Roach was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where his father was a military worker. He graduated from Eldorado High School in 1975. He received a BA in economics from Stanford University in 1980 and later earned an M.F.A. in film production from the University of Southern California in 1986.

Roach also directed the sports comedy-drama film Mystery, Alaska, which was released in October 1999. He continued to direct critically and commercially successful comedies, including Meet the Parents (2000) and its sequel Meet the Fockers (2004), Dinner for Schmucks (2010), and The Campaign (2012). Roach expanded into other genres, directing the biographical period drama Trumbo (2015) and the biographical drama Bombshell (2019), which earned multiple Academy Award nominations.

Roach earned critical acclaim for directing multiple HBO political drama films. He directed Recount (2008), which earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special and Outstanding Television Movie, in addition to the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Miniseries or TV Film. He then directed Game Change, about the 2008 McCain/Palin campaign, which premiered March 2012 as one of the most watched films in HBO history. The film earned him additions Primetime Emmy Awards in the same categories, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film and a Peabody Award. He also directed All the Way, which premiered in May 2016 and earned Roach two more Primetime Emmy Award nominations in the same categories.