Fred Roos attended Hollywood High School and subsequently attended University of California, Los Angeles, majoring in theatre arts and motion pictures.

He started his career in television as a casting director for The Andy Griffith Show. He served in that capacity for shows including My World and Welcome to It, Gomer Pyle, USMC, I Spy, Good Morning, World, That Girl, and Mayberry R.F.D.

Later, he produced most of Francis Ford Coppola's films subsequent to The Godfather, including Apocalypse Now and Youth Without Youth. Roos won the Oscar for Best Film for producing The Godfather Part II.