Roberto Orci facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roberto Orci
Orci at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Roberto Gaston Orcí (1973-07-20)July 20, 1973 Mexico City, Mexico
Died	February 25, 2025(2025-02-25) (aged 51) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Bob Orci
Alma mater	University of Texas at Austin Spring Woods Senior High School
Occupation	Screenwriter producer
Years active	1997–2025
Spouse(s)	Melissa Blake ​ (div. 2020)​ Adele Heather Taylor ​ ​ (m. 2020; sep 2022)​
Relatives	J. R. Orci (brother)

Roberto Gaston Orcí (July 20, 1973 – February 25, 2025) was an American writer and producer for movies and television. He was well-known for helping to write popular films like Transformers (2007), Star Trek (2009), and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). He often worked with his writing partner, Alex Kurtzman.

Orci was born in Mexico City. He started working with Kurtzman when they were in school. They wrote for TV shows such as Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. Later, they helped create the TV series Fringe and Sleepy Hollow. Their first big movie project was The Island. Orci also became a film producer for movies like Eagle Eye and The Proposal.

Orci and Kurtzman also worked on Mission: Impossible III and the Star Trek reboot films. Later, Orci created the TV series Matador. He also worked as a producer on TV shows like Limitless and Scorpion. Orci received several awards for his writing and contributions to entertainment.

Early Life and Education

Roberto Gaston Orcí was born in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 20, 1973. His father was Mexican, and his mother was Cuban. When he was 10 years old, his family moved to the United States.

Orci met his friend and future writing partner, Alex Kurtzman, when they were 17. They were students at Crossroads, a private school in Santa Monica, California. They discovered they both loved movies, especially a certain film that sparked their interest. They also found they had a lot in common, as Kurtzman had also lived in Mexico City. Orci later attended the University of Texas at Austin. After college, the two friends started writing scripts together.

Career in Television and Film

Starting in Television

Orci's longtime writing partner Alex Kurtzman

Orci and Kurtzman began their writing careers on the TV show Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. They were hired by Sam Raimi. When the main actor, Kevin Sorbo, had health issues, Orci and Kurtzman had to find creative ways to reduce his screen time. This experience helped them become "showrunners" (people who manage a TV show) at just 24 years old. They also worked on Hercules' sister show, Xena: Warrior Princess.

They wanted to write for bigger TV networks. After some challenges, they met J. J. Abrams, who was working on Alias. This meeting went well, and they joined the writing team for Alias. They later worked with Abrams again to create the science fiction series Fringe.

Moving to Movies

Orci and Kurtzman got their first chance to write for films in 2004. They worked on the movie The Island, directed by Michael Bay. Even though that movie wasn't a huge hit, they were asked to write Bay's next film, Transformers. This happened after producer Steven Spielberg invited them to a meeting. Transformers was a massive success, earning a lot of money worldwide.

After Transformers, they helped revise the script for Watchmen. They also worked with J. J. Abrams again on Mission: Impossible III. When they wrote Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, they faced tight deadlines because of a writers' strike. They had to work very quickly to get the script ready.

Between 2005 and 2011, the movies written by Kurtzman and Orci earned a lot of money. Because they were so busy, they often worked with other writers on their projects. For example, on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, they teamed up with Ehren Kruger.

Becoming a Producer

Orci's first role as a producer was for the film Eagle Eye, where he worked with Kurtzman. He explained that he liked helping writers on a project, just as he had been helped by producers with writing backgrounds. The director of Eagle Eye, D. J. Caruso, praised them for keeping their producer-writer power from TV and bringing it to movies, which was very rare. They also served as executive producers for the film The Proposal.

Even with their film careers, Orci and Kurtzman continued to create TV shows. They developed Sleepy Hollow with Phillip Iscove. Orci spent five years developing the series Matador. This show was made for Robert Rodriguez's El Rey Network. Rodriguez only asked to direct the first episode, which Orci happily agreed to.

Orci and Kurtzman were also executive producers for the animated TV series Transformers: Prime. They hoped to be involved in future animated Transformers shows. Orci felt that while Prime was complex, a new series could be simpler for younger viewers.

Working on Star Trek Films

Orci and Kurtzman were asked to write the script for a new Star Trek movie. Orci, being a fan, suggested rebooting the timeline. This meant creating a new story that still included characters like Leonard Nimoy's Spock from the original series. He saw the first two reboot films as the origin story for the crew. Orci felt the relationship between James T. Kirk and the younger Spock in the films was similar to his partnership with Kurtzman.

The first Star Trek film was very successful, so the studio asked Kurtzman and Orci to write a sequel. Orci said they would avoid the common "hero quitting" storyline often seen in second movies. During the making of the sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, Orci and the team kept details about the villain a secret.

Partnership Changes and Later Work

In April 2014, Orci and Kurtzman announced they would no longer work together on film projects. However, they continued to collaborate on TV shows. Kurtzman wanted to focus on the Spider-Man movies, while Orci was considered to direct Star Trek 3. Orci later confirmed he was not involved in The Amazing Spider-Man 3. Their production company, K/O Paper Products, continued to operate. It created TV series like Scorpion and Limitless.

Before their film partnership ended, Orci and Kurtzman were set to write the third Star Trek film. In May 2014, it was announced that Orci would direct this film, which would have been his first time directing a movie. He was also writing the script with JD Payne and Patrick McKay. However, in December, it was announced that he would no longer direct the Star Trek film. He remained a producer on the movie, and other writers took over the script. Justin Lin became the new director.

Orci created Matador with the idea of a main character who was a "soccer player by day who is a spy by night." He called the character a "Latin James Bond". The series aired on the El Rey Network. It was renewed for a second season before the first episode even aired, but it was later canceled due to low international sales.

In March 2020, it was reported that Roberto Orci was hired by Sony to write a script for a Marvel film set in Sony's Spider-Man Universe.

Personal Life and Passing

Roberto Orci and Adele Heather Taylor attend a CBS Sunset on the Beach event to celebrate Hawaii Five-0, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Roberto Orci was married to actress Melissa Blake. They divorced in March 2020. He then married actress and screenwriter Adele Heather Taylor on June 6, 2020. They worked together on some projects. Orci filed for divorce in January 2023.

Roberto Orci passed away from kidney disease at his home in Los Angeles on February 25, 2025. He was 51 years old.

Awards and Recognition

In 2007, The Hollywood Reporter listed Orci as one of the 50 most powerful Latinos in Hollywood. In 2009, he received the Norman Lear Writer's Award at the Imagen Awards. He also received the Raul Julia Award for Excellence from the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts. With Alex Kurtzman, Orci won The George Pal Memorial Award at the 2010 Saturn Awards.

In 2013, Orci and Kurtzman were honored by Chrysalis, a group that helps people experiencing homelessness and low-income families. Orci said he was proud to support an organization that helps people overcome challenges.

In 2017, Orci received the Visionary Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition. This award recognizes Latinos who make great contributions to showing positive portrayals of Latinos in film and TV.

Filmography

Film Projects

Television Projects

See also

In Spanish: Roberto Orci para niños