Steven Felder Dies: Longtime ‘CSI’ Producer Also Worked On ‘FBI: Most Wanted‘, ‘Miami Vice’ & Many Films

UPDATED with memorial details: Steven Felder, a producer who worked on hundreds of episodes of CSI and in various capacities on Miami Vice, FBI: Most Wanted, Reversal of Fortune and many other TV series and films, died February 18 of pneumonia at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood. He was 74.

His family confirmed the news to Deadline. His wife Angie said Felder had a 14-month battle with cancer but was in remission and awaiting a bone marrow transplant when he came down with pneumonia. He died surrounded by family.

“We have received hundreds of messages from people that have worked with Steven over the years and the one constant theme is how everyone thought Steven was the greatest boss they’ve ever had,” Angie Felder told Deadline. “Everyone has said what a great guy he was. How kind, loyal and fair he was and how his sense of humor got them through the day. He was all that and so much more. He was courageous, determined, loving, and thoughtful and the smartest man I know. He cared deeply for everyone that worked for him and cared about doing the best job he could. He was my rock, my love, my everything and the loss of him will forever remain heavy with me. He passed away in my arms around his boys and stepkids, and he was loved to the very last breath”.

Born on January 6, 1949, in Brooklyn, Felder began his career in film in the late 1970s, serving as second unit director on Jonathan Demme’s Last Embrace. He went on to work on features including Wolfen and Jumpin’ Jack Flash before pivoting to TV in the mid-’80s. Felder was first AD or unit production manager on about two dozen episodes of NBC’s Miami Vice from 1985-87.

He then served as production manager or unit production manager for a run on features from 1988-2002 including Red River, Reversal of Fortune, Mr. Wonderful, The Cowboy Way, Terminal Velocity, The Phantom and others.

Felder then landed his longest gig — working on CBS’ smash procedural CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He was a producer, co-producer or unit production manager on some 250-plus episodes from Season 3 through the final Season 15, including in three seasons when the William Petersen-Marg Helgenberger drama was the No. 1 series in primetime.

After CSI wrapped in 2015, Felder was a producer on the single-season CBS action drama Rush Hour, based on the movie franchise, and went on to work on NBC’s 2019 drama Bluff City Law, starring Jimmy Smits, and Season 2 of CBS’ FBI: Most Wanted in 2021.

Felder is creator of TheVisualTV Network, a provider of visual programming for TV and industrial use.

Along with his wife, Felder is survived by his sons Josh and Zach and stepdaughters Camille and Siena. A celebration of life is set for 2-5 p.m. March 5 at a private residence in Tarzana, CA.