R.I.P. Mickey Cottrell: Famed Indie Film Publicist Dead At 79

Mickey Cottrell, a longtime publicist known for his work representing independent filmmakers in Hollywood, died on New Year’s Day at Woodland Hills’ Motion Picture Hospital. He was 79.

Cottrell died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House, his friend Ian Birnie told The Hollywood Reporter.

Over the course of his career, Cottrell worked with various iconic filmmakers, including Gus Van Sant, ultimately serving as publicist for Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, and Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, per THR.

Other remarkable films that he worked on over the course of his decades-long career included Wings of Desire (1987), Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (2005), Bill Cunningham: New York (2010), and Salt (2010). His final publicist credit is listed as Film Hawk, the 2017 documentary about the life of indie film producer Robert (Bob) Hawk, per IMDb.

According to The Wrap, Cottrell began his career in publicity at Landmark Theaters, and later worked at Josh Baran & Associates. He co-founded Cottrell & Lindeman Associates in 1989, prior to creating his own firm, Mickey Cottrell Film Publicity, in 2002. He then launched Inclusive PR in 2004.

Outside of his work in PR, he also acted and produced. He made his silver screen debut in My Own Private Idaho in 1991, per IMDb, followed by notable appearances in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1992), Ed Wood (1994), Star Trek: Voyager (1997). His final acting credit is listed as Sam in the 2012 film I Do.

As a force behind the camera, he served as associate producer on the 1992 drama Chain of Desire, and ultimately accumulated nine other producing credits, the final of which was executive producer on the 2014 drama Perfect Cowboy, directed by Ken Roht.

Cottrell was born in Springfield, Illinois on Sept. 4, 1944, per Deadline. His family eventually moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he grew up. He graduated from the University of Arkansas.

News of his death was confirmed to Deadline by his sister, Suzie Cottrell-Smith, who informed the outlet that he had suffered from Parkinson’s. He had a major major stroke in 2016, and recovered in Arkansas while living with his sister. He moved back to Los Angeles in 2019.

Cottrell is survived by his two sisters, Suzie and Gigi, as well as his nephew, Jeremy Allen, and his great-nephew Gregory Allen, per Variety.