Manny Coto Dies: Emmy Winning ’24’ & ‘American Horror Story’ Producer Was 62
Manny Coto, an Emmy-winning writer, producer, and director who worked on hit shows such as 24, American Horror Story, and Dexter, has died. He was 62.
According to Variety, Coto’s passing was confirmed by a family representative. He died on Sunday, July 9, at his home in Pasadena, surrounded by family, after a 13-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
“Manny was an incredibly beloved member of the 20th Television and FX family for close to two decades,” the studio and network said in a joint statement (via Variety). “He was brilliantly creative with a deep intellectual curiosity, and his loyalty and friendship touched many.”
The statement continued, “He will be immensely missed by all who were fortunate to have known and worked with him over the years, and our sincere condolences go out to his beautiful family at this most difficult time.”
Born on June 10, 1961, in Havana, Cuba, Coto later moved to the United States and began his show business career as a writer on Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1988. From there, he went on to write and direct an episode of Tales from the Crypt in 1991. His other writing credits in the 1990s include an episode of Showtime’s The Outer Limits and several episodes of the MTV drama series Dead at 21.
Coto was later given the chance to create his own show for Showtime, Odyssey 5, which ran for 19 episodes between 2002 and 2005. He took over Star Trek: Enterprise in 2003, a dream job for the self-confessed Star Trek fan. Coto wrote several episodes during the sci-fi series’ last seasons and was credited for turning things around for the franchise.
But Coto is perhaps best known for his work on Fox’s hit action drama series 24, of which he wrote 27 episodes between 2006 and 2010. He also worked on the show’s sequels, 24: Live Another Day and 24: Legacy, the latter of which he served as co-showrunner.
Following his work on 24, Coto served as a writer and executive producer on Showtime’s serial killer drama Dexter. More recently, he’d been working as a writer and exec producer on FX’s American Horror Story and spinoff American Horror Stories.
In addition to his television credits, Coto worked on several films, including the 1992 cult slasher Dr. Giggles, which he directed and co-wrote. He also directed the 1990 horror film Playroom, the 1997 superhero flick Star Kid, and the Disney Channel movies The Other Me and Zenon: The Zequel.
He is survived by his wife, Robin Trickett; his four children (Manny, Riley, and twins Charlotte and Finley); his mother, Norma; his sister Normi; his brother Juan Carlos; and eight nieces and nephews.
