Marvin Levy, Steven Spielberg鈥檚 publicist for over four decades and the to be recognized with an Oscar, has died. He was 96.
Levy died Monday in Los Angeles surrounded by loved ones, representatives for Amblin Entertainment said Wednesday. No cause was given.
鈥淢arvin鈥檚 passing is a huge loss for me and our industry writ large. There are many talented PR executives, but Marvin was one of a kind,鈥� Spielberg said in a statement. 鈥淚 am grateful for all our years together. Marvin never failed to make me laugh, he never stopped smiling. We will miss you Marvin. You will always be in our hearts and your memory will always make us smile.鈥�
Levy's long-standing partnership with made him one of the most renowned and respected publicists in Hollywood. Over his 70-year career, he worked on campaigns for film classics like 鈥淭axi Driver,鈥� 鈥淜ramer vs. Kramer,鈥� 鈥淐lose Encounters of the Third Kind,鈥� 鈥淏ack to the Future,鈥� 鈥淪chindler鈥檚 List," 鈥淛urassic Park" and "Gladiator."
In 2018, Levy, a long-standing member of the film academy's public relations branch, became the first and only publicist to receive an honorary from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. No publicist鈥檚 name had even been put forth for the award before Levy's.
鈥淚t was way out of left field for me. I couldn鈥檛 have imagined it,鈥� Levy told The Associated Press in 2018. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not like I could say 鈥楪ee, I鈥檇 love to get that one day.鈥� It was not on my to-do list.鈥�
Born in Manhattan on Nov. 16, 1928, Levy was raised on the east side and attended New York University. Though he never set out to be a publicist specifically, he knew he had a way with words. One of his first jobs was writing questions for a TV quiz show. But he was fired when his 鈥渂ig ticket鈥� question was answered too early in the season.
His first publicity job was at MGM in New York, where he was so far down on the ladder that he never got to travel to Los Angeles, but where he worked on campaigns for films like 鈥淕igi鈥� and 鈥淏en-Hur.鈥� By the time the company was remaking 鈥淢utiny on the Bounty," he knew it was time to move on.
Levy soon found his way to legendary publicists Arthur Canton and Bill Blowitz, and then Columbia Pictures which took him to California. It was during that time that he first started working with Spielberg who was fresh off 鈥淛aws.鈥� He was told he was only to concentrate on 鈥淐lose Encounters." By 1982, he went full time with Spielberg and wouldn鈥檛 look back.
While he had many highs in the industry, Levy also recalled a big heartbreak when 鈥淪aving Private Ryan鈥� lost the best picture trophy to 鈥淪hakespeare in Love鈥� at the 71st Academy Awards.
鈥淭hat was the toughest night of my life in terms of the business,鈥� Levy said. But he put on a brave face at the Governor's Ball following the ceremony.
to Levy in 2018, noting that it takes, 鈥淪omething of a storyteller to get an audience hooked on the story without giving away the story.鈥�
Levy remained devoted to Spielberg, and Amblin Entertainment, up to his full retirement in 2024. For him, it never got old.
鈥淗ow lucky can you be? I mean it,鈥� he said in 2018. 鈥淲e work for the best filmmaker around.鈥�
Levy is survived by his wife of 73 years, Carol, their two sons, Don and Doug, and two grandsons, Brian and Daniel.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
