The woman who mastered the art of the Oscar campaign

History · Published 17 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before the era of social media, Hollywood relied on a specific kind of alchemy: the publicist. Ronni Chasen was a master of this craft, directing Academy Award campaigns for over 100 films and shaping the careers of icons from Michael Douglas to Hans Zimmer.

Ronni Chasen was a foundational figure in film publicity, building a career that spanned decades of Hollywood history. Starting in 1973, she acted as a publicist for the Blaxploitation movie 'Hell Up in Harlem' on behalf of her brother, director Larry Cohen. She later reached peak industry status, establishing Chasen & Co. and becoming Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Senior Vice President for Publicity during 1993. Born in Kingston, New York, she was raised in the Bronx and Manhattan. As a child, she won several yo-yo contests in Morningside Heights.

Chasen was particularly influential in the niche of film music. She is credited with laying the groundwork for how to represent composers and songwriters, working with heavyweights like Trevor Horn and the Newman brothers. Her resume of success includes directing the Oscar campaign for 'Driving Miss Daisy' in 1989, which won Best Picture, and pushing for recognition for Michael Douglas in 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps' in 2010. She also handled publicity for the 1981 film On Golden Pond. Additionally, she worked with the Zanuck family on the Alice in Wonderland campaign.

Her influence was also personal and pedagogical. She was known for coaching rising stars like John Travolta on how to navigate their first interviews after fame broke. However, her career ended in a tragic, random act of violence. A fatal shooting occurred in Beverly Hills on 16 November 2010, as she returned from the 'Burlesque' premiere in her car. While initial theories suggested a professional contract killing, police later concluded it was a failed robbery committed by an unemployed felon, Harold Martin Smith, who died by suicide shortly after. The crime scene involved a black Mercedes-Benz hitting a street light. The gunman likely fired from a larger vehicle that pulled alongside her car.

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