989). "Producer Defies Rules, and Succeeds". The New York Times. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
- "Seasoned Performer Takes Lead Studio Role". Orlando Sentinel. Los Angeles Times. August 28, 1994. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
- Masters, Kim (November 14, 2013). "Joe Roth's 'Third Act': From 'Gigli' to Billion-Dollar Producer and Pro Soccer Superstar". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- New York Times: "Samuel Z. Arkoff, Maker of Drive-In Thrillers, Dies at 83" By ALJEAN HARMETZ September 19, 2001
- Brown, Patricia Leigh (February 29, 2008). "A Moderne Masterpiece Revived". Architectural Digest. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
External links
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