Randy Roberts obit

Former ACE President Randy Roberts Dies at 69

The editor, producer and director edited series such as 'Chicago Hope,' 'L.A. Law' and 'Early Edition' 

He was not on the list.

Editor, producer and director Randy Roberts died Monday in his Los Angeles home after a battle with stomach cancer. He was 69.

He was the award-winning editor of hit series including Chicago Hope, L.A. Law and Early Edition. But for all who knew him, he will most be remembered as a friend, mentor and champion of film editors.

Roberts served on American Cinema Editors’ board of directors for nearly two decades, as vp from 2005-08 and as president from 2008-12. Earlier this year, he received ACE’s Heritage Award for his lifetime commitment to ACE. And last month, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hollywood Post Alliance.

Presenting the HPA Award, Wolf Films’ executive producer Arthur Fortney said of Roberts: “When you begin your career in any industry, you hope to find someone who believes in your talent, you’re especially blessed if they help shape you as an artist and as a human being. That person for me is my dear friend Randy Roberts. His belief in me has helped me with who I am today.” He concluded by saluting Roberts’ “leadership and passion for ACE.”

For Chicago Hope, Roberts won an American Cinema Editors Eddie Award as well as an Emmy nomination and a second Eddie nomination. He earned two additional Eddie nominations, for L.A. Law and Early Edition. He also contributed to the phenomenal success of the long-running series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit from 2001-11, starting as a co-producer and becoming supervising producer in 2003.

Roberts was an L.A. native — his father was head of casting at Warner Bros. and his mother was an extra. By age 10, he had found his love of the business, initially as a child actor, with roles including on a 1956 episode of Warner Bros. Presents with Elizabeth Montgomery. Later, he started to work in Warners’ mailroom when his uncle, film editor Sam O’Steen, introduced him to editing.

Roberts began as an assistant to Gene Mumford (On the Waterfront) and went on to earn a string of film and TV credits including Straight Time (1978), co-edited with O’Steen; and Players, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and One from the Heart for Francis Ford Coppola. He also edited Magic Journey, a 3D attraction for the Kodak Pavilion at Disney’s Epcot Center. And he directed episodes of Tour of Duty, Miami Vice, L.A. Law and Early Edition.

He retired from Law & Order in 2011, and during his illness continued to actively contribute his efforts to ACE while maintaining his sense of humor and positive outlook. He was always ready with comments such as this: “The sooner you get behind, the more time you have to catch up.”

He leaves behind his partner, editor Heidi Scharfe; his daughter, Taylor, son-in-law, Cesar; and grandchildren Carmen and Kennedy.

Director

Kyle Chandler and Shanesia Davis in Early Edition (1996)

Early Edition

7.6

TV Series

Director

1999

2 episodes

 

Hector Elizondo, Mandy Patinkin, Roma Maffia, Adam Arkin, Roxanne Hart, and E.G. Marshall in Chicago Hope (1994)

Chicago Hope

6.9

TV Series

Director

1996

1 episode

 

L.A. Law (1986)

L.A. Law

7.1

TV Series

Director

1993–1994

2 episodes

 

Louis Gossett Jr. and Julie Carmen in The Last Plane from Coramaya (1989)

The Last Plane from Coramaya

5.7

Video

Director

1989

 

Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell in Quantum Leap (1989)

Quantum Leap

8.2

TV Series

Director

1989

1 episode

 

Stephen Caffrey in Tour of Duty (1987)

Tour of Duty

8.3

TV Series

Director

1987–1989

3 episodes

 

Johnny Staccato (1959)

Gideon Oliver

5.9

TV Series

Director

1989

1 episode

 

Fred Dryer and Stepfanie Kramer in Hunter (1984)

Hunter

6.9

TV Series

Director

1989

1 episode

 

The Dirty Dozen (1988)

The Dirty Dozen

6.7

TV Series

Director

1988

1 episode

 

Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in Miami Vice (1984)

Miami Vice

7.6

TV Series

Director

1988

1 episode

 

Hard Copy (1987)

Hard Copy

4.0

TV Series

Director

1987

1 episode

 

Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

7.7

TV Series

Director

1986

1 episode

 

Actor

Mark Jenkins and Stephen Manley in Young Dr. Kildare (1972)

Young Dr. Kildare

6.5

TV Series

Artis

1972

1 episode

 

Producer

Mariska Hargitay in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

8.1

TV Series

supervising producer

producer

co-producer

2001–2011

219 episodes

 

Kyle Chandler and Shanesia Davis in Early Edition (1996)

Early Edition

7.6

TV Series

supervising producer

co-producer

1997–2000

48 episodes

 

Editor

Dead in a Heartbeat (2002)

Dead in a Heartbeat

5.3

TV Movie

Editor

2002

 

Will Patton, Gil Bellows, Gloria Reuben, and Paige Turco in The Agency (2001)

The Agency

7.3

TV Series

Editor

2001

1 episode

 

Adam Goldberg, Rick Hoffman, and Tom Everett Scott in The $treet (2000)

The $treet

7.2

TV Series

Editor

2000

2 episodes

 

Kyle Chandler and Shanesia Davis in Early Edition (1996)

Early Edition

7.6

TV Series

Editor

1996–1997

12 episodes

 

Hector Elizondo, Mandy Patinkin, Roma Maffia, Adam Arkin, Roxanne Hart, and E.G. Marshall in Chicago Hope (1994)

Chicago Hope

6.9

TV Series

Editor

1994–1996

13 episodes

 

L.A. Law (1986)

L.A. Law

7.1

TV Series

Editor

1991–1994

19 episodes

 

Helen Shaver, Mariette Hartley, John Shea, and Harris Yulin in WIOU (1990)

WIOU

7.2

TV Series

Editor

1991

1 episode

 

Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

Star Trek: The Next Generation

8.7

TV Series

Editor

1987

1 episode

 

Amanda Peterson, Eva Marie Saint, Trey Ames, Adam Arkin, Jayne Atkinson, Jennifer Cooke, Richard Kiley, David Oliver, Scott Paulin, Wendy Phillips, and Morgan Stevens in A Year in the Life (1986)

A Year in the Life

8.5

TV Mini Series

Editor

1986

1 episode

 

Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

7.7

TV Series

Editor

1985–1986

6 episodes

 

JoBeth Williams and Michael Ontkean in Kids Don't Tell (1985)

Kids Don't Tell

5.6

TV Movie

Editor

1985

 

Bruce in Jaws 3-D (1983)

Jaws 3-D

3.7

Editor (edited by)

1983

 

Marilu Henner, Peter Boyle, Frederic Forrest, David Patrick Kelly, and Lydia Lei in Hammett (1982)

Hammett

6.4

Editor

1982

 

Teri Garr in One from the Heart (1981)

One from the Heart

6.5

Editor

1981

 

A Small Circle of Friends (1980)

A Small Circle of Friends

5.9

Editor

1980

 

Ali MacGraw and Dean Paul Martin in Players (1979)

Players

4.2

Editor

1979

 

Dustin Hoffman and Theresa Russell in Straight Time (1978)

Straight Time

7.4

Editor

1978

 

Greased Lightning (1977)

Greased Lightning

6.4

Editor

1977

 

Editorial Department

Oh, God! You Devil (1984)

Oh, God! You Devil

5.4

supervising editor

1984

 

Raul Julia, Norman Burton, Susan Flannery, Harvey Jason, Steven Keats, Joanne Nail, Tricia O'Neil, Nicholas Pryor, Lázaro Pérez, Michael Sarrazin, Walter R. Smith, Wally Taylor, and Linda Vaughn in The Gumball Rally (1976)

The Gumball Rally

6.2

editorial associate

1976

 

Lonette McKee, Dwan Smith, and Philip Michael Thomas in Sparkle (1976)

Sparkle

6.7

assistant editor

1976

 

Alan Arkin and James Caan in Freebie and the Bean (1974)

Freebie and the Bean

6.6

assistant editor

1974

 

Jimi Hendrix in Jimi Hendrix (1973)

Jimi Hendrix

7.7

assistant editor

1973

 

The Steagle (1971)

The Steagle

5.1

assistant editor

1971