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The 20 Most Powerful Publicists In Hollywood

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Written by Timothy Sykes
Updated 2/2/2021 11 min read

As I’ve had a good time explaining during a few of my weekly trading challenge webinars, I’ve met my fair share of famous people throughout my life, even teaching some of them stock trading! From Paris Hilton to Magic Johnson, my extravagant trips and the great parties that I am invited to get me access to some of Hollywood’s elite.

Tucci at the Hunger Games Premier!
Tucci at the Hunger Games Premier!
Woody at the Hunger Games Premier
Woody at the Hunger Games Premier
Magic Johnson!
Magic Johnson!
My buddy Spike Lee.
My buddy Spike Lee.
Showed Paris my Lambo!
Showed Paris my Lambo!
Hot-tubbing with Usher.
Hot-tubbing with Usher.
Working out with Beiber
Working out with Beiber
Tebow Time
Tebow Time
Lena Del Ray has some great music!
Lena Del Ray has some great music!
Can’t forget this hockey star with the Stanley Cup playoffs happening!
Can’t forget this hockey star with the Stanley Cup playoffs happening!

That made me wonder, who are the powerful people that represent them? Well, Business Insider did a great article (https://www.businessinsider.com/20-most-powerful-publicists-in-hollywood-2012-10?op=1) with some of the best. So meet the 20 most powerful publicists in Hollywood as well as the people they represent!

Whether they’re crafting an actor’s image, babysitting a hard-partying starlet, fielding phone calls from press, or helming a multi-million dollar movie campaign, publicists are an integral part of the showbiz machine.

And they’re getting paid big bucks to do so. “The most basic services start at $4,500 a month and escalate toward what she calls ‘the high six figures’ annually for corporate clients,” reports one top Hollywood publicist in a 2011 New York Times profile. That’s actually a pretty good salary, but they have much more stressful jobs than many of my students and don’t have the freedom to work from anywhere (thanks wifi)!

20.) John Wentworth, Executive Vice President at CBS Television Distribution

Clients: “Dr. Phil,” “The Doctors,” “Rachel Ray,” “Entertainment Tonight,” “The Insider,” “Inside Edition,” “Excused,” “Judge Judy,” “Judge Joe Brown,” “Wheel of Fortune,” “Jeopardy!” and “Swift Justice With Nancy Grace.”

Why he makes the list: He oversees the publicity of 12 syndicated shows. Before his current position at CBS, Wentworth was EVP of Marketing and Communications for 11 years at Paramount Network Television.

19.) Nicole Perna, BWR

Clients: Jessica Chastain, Chloe Moretz, Sharon Osbourne, Jenna Dewan, Lucy Hale, Johnny Galecki, Ryan Phillippe, Diane Kruger, Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz.

Why she makes the list: Perna, who has been at BWR since 2002, was promoted in June to help develop new strategies to support talent in a changing digital landscape.

18.) Jill Fritzo, Publicist at PMK*BNC

Clients: Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Brooke Shields, Shannen Doherty, Denise Richards, Kristin Chenoweth, Vanessa Hudgens, Michael Strahan.

Why she makes the list: She reps all three of the Kardashian sisters. Nothing else really needs to be said. Last year alone, the Kardashian empire pulled in roughly $65 million.

17.) Joy Fehily, Partner at Prime Public Relations and Communications

Clients: Aaron Sorkin, Olivia Wilde, McG, Seth McFarlane and Graham King.

Why she makes the list: Joy is the founding partner of PRIME Public Relations, which is a Los Angeles-based firm providing communications, brand management, marketing, strategic planning and social media services to the entertainment industry.

16.) Howard Bragman, Founder, Fifteen Minutes PR

Clients: Stevie Wonder, Camille Grammer, Chaz Bono, Petra Ecclestone, Adrienne Maloof.

Why he makes the list: With over 30 years of PR experience, Bragman now serves as an ABC News Consultant for “Good Morning America,” is the resident Public Relations Expert for “Entertainment Tonight,” resident Spin Doctor for HLN’s “Showbiz Tonight” and was a frequent contributor to “The Joy Behar Show.” He is the author of the book “Where’s My Fifteen Minutes?,” has over 118,000 followers on Twitter and a deal with E! for a scripted series about PR — inspired by his real-life experiences. He’s a big deal.

15.) Danica Smith, Publicist at PMK*BNC

Clients: Colin Farrell, Olivia Munn, Wanda Sykes, Mike Epps, Zach Braff, Matthew Fox, Michael Pena, Carmelo Anthony, Kim Cattrall.

Why she makes the list: Longtime publicist and PMK executive, Smith is a masterful talent publicist representing actors, actresses, comedians, sports stars, and personalities.

14.) Nicole Perez-Krueger, Publicist, PMK*BNC

Clients: Matthew McConaughey, Christina Aguilera, Lauren Conrad, Jewel, Whitney Port, Marisa Miller, Stacy Keibler and Jeff Lewis.

Why she makes the list: A veteran entertainment industry publicist, Perez-Krueger joined PMK*BNC in June of 2011 from Rogers & Cowan. Perez-Krueger has an innate sense of media and is an expert at managing the images of her high-profile clientele.

13.) Amanda Lundberg, co-head of 42West’s Entertainment Marketing Division

Clients: Tom Cruise, Kelly Ripa, Bobby & Peter Farrelly, “Bridesmaids” director Paul Feig.

Why she makes the list: As the co-head of 42West’s Entertainment Marketing Division, Lundberg oversees film release campaigns, awards campaigns, and publicity initiatives for filmmakers.

12.) Jill Hudson, VP of Publicity at FOX

Clients: Jill is the lead publicist on two of Fox’s biggest shows, “American Idol” and “The X Factor.” She also used to run publicity for the network’s longstanding hit, “The Simpsons.”

Why she makes the list: According to Gaude Paez, Vice President of Corporate Communications at FOX, “Jill is one of the most well-liked and respected network publicists I know, and I don’t think any list of top Hollywood publicists would be complete without her. Her ability to manage huge brands like ‘American Idol’ and ‘The X Factor’ and work with high-profile talent like Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, and Britney Spears makes her a huge asset for the FOX network.”

11.) Adam Keen, EVP, Worldwide Publicity & Corporate Communications at Relativity Media

Clients: Keen recently led the worldwide theatrical publicity campaigns for Relativity’s box office hits “Act of Valor” and “Immortals,” as well as the successful launches of “Mirror Mirror,”” Limitless,” Steven Soderbergh’s “Haywire” and “Shark Night 3D

Why he makes the list: He’s worked everywhere! Before joining Relativity, Keen was senior vice president of Worldwide Publicity & Corporate Communications at Overture Films, head of Entertainment and Brand Strategies Division at I/D Public Relations, and spent five years as the senior vice president of special projects at MGM & United Artists where he oversaw specialized publicity efforts for both the domestic and international divisions.

10.) Cindi Berger, Chairman and CEO of PMK*BNC

Clients: Robert Redford, Mariah Carey, Billy Crystal, Barbara Walters, Simon Cowell, Rosie O’Donnell, John Legend and Harry Connick Jr.

Why she makes the list: Berger got her start at publicity firm PMK as the receptionist and worked her way up the ranks to become chairman and CEO of PMK*BNC. She has led countless film campaigns and consults for The Weinstein Company. She also helped launch and continues to work on the award-winning talk show “The View” and “The Barbara Walters Specials.”

9.) Lewis Kay, COO/EVP, Entertainment at PMK*BNC

Clients: Jimmy Kimmel, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Zooey Deschanel, Louis CK, Tracy Morgan, Chris D’Elia, Joel McHale, Sarah Silverman and Paul Scheer.

Why he makes the list: He reps the kings and queens of comedy. Kay also oversaw efforts to grow the agency’s overall social media presence by a whopping 4,300 percent in just two years and is an expert in how to effectively utilize social media tools to enhance any communications strategy.

8.) Nanci Ryder, Co-Founder of BWR

Clients: Katie Holmes, Mila Kunis, Ewan McGregor, Viggo Mortensen, Blake Lively, Johnny Galecki, Renée Zellweger, Amber Valletta, Matt LeBlanc, Eric Dane, Rose McGowan, Terrence Howard.

Why she makes the list: The “R” in BWR stands for Ryder.

7.) Leslie Sloane Zelnik, Publicist and co-president, BWR

Clients: Katie Holmes, Blake Lively, Kate Beckinsale, Megan Fox, Zoe Saldana, Diane Kruger, Michael J. Fox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Emmy Rossum, Lucy Hale, Gretchen Mol, Melissa McCarthy, Chris Rock, Jason Biggs, Penn Badgley, Edgar Ramirez, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Chris O’Donnell, Mariska Hargitay, keke Palmer, Katharine McPhee, Lauren Graham.

Why she makes the list: Despite saying “God I hate stuff like that” when contacted about this list, Cindy Guagenti — the managing director at BWR Public Relations — then recommended Leslie Sloane as one of her top picks to get a spot on our list.

6.) Shawn Sachs and Ken Sunshine, Co-CEOs, Sunshine Sachs

Clients: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Cyndi Lauper, Darren Criss, Demi Lovato, Guy Fieri, Harry Belafonte, Jessica Lu, Jon Bon Jovi, Karlie Kloss, Kathy Griffin, Katie Lee , Leonard Cohen, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Malin Akerman, Naomi Campbell, Nick Lachey, Novak Djokovic, Ryan Lochte, The Band Perry, The Jonas Brothers (Joe, Nick, Kevin), Trace Adkins, Trisha Yearwood, Tyler Perry, Andre Benjamin.

Why they makes the list: A quiet yet super powerful PR firm, their clients range from celebs and corporations to non-profits and politicos.

5.) Ina Treciokas, Publicist & Partner at Slate PR

Clients: Harrison Ford, Woody Harrelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Leslie Mann, Anna Paquin, Owen Wilson, Liev Schreiber, Jon Favreau, David Schwimmer, George Lopez, Justin Theroux, Anjelica Huston, John Leguizamo, Eddie Izzard.

Why she makes the list: After working at ID PR, Ina co-founded Slate PR. At the time, ID founder Kelly Bush called the departing senior EVP one of her best friends. According to Deadline, “It seems like she is leaving at a time when Kelly is expanding the company into other more lucrative revenue streams, like brand representation and management, while Ina enjoys actual client representation.”

4.) Kelly Bush, Founder & CEO, ID PR

Clients: Ben Stiller, Tobey Maguire, Ellen Page, Drake, Christopher Nolan, Javier Bardem, Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Alicia Keys.

Why she makes the list: This NYT profile of Bush discusses how she persuaded Sony to cast Tobey Maguire as the lead in “Spider-Man” by lining up a sexy magazine shoot, can get nasty headlines removed from Google, and jokingly says her goal for ID PR is “world domination.”

3.) Robin Baum, Publicist & Partner at Slate PR

Clients: Johnny Depp, Ryan Gosling, Dakota Fanning, Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Craig, Alexander Skarsgard, Kate Bosworth, Naomi Watts, Orlando Bloom, Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Benicio Del Toro, Jared Leto.

Why she makes the list: Her client list speaks for itself.

2.) Meredith O’Sullivan, Head of West Coast Talent Department at 42 West

Clients: Jessica Biel, Reese Witherspoon, Will Smith, Ryan Reynolds, Rachel McAdams, Halle Berry, Rosario Dawson, David Spade, Scott Caan.

Why she makes the list: In addition to repping A-list talent, O’Sullivan is the head of the West Coast talent team at 42West — overseeing all staff.

1.) Stephen Huvane & Simon Halls, Founders of Slate PR

Clients: Jennifer Aniston, Neil Patrick Harris, Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Kirsten Dunst, Anne Hathaway, Johnny Depp, Channing Tatum, Ryan Murphy, Ridley Scott, Jude Law, Matthew Broderick, Annette Bening, Frances McDormand, Sam Mendes, Nathan Lane, Ang Lee, Brett Ratner, Gore Verbinski and Tom Ford.

Why they make the list: After a long career in public relations and with a few brothers in the ‘biz, including CAA powerhouse agent Kevin Huvane, Stephen Huvane is deeply entrenched in Hollywood.


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Author card Timothy Sykes picture

Timothy Sykes

Tim Sykes is a penny stock trader and teacher who became a self-made millionaire by the age of 22 by trading $12,415 of bar mitzvah money. After becoming disenchanted with the hedge fund world, he established the Tim Sykes Trading Challenge to teach aspiring traders how to follow his trading strategies. He’s been featured in a variety of media outlets including CNN, Larry King, Steve Harvey, Forbes, Men’s Journal, and more. He’s also an active philanthropist and environmental activist, a co-founder of Karmagawa, and has donated millions of dollars to charity. Read More

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* Results are not typical and will vary from person to person. Making money trading stocks takes time, dedication, and hard work. There are inherent risks involved with investing in the stock market, including the loss of your investment. Past performance in the market is not indicative of future results. Any investment is at your own risk. See Terms of Service here

The available research on day trading suggests that most active traders lose money. Fees and overtrading are major contributors to these losses.

A 2000 study called “Trading is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors” evaluated 66,465 U.S. households that held stocks from 1991 to 1996. The households that traded most averaged an 11.4% annual return during a period where the overall market gained 17.9%. These lower returns were attributed to overconfidence.

A 2014 paper (revised 2019) titled “Learning Fast or Slow?” analyzed the complete transaction history of the Taiwan Stock Exchange between 1992 and 2006. It looked at the ongoing performance of day traders in this sample, and found that 97% of day traders can expect to lose money from trading, and more than 90% of all day trading volume can be traced to investors who predictably lose money. Additionally, it tied the behavior of gamblers and drivers who get more speeding tickets to overtrading, and cited studies showing that legalized gambling has an inverse effect on trading volume.

A 2019 research study (revised 2020) called “Day Trading for a Living?” observed 19,646 Brazilian futures contract traders who started day trading from 2013 to 2015, and recorded two years of their trading activity. The study authors found that 97% of traders with more than 300 days actively trading lost money, and only 1.1% earned more than the Brazilian minimum wage ($16 USD per day). They hypothesized that the greater returns shown in previous studies did not differentiate between frequent day traders and those who traded rarely, and that more frequent trading activity decreases the chance of profitability.

These studies show the wide variance of the available data on day trading profitability. One thing that seems clear from the research is that most day traders lose money .

Millionaire Media 66 W Flagler St. Ste. 900 Miami, FL 33130 United States (888) 878-3621 This is for information purposes only as Millionaire Media LLC nor Timothy Sykes is registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser. No information herein is intended as securities brokerage, investment, tax, accounting or legal advice, as an offer or solicitation of an offer to sell or buy, or as an endorsement, recommendation or sponsorship of any company, security or fund. Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes cannot and does not assess, verify or guarantee the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of any information, the suitability or profitability of any particular investment, or the potential value of any investment or informational source. The reader bears responsibility for his/her own investment research and decisions, should seek the advice of a qualified securities professional before making any investment, and investigate and fully understand any and all risks before investing. Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes in no way warrants the solvency, financial condition, or investment advisability of any of the securities mentioned in communications or websites. In addition, Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes accepts no liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this information. This information is not intended to be used as the sole basis of any investment decision, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the investment needs of any particular investor. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future returns.

Citations for Disclaimer

Barber, Brad M. and Odean, Terrance, Trading is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors. Available at SSRN: “Day Trading for a Living?”

Barber, Brad M. and Lee, Yi-Tsung and Liu, Yu-Jane and Odean, Terrance and Zhang, Ke, Learning Fast or Slow? (May 28, 2019). Forthcoming: Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Available at SSRN: “https://ssrn.com/abstract=2535636”

Chague, Fernando and De-Losso, Rodrigo and Giovannetti, Bruno, Day Trading for a Living? (June 11, 2020). Available at SSRN: “https://ssrn.com/abstract=3423101”