John E. Roach

John Roach is an Emmy Award-winning television and film producer and screenwriter.
He is president of JRP, a video production and film production company based in Madison, Wisconsin.
John and Mary Sweeney co-wrote the screenplay for “The Straight Story,” a motion picture directed by David Lynch. “The Straight Story” premiered at Cannes and was released in October 1999 by Walt Disney Pictures. The screenplay was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, and the film’s Richard Farnsworth received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. “Like Hemingway’s dialogue,” wrote Roger Ebert, “the screenplay by John Roach and Mary Sweeney finds poetry and truth in the exact choice of the right everyday words.”

Prior to forming his own Madison-based company in 1985, John was a producer at CBS and ABC in Chicago for six years. His credits include six Chicago Emmys, a National Iris Award for Best Television Special and a national CableACE nomination. He received the Peter Lisagor Award for Special News Production, plus recognition from the Organization of American Women in TV and Radio for his documentary work.

Additional accolades include the San Francisco Film Festival Award, the Silver Anvil, the Golden Spotlight, the Addy, the Cine Golden Eagle and numerous Tellys.

John produced the CableACE-nominated “The Sports Writers on TV” and the “The Back Table with Chet Coppock” for FOX Sports Chicago. Past broadcast credits include work for ESPN, FOX, NBC, and Ebony Jet.

John writes a monthly column for Madison Magazine. His book, “Way Out Here in the Middle,” was published in 2003.