Roberto Gaston Orci (July 20, 1973 – February 25, 2025) was a Mexican-American screenwriter and producer who left a huge mark on film and television — but even more than that, he was just a really good person.

Born in Mexico City to a Mexican father and Cuban mother, Roberto moved to the United States when he was ten and taught English by watching tv. He later studied at the University of Texas at Austin, setting the stage for an incredible career. Early on, he met Alex Kurtzman, and the two became writing partners and lifelong friends. Together, they worked on shows like Hercules, Xena, Alias, and Fringe, and wrote blockbuster movies like The Island, Mission: Impossible III, Transformers, and Star Trek.

Roberto’s talent was undeniable, but what really set him apart was his heart. He was the kind of guy who would do anything to help someone out. Whether it was a friend, a family member, or even someone just starting out in the business, Roberto always made time. He believed in lifting people up and was never too busy to listen or lend a hand.

He also produced films like Eagle Eye, The Proposal, and Now You See Me, and helped bring shows like Hawaii Five-0 and Sleepy Hollow to life. His career was amazing, but if you knew him personally, you knew his greatest legacy was the kindness he showed to everyone around him.

Roberto passed away at home in Los Angeles from kidney disease on February 25, 2025, at just 51 years old. He was a loving soul who gave so much to the world, and he’s deeply missed by everyone who knew and loved him.

• Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1997–1999) – Writer
  Xena: Warrior Princess (1997–1998) – Writer
• Jack of All Trades (2000) – Writer
  Cleopatra 2525 (2000–2001) – Writer
• Alias (2001–2006) – Writer/Executive Producer
  Fringe (2008–2013) – Co-Creator, Writer, Executive Producer
  Mission: Impossible III (2006) – Writer
  Transformers (2007) – Writer
  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) – Writer
  Star Trek (2009) – WriterEagle Eye 
• (2008) – Executive Producer
  The Proposal (2009) – Executive Producer
  Cowboys & Aliens (2011) – Writer
  Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) – Writer
  Now You See Me (2013) – Producer
  The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) – Writer
• Hawaii Five-0 (2010–2020) – Executive Producer
  Sleepy Hollow (2013–2017) – Co-Creator, Executive Producer
  Scorpion (2014–2018) – Executive Producer
  Matador (2014) – Co-Creator, Executive Producer
   

• "The best idea wins."
  (On how he and Alex Kurtzman approached writing together — collaboration over ego.)
   
• "It’s not about making yourself look smart. It’s about making the story work."
  (A reminder he often gave to writers and team members.)
   
• "You write the movie you want to see."
  (Simple but powerful — he believed in passion first, audience second.)
   
• "Even the villain thinks they’re the hero."
  (On writing good antagonists, especially for Star Trek and Transformers.)
   
• "Sometimes you have to be the first one to jump into the pool."
  (On taking creative risks before you feel 100% ready.)
   
• "Conflict without character is just noise."
  (On why character-driven stories last longer than explosions.)
   
• "If you don't feel something while you're writing it, no one will feel anything watching it."
  (He said this about writing emotional scenes, like in Fringe and Star Trek.)
   
• "Your first draft is you telling yourself the story. Your second draft is you telling the world."
  (Advice he gave young screenwriters.)
   
• "Great science fiction doesn’t predict the future. It prevents it."
  (On how sci-fi should make people think, not just entertain.)
   
• "In this business, it’s easy to forget: you’re here because you love it, not because you have to."
  (He said this once at a Fringe Comic-Con panel.)
   
• "When you love your characters, even when they’re broken, the audience loves them too."
  (Explaining the human flaws in Fringe, Alias, Sleepy Hollow.)
   
• "You can build the best ship in the galaxy, but without a crew that trusts each other, it’s dead in space."
  (Very Star Trek-inspired and honestly a metaphor for life and teams.)
   
• "It’s okay to be scared. It’s not okay to be frozen."
  (One of his personal mottos about moving through fear.)
   
• "You owe it to yourself to bet on yourself at least once."
  (Said during a talk about making bold career moves.)
• "Good writing is a magic trick. You hide the wires so the audience just feels the wonder."
  (On writing blockbusters that still feel emotional and human.)
   
• "You can’t be afraid to look foolish. If you are, you’ll never find anything new."
  (Advice he gave young filmmakers and writers.)
   
• "The worst thing you can be is predictable."
  (His mindset when reinventing franchises like Star Trek and Sleepy Hollow.)
   
• "Sometimes your weirdest idea is the one that changes your life."
  (He encouraged chasing the ‘out there’ ideas.)
   
• "You don’t need permission to dream big. You just need courage."
   
• "A blank page is a promise, not a threat."
  (His way of flipping the fear of starting something new.)
   
• "Make the audience laugh. Make them cry. Make them feel something they didn’t expect to feel."
  (On why emotional twists matter more than clever ones.)
   
• "You can learn more about a person in five minutes of crisis than in five years of peace."
  (This is all over his work — character is revealed under pressure.)
   
• "Trust the person you’re writing with the way you trust a stuntman to catch you."
  (Talking about his partnership with Alex Kurtzman — but really about teamwork.)
   
• "Love your flaws. They’re the roadmap to your best stories."
   
• "A great story doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be true."
   
• "Fear is just excitement without breath."
  (He loved quotes like this that turned fear into action.)
   
• "Write like no one’s watching. Edit like the world’s watching."
  (Perfect mix of his wild imagination and his discipline.)
   
• "You want to know if a scene works? Read it out loud. You’ll hear the truth."
  (He said this about dialogue, pacing, and emotional beats.)
   
• "The future belongs to the ones crazy enough to think they can change it."
  (This attitude ran through everything he touched, from Transformers to Fringe to Sleepy Hollow.)

• You can’t control how long you have with someone. You can only control how deeply you love them."
   
• "The best people aren’t the loudest. They’re the ones who show up, stay loyal, and never let you fall."

• "Sometimes the best thing you can do for a friend is believe in them when they can't believe in themselves."
  *(He lived this way with a lot of the people close to him.)