Levy: Write Whatever You Want Published by SURFACE, 1991 1 Syracuse University Magazine, Vol. 8, Iss. 1 [1991], Art. 4 SHOW BUSINESS Write atever You Want But ifit's about Peggy Siegal's client, do better than just spell the name right. BY RENEE GEARHART LEVY cartons. A neighbor strolls in with a fax. Peggy's three-year-old niece, Mattie, he Hamptons are in full bounds in and out with her grandmother At the Beverly Wilshire: Tom Luddy, producer for Francis splendor. It's one of those in tow. The phone rings again. Coppola; James Toback, screenwriter of Bugsy; Peggy last days of summer, when "Jay and Marla are coming? Terrific," T the sky is so blue, the says Peggy. "And Mike Medavoy can't Siegal; Vogue film critic Joan Buck; and Bugsy star Warren Beatty. Siegal, a top film publicist, is shown opposite in her water so clear, and the heat make it?" She looks disappointed. ManhaHan office. so thick you'd think the season should In four days, publicist Siegal is orga­ be just unfolding instead of sputtering to nizing a special private screening of The a close. Fisher King, at the East Hampton C ine­ With the Georgica beach beckoning ma on behalf of the film 's studio, TriStar mere yards from her back door, and a Pictures. She's got 275 great people com­ cobblestone swimming pool even closer, ing, the "opinion makers," as she calls Peggy Siegal is indoors.· On the tele­ them: writers, actors, journalists, design­ phone. ers, all of them names. "Let's have white pitchers on the The same day, a New York Times article tables fi lled with cosmos," she instructs on the filming of Bugsy, directed by Bar­ a staff member in her Manhattan office. ry Levinson and starring Warren Beatty "Only there are no cosmos left because and Annette Be ning, will appear in the of the hurricane, so I don't know what Arts & Leisure section. She'll get an we're going to do. advance look when the section rolls off "There is a meeting with the town the press later today. police and the theater manager tomor­ The phone rings. "Yes. Yes," says Peg­ row afternoon," she continues. gy. "Women s Wear Daily is coming and so "When you get the photo tip-sheet is the East Hampton Star and the Post. done, please fax it next door. Oh, and as Please make sure you talk to Jeannie soon as you get the production piece Williams at USA Today." from the New York Times, fax that, too. The screening was planned too late Then we'll have to get it to Barry and for engraved invitations. Letters were Warren right away." She is working on sent from TriStar Chairman Medavoy their new film, Bugsy. and followed up with phone calls. But Against one wall, 400 black tee shirts then Hurricane Bob hit, the phone li nes promoting the film The Fisher King sit in were down for days, and no flowers are RENEE GEARHART L EVY is the associate editor ofS yracuse University Magazine. 13 D EC E MB ER 1991 https://surface.syr.edu/sumagazine/vol8/iss1/4 2 Levy: Write Whatever You Want left standing on the eastern end of the iegal is one of the most sought-after headlines are not created equal, and how island. Things are a little crazv and Peg­ Smovie publicists in the entertain­ those headlines develop depends a great gy's beach house is nerve central. ment industry, with a reputation deal on the decisions made about a film 's And so it will continue through the that spans both coasts and a filmography positioning. Labor dav weekend: phone calls and to match. Rain Jlfan. She represented the "Mississippi Bunting was a case where faxes and details and confirmations. director and producer, Barry Levinson the film was not previewed to the critics It's business as usual, onlv Peggv is and 1\lark Johnson. IVai/ Street and properly," says Siegal of a fi lm she had on Yacation. The IVarofthe Roses. She represent­ no role in publicizing. "It was a terrific ed lead actor Michael Douglas. movie but it became too political. The A'ill•akenings. She handled the New press got on the wrong side of it and York premiere. Movies like Truth scared the audie nce away." or Dare; Total Recall; Miller's Cross­ It's not just how much information to ing; Avalon; The Untouchables; give the press, but what information. Good Morning, Vietnam; Top Gun; "Terms of Endearment was about some­ Bever~v Hills Cop; and The Big one dying of cancer. That's not what was Chill all benefited from the Peg­ said about the film," she says. "You gy Siegal push. didn't find that out until you got into the Whether he r client is the theater. " director, producer, or lead actor T he same control is exercised with on a picture, it's Siegal's job to the personalities involved in fi lms. Sie­ generate press coverage- to gal can influence not only what publica­ make her product the "must­ tions will have access to her clients, but see" film of the moment. also suggest who will write the story and, It's an important role. With sometimes, what they will talk about. the average movie costing "There was a time when the press had $30 million to make, ticket a picnic writing anything they wanted sales can't be left to chance. about major motion pictures," says Sie­ Publicity is one the keys­ gal. T he big money involved has or rather good publicity. All changed the stakes. T here has been a shift in power with publicists such as Siegal gaining more control. "The days of the $5-million film are Oscar eve: Siegal withM ichael Dou· totally gone," she says. "The fi lm talent glas the night before he received his is responsible for carrying this enor­ Best Actor statuette for Wall Street. mously expensive product. Do they Clowning around: Siegal worked have to reveal the innermost secre ts of with actor William Hurt on Body their personal lives? T hey don't think so. Heat and The Big Chill. "The magazines want to use these people who are extremely valuable in an important industry for their commercial advantage and then take total journalis­ tic libe rties with them," she says. "There's nothing wrong with an actor saying, T il do your story, but I want a writer that I know and like and I want a photographer that I know and like." Conflicts lie in the journalist's sense of freedom of the press, she says. It's not that she's looking for a string of puff pieces on her clients. "We don't want hatchet jobs either, but we'd like a piece that's interesting and well-wri tten and thought-provoking as well," says Siegal. A lot de pe nds upon the chemistry betwee n the write r and the subject. Therefore, the key is in making the match. "I thi nk that's what this entire company I have is about," she says. "Networking and bringing people together and getting ideas across." 14 S Y RACUS E UN I V E RSITY M AG AZ I N E Published by SURFACE, 1991 3 Syracuse University Magazine, Vol. 8, Iss. 1 [1991], Art. 4 n the lobby of the East "You can get incredible cover­ from, and these are her likes I Hampton Cinema, Ed and dislikes in life,' then the Bradley nibbles a minia­ client is less apprehensive." ture quiche out of a brown age with 50 people if they're Her role, she says, is to set paper bag. Tom Wolfe chats it up, make it happen, and with Martha Stewart. Calvin 50 of the right people. You can pray for the best. and Kelly Klein spy Nora She spends her life on the Ephron across the room. And get no coverage with a thou­ telephone, wielding a handy isn't that jimmy Buffet talking mobile phone (complete with to Fran Leibowitz? At the call-waiting) for taxi rides to door, Peggy Siegal greets each sand people if you don't know work and appointments. guest by name and thanks A doctor to whom she com­ them all for coming. what you're doing." plained of back trouble diag­ TriStar is out to court this nosed the culprit as the angle arts-and-media crowd. The her head was crooked over studio thinks The Fisher King the receiver each day. His will play well to a sophisticated audi­ Two weeks later, The Fisher King prescription: using a headset instead. ence. Peggy has culled a list of Who's received two standing ovations at the "That lasted about two days," she Who in the Hamptons, developed over Venice Film Festival, which shows how laughs. The headset now dangles aim­ 20 years of summering there herself. when and where a film is screened can lessly from a bulletin board next to her It's not just knowing who to invite, influence an audience. desk, beside instructions for a high-pro­ she says, but creating an interesting mix tein diet and a thank-you note from and having some sort of relationship hat may set Siegal apart in this Ivana Trump. with the people to make it happen. W business is not her persistence, Siegal knows virtually every major "The process involves having a home which is intense, or her creativ­ magazine editor, every entertainment phone number and being able to call on ity, which is genuine, but her seemingly writer and photographer, and every film the phone and·not offend them because innate understanding of the right way to critic, not to mention the television and you have their number, " she says.