Elena Maganini obit

Elena Maganini, Film Editor on ‘Dexter,’ ‘Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer,’ Dies at 70

 She was not on the list.

Elena Maganini, a TV and film editor who won an Emmy for cutting the pilot for “Dexter” and edited several films for director John McNaughton, died Oct. 21 in Burbank of complications from breast cancer. She was 70.

Born in Chicago, she graduated from the U. of Illinois and studied filmmaking at Columbia College in Chicago. Maganini started out working at Sinnot & Associates, a Chicago production company.

Her first feature credit came for McNaughton’s influential 1986 “Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer.” She went on to edit McNaughton films including “Wild Things,” which starred Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell and Kevin Bacon, “Mad Dog & Glory” and “Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll,” “The Borrower,” “Speaking of Sex” and “Lansky.” Other feature credits include “Next Friday” and “Ed Gein.”

Moving into television, Maganini edited the pilot for “Dexter,” for which she won an Emmy, and went on to edit shows including “Madam Secretary,” “Good Behavior,” “Clarice,” “Manifest” and “The Cleaning Lady.” She was nominated for an Emmy and a Cable ACE Award for “If These Walls Could Talk,” an anthology about abortion directed by Cher and Nancy Savoca and starring Catherine Keener, Demi Moore and Shirley Knight.

She was a member of American Cinema Editors.

 

Editor

Elodie Yung in The Cleaning Lady (2022)

The Cleaning Lady

6.9

TV Series

Editorfilm editor

2025

4 episodes

 

Daryl Edwards, Matt Long, Luna Blaise, Josh Dallas, J.R. Ramirez, Holly Taylor, Melissa Roxburgh, Parveen Kaur, and Ty Doran in Manifest (2018)

Manifest

7.0

TV Series

Editoredited by

2018–2023

17 episodes

 

Rebecca Breeds in Clarice (2021)

Clarice

6.6

TV Series

Editor

2021

4 episodes

 

Victor Rasuk and Nathalie Kelley in The Baker and the Beauty (2020)

The Baker and the Beauty

7.3

TV Series

Editor

2020

1 episode

 

Wisdom of the Crowd (2017)

Wisdom of the Crowd

6.6

TV Series

Editoredited by

2017–2018

4 episodes

 

Juan Diego Botto and Michelle Dockery in Good Behavior (2016)

Good Behavior

8.0

TV Series

Editor

2016–2017

5 episodes

 

Sean Teale in Incorporated (2016)

Incorporated

7.2

TV Series

Editor

2017

2 episodes

 

Téa Leoni in Madam Secretary (2014)

Madam Secretary

7.8

TV Series

Editoredited by

2014–2016

7 episodes

 

Robert Kazinsky in Second Chance (2016)

Second Chance

7.4

TV Series

Editor

2016

4 episodes

 

Helix (2014)

Helix

6.7

TV Series

Editor

2014

4 episodes

 

Second Sight

4.9

TV Movie

Editor

2013

 

Do No Harm (2013)

Do No Harm

6.8

TV Series

Editor

2013

6 episodes

 

Ayla Kell, Josie Loren, and Cassandra Scerbo in Make It or Break It (2009)

Make It or Break It

7.5

TV Series

Editor

2012

2 episodes

 

Eddie Cibrian and Amber Heard in The Playboy Club (2011)

The Playboy Club

6.2

TV Series

Editor

2011

2 episodes

 

Shenae Grimes-Beech, Michael Steger, Dustin Milligan, AnnaLynne McCord, Jessica Stroup, and Tristan Mack Wilds in 90210 (2008)

90210

6.2

TV Series

Editor

2010–2011

7 episodes

 

Virginia Madsen, David James Elliott, Patrick John Flueger, Vanessa Marano, and Leven Rambin in Scoundrels (2010)

Scoundrels

6.2

TV Series

Editor

2010

2 episodes

 

Eliza Dushku in Dollhouse (2009)

Dollhouse

7.7

TV Series

Editor

2009–2010

4 episodes

 

Jonny Lee Miller in Eli Stone (2008)

Eli Stone

7.7

TV Series

Editor

2008–2009

6 episodes

 

Caterina Scorsone and Elisha Cuthbert in Ny-Lon

Ny-Lon

7.6

TV Movie

Editor

2008

 

Anthony Michael Hall in The Dead Zone (2002)

The Dead Zone

7.3

TV Series

Editor

2007

5 episodes

 

Haskett's Chance

6.6

TV Movie

Editor

2006

 

Michael C. Hall in Dexter (2006)

Dexter

8.6

TV Series

Editor

2006

6 episodes

 

Rob Lowe, Joe Pantoliano, Tom Sizemore, Sarah Lancaster, and James J. Zito III in Dr. Vegas (2004)

Dr. Vegas

5.5

TV Series

Editor

2004–2006

4 episodes

 

Johnathon Schaech and Lori Heuring in 8MM 2 (2005)

8MM 2

4.5

Video

Editor

2005

 

Expert Witness

5.4

TV Movie

Editor

2003

 

Travis Fimmel in Tarzan (2003)

Tarzan

6.6

TV Series

Editor

2003

 

Push, Nevada (2002)

Push, Nevada

7.3

TV Series

Editor

2002

 

Bill Murray, James Spader, Lara Flynn Boyle, Catherine O'Hara, and Melora Walters in Speaking of Sex (2001)

Speaking of Sex

5.6

Editor

2001

 

Steve Railsback in Ed Gein (2000)

Ed Gein

5.5

Editor

2000

 

Condo Painting (2000)

Condo Painting

7.2

Editor

2000

 

Ice Cube, Tom Lister Jr., Kym Whitley, Don 'D.C.' Curry, Mike Epps, Lisa Rodríguez, Jacob Vargas, and John Witherspoon in Next Friday (2000)

Next Friday

6.2

Editor

2000

 

Richard Dreyfuss, Eric Roberts, and Anthony LaPaglia in Lansky (1999)

Lansky

5.5

TV Movie

Editor

1999

 

Louis & Frank (1998)

Louis & Frank

3.6

Editor

1998

 

Kevin Bacon, Neve Campbell, Matt Dillon, and Denise Richards in Wild Things (1998)

Wild Things

6.6

Editor

1998

 

Demi Moore, Cher, and Sissy Spacek in If These Walls Could Talk (1996)

If These Walls Could Talk

6.9

TV Movie

Editor (segments "1952", "1974")

1996

 

Patricia Arquette and Matthew Broderick in Infinity (1996)

Infinity

6.2

Editor

1996

 

Ho-Sung Pak in Book of Swords (1996)

Book of Swords

4.1

Editor

1996

 

Ashley Judd and Luke Perry in Normal Life (1996)

Normal Life

6.2

Editor

1996

 

Antonio Banderas, Madonna, Valeria Golino, Tim Roth, Marisa Tomei, and Jennifer Beals in Four Rooms (1995)

Four Rooms

6.7

Editor (segment "The Wrong Man")

1995

 

Harvey Keitel and Rosie Perez in Somebody to Love (1994)

Somebody to Love

5.5

Editor

1994

 

Robert De Niro, Bill Murray, and Uma Thurman in Mad Dog and Glory (1993)

Mad Dog and Glory

6.3

Editor

1993

 

Eyes of the Prey (1992)

Eyes of the Prey

3.9

Editor

1992

 

How Blue Can You Get?

Short

Editor

1992

 

Victimless Crimes (1991)

Victimless Crimes

5.7

Editor

1991

 

Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll (1991)

Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll

6.9

Editor

1991

 

Tom Towles in The Borrower (1991)

The Borrower

5.3

Editor

1991

 

Michael Rooker in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

7.0

Editor

1986

 

Editorial Department

Wayward Pines (2015)

Wayward Pines

7.3

TV Series

additional editingadditional editing by

2015

2 episodes

 

Téa Leoni in Madam Secretary (2014)

Madam Secretary

7.8

TV Series

additional editor

2015

1 episode

 

Sound Department

Michael Rooker in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

7.0

post-production sound editor

1986

 

Thanks

Tail Dragger (2022)

Tail Dragger

4.8

special thanks

2022

 

In the glorious tradition of stoner comedies like Pineapple Express comes Dr. 420!

Dr. 420

6.7

Video

thanks

2012

 

Self

David Boreanaz in 2007 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (2007)

2007 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards

3.7

TV Special

Self - Winner

2007

 

Portrait: The Making of 'Henry'

7.2

Video

Self

2005

 

Wild Things Audio Commentary (1998)

Wild Things Audio Commentary

Video

Self

1998