Ronni Chasen
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Ronni Chasen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Veronica Cohen 1946 Kingston, New York, U.S. |
| Died | November 16, 2010 (aged 64) |
| Cause of death | gunshot |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Publicist |
Ronni Chasen (1946[1] – November 16, 2010) was an American publicist, who represented such actors as Michael Douglas, as well as musicians such as Hans Zimmer and Mark Isham, among others. She was murdered by a person or persons still unknown for reasons which are also unknown.
Legacy
Chasen was called "Hollywood's ultimate old-school publicist" by Los Angeles Times film critic Patrick Goldstein in an article posted about Chasen's murder.[2][verification needed]
Biography
Born as Veronica Cohen in Kingston, New York in 1946, Chasen was known in Hollywood for her PR work on such films as Driving Miss Daisy, On Golden Pond, and the second film in the Oliver Stone/Michael Douglas Wall Street movie franchise, Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps. She was pushing for Oscar recognition for Douglas in his role as the money hungry, risk averse character Gordon Gekko.[3]
In addition to being named the Senior Vice President for Publicity at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1993,[4] Chasen owned the PR firm Chasen & Co., in which she focused on artists who composed film music, such as Trevor Horn, Mark Isham, Hans Zimmer, Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, and brothers David and Thomas Newman.[5]
Chasen began her career in Hollywood in the early 1970s, working for the B-movie factory American International Pictures and doing PR for a blaxploitation film directed by her brother Larry Cohen. According to Los Angeles Times film critic Patrick Goldstein, Chasen reminisced about her early years while working with George Burns on the hit 1970s film The Sunshine Boys and coaching the budding star John Travolta on how to handle his first interview after his fame first broke during Welcome Back Kotter.[6][verification needed]
Death
Chasen was shot early in the morning on November 16, 2010, at approximately 12:28 a.m. PST, in Beverly Hills as she was driving home from the Hollywood premiere of the film Burlesque.
Neighbors near the intersection of Whittier Drive and Sunset Boulevard in the city of Beverly Hills originally noted hearing gunshots in front of their homes but more calls came in to the 911 call center a few moments later stating that a late model, black Mercedes-Benz had run the curb, hit and toppled one concrete streetlamps. When police crews arrived, they found Chasen slumped in the driver's seat, the steering wheel airbag inflated, blood emanating from her nose and chest area, in and out of consciousness with the front seat passenger side glass shattered. Chasen was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.[7]
The investigation, according to the Beverly Hills Police Department, is in its early stages, but department sources have stated that Chasen received approximately five gunshot wounds to the chest, which caused her to lose control of her vehicle just after turning from Sunset Boulevard onto Whittier Drive.
She is survived by her brother, film director Larry Cohen.
References
- ^ Longtime Hollywood publicist shot to death in Beverly Hills
- ^ L.A. Times Source 1, November 17, 2010
- ^ CBS News Online Source 3, November 17, 2010
- ^ UK Telegraph Source 4, November 17, 2010
- ^ Soundtrack.net Source 5, November 17, 2010
- ^ L.A. Times Source 6, November 17, 2010
- ^ Radar Online, Source 2, November 17, 2010
