Well-known Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen died on Tuesday after being shot five times in her car in Beverly Hills.
Her colleagues issued the following obituary on Tuesday evening:
Los Angeles, CA (November 16, 2010) -- Tributes have been pouring in from the elite of the entertainment and media arenas for Ronni Chasen, one of the industry’s preeminent press agents, who was tragically killed in the early morning hours of November 16, 2010.
Over the course of her remarkable, decades-long career, Ronni Chasen earned the respect and admiration of her colleagues and the loyalty of her clients, to whom she was passionately devoted. Her work was an integral part of her life, and her love for her profession showed in her zeal for everything she did. Bringing more than 35 years of experience to bear, she approached her job with an extraordinary blend of old-school public relations and cutting-edge marketing. Her singular enthusiasm and indefatigable spirit endeared her to everyone with whom she worked, and it was common knowledge in the industry that it was impossible to say “no” to Ronni when she set her sights on something—never for herself, always in the interests of her clients.
Her impressive client roster ranged from Oscar-winning filmmakers and composers—all of whom are expressing grief and shock today—to international production companies, record labels, film festivals and fashion houses. She was also a sought-after awards campaign consultant, who had worked with virtually every major studio, as well as independent film companies. Over the years, she was also a mentor to many aspiring publicists, who went on to have successful careers of their own.
Born and raised in New York, Ronni Chasen began her career in public relations in the theater. Moving to Los Angeles, she headed publicity for American International Pictures and then served for 10 years as Executive Vice President of Motion Pictures at the prestigious Rogers & Cowan agency. She later held the post of Senior Vice President of Publicity for MGM.
For almost 20 years, Ronni Chasen enjoyed her greatest success as the head of her own boutique agency, Chasen & Company, where she worked with a broad range of personal and corporate clients.
Under her leadership, Chasen & Company became well known for its inventive campaigns for a diversified list of films, recently including Alice In Wonderland, Crazy Heart, Brothers, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, He’s Just Not That Into You, I Love You Man, Doubt, The Wrestler, Sweeney Todd, There Will Be Blood, Babel, Dreamgirls, Little Miss Sunshine, Walk The Line, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
As an awards strategist Chasen contributed to over 150 Oscar nominations and numerous wins, including seven Best Picture winners:The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire, No Country For Old Men, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Chicago, Shakespeare In Love, and Driving Miss Daisy.
In 2000, Chasen & Company was honored to handle public relations for the 72nd Academy Awards produced by Richard D.
