Gary Roach

Biography

Gary D. Roach (born February 5, 1964), sometimes credited as Gary Roach, is an American film editor best known for his long-standing collaboration with Clint Eastwood. Over the course of his career, Roach has worked on numerous acclaimed films, earning industry recognition for his precision, pacing, and storytelling instincts in the editing room.

Early Career

Roach began his professional journey in 1996 as an apprentice film editor on Absolute Power, directed by Eastwood. The opportunity marked the beginning of a creative partnership that would span more than a decade.

He advanced to assistant editor on Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, joining Eastwood’s regular editorial team alongside veteran editor Joel Cox. Roach continued serving as assistant editor on several Eastwood-directed projects, including:

True Crime

Space Cowboys

Blood Work

Mystic River

Million Dollar Baby

Flags of Our Fathers

Outside of Eastwood’s productions, Roach also earned an assistant editor credit on Catwoman.

Transition to Film Editor

Roach’s first co-editor credit came in 2003 on the “Piano Blues” segment of The Blues, a documentary project spearheaded by Martin Scorsese. He continued editing documentary projects, including The Music Never Ends.

His first feature film credit as editor was Letters from Iwo Jima, which he co-edited with Joel Cox. The film received widespread critical acclaim and is considered one of Eastwood’s most powerful works.

In 2007, Roach earned his first solo film editor credit on Rails & Ties, directed by Alison Eastwood.

Continued Collaboration and Recognition

Roach continued collaborating closely with Joel Cox and Clint Eastwood on major productions, including:

Changeling

Gran Torino

For Changeling, Roach and Cox received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Editing. Later, they were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for American Sniper, further solidifying Roach’s standing in the industry.