Eddie Michaels, Respected Publicist and Strategist

Eddie Michaels, a publicist for many top television and film stars, died August 8, 2013, at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 49. The cause was brain cancer. Michaels, who grew up in Los Angeles, began his career working for longtime publicity rep Joe Sutton at Freeman & Sutton and went on to form his own company, Eddie Michaels & Associates, which he relaunched in 2004 as Insignia Public Relations. Last year he sold Insignia to Beck Media & Marketing, where he continued to work. Michaels's longtime clients included actors Noah Wyle and Lou Diamond Phillips. He also represented numerous ther performers, including Drew Barrymore, Anjelica Huston, Jeremy Piven, Mary Steenburgen and Patrick Dempsey. In addition, he advised companies such as The Mark Gordon Co., the Producers Guild of America, Village Roadshow Pictures, Endgame Entertainment, Humanitas and, more recently, Illumination Entertainment, creators of the hugely successful Despicable Me franchise. Survivors include his wife and two sons. Read more about Michaels and his work at: Hollywood Reporter Deadline Hollywood Variety