Roberto “Bob” Gaston Orci, the author and producer of some of the most popular science fiction and action-adventure films of the past 20 years, has died at 51. On February 25, Orci passed away at home in Los Angeles following a fight with kidney disease.
Orci, born in Mexico City, immigrated to the US at ten. His career took off after he teamed up with Alex Kurtzman. He began his career in Hollywood writing and producing for Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.
The pair became one of popular television and film’s most sought-after creative teams.
Orci co-wrote and produced Transformers (2007), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), and the 2009 Star Trek reboot and its follow-ups. In addition, he co-wrote The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Eagle Eye, The Proposal, The Mummy, The Legend of Zorro, Mission: Impossible III, and Now You See Me.
In 2009, Orci told The Times that they discovered they were writing about themselves while revisiting Spock and Kirk’s exploits.
“We’re from different worlds, Alex was born here, and I was born in Mexico City and lived there until I was 9. Kirk and Spock are opposites from two worlds. That’s us in a nutshell,” he said. “We’re drawn to each by what each of us lacks. The story of this film is about two guys who are such opposites that they might end up strangling each other, but instead they bond and thrive together. That’s us. We can go warp speed together.”
Regarding his TV credits, he produced Hawaii Five-0, co-created Sleepy Hollow and Fringe, and contributed to Alias and Scorpion. Orci pursued projects even after splitting with Kurtzman in 2016, starting a writer-driven production firm called Rubber Room Media.
“He was a visionary storyteller with a boundless heart and a beautiful soul,” Orci’s brother, J.R. Orci, said in a statement. “But beyond his creative talents, he was a compassionate friend who would put his life on hold to help a stranger and find room in his home for the most overlooked pup at the shelter.”
Orci was candid about his alcoholism battles and his recovery. He is survived by his brothers, J.R. Orci, Taylor Orci, and Courtney Ford; his dog, Bogey; his mother, Macuqui Robau-Garcia; his stepmother, Jeanine Orci; and his father, Roberto Orci Sr. It’s always heartbreaking when parents outlive their children.
He and his estranged wife, actress Adele Heather Taylor, were involved in a legal battle at the time of his death, with both accusing the other of abuse and violence.
Orci left behind a solid record of engaging productions that incorporated spectacle-driven storytelling and franchise development despite his emotional struggles in his later years.
What do you think was Robert Orci’s best work? Let us know in the comments
