Nancy Seltzer, an influential Hollywood publicist and founder of Nancy Seltzer & Associates, died on Jan. 28 in Los Angeles after a brief hospital stay. She was 79.
Seltzer started her career in her hometown, New York, before moving out to Los Angeles full time. For the past four and a half decades, she ran her bi-coastal boutique publicity firm, Nancy Seltzer & Associates, representing high-profile talent across film, TV, music, theater and literary.
During that time, Seltzer steered the company through tough periods, including the pandemic and the dual Hollywood strikes of 2023, remaining committed to her longtime employees. The PR firm was still active at the time of Seltzer’s death.
Seltzer’s roster of clients also included a slew of long-timers as she was known for her loyalty and close bond with those she worked with. The list of clients who were with Seltzer for many years included Garth Brooks, Danielle Steel, Joyce DiDonato, Placido Domingo and the late Sir Sean Connery. Over the course of her career, she also represented Bette Davis, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Johnny Depp, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Ian McShane, Stana Katic, Annette Bening, Kathy Bates, Tom Wilkinson and Whitney Houston.
“Public relations is the hardest job in show business,” Brooks said Thursday about his longtime rep and friend Selzer on his Web site. “She always handled every situation with the utmost class.”
Seltzer had close ties with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and served for many years as the head publicist overseeing the Oscars red carpet. Over the years, she represented such high-profile films as Pirates of the Caribbean, Breaking Away, All That Jazz, Amadeus, Splash, RoboCop, Spinal Tap, Jewel, Aliens, House of Games, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, When Harry Met Sally… Misery, Silence of the Lambs, A Few Good Men, Philadelphia, The Shawshank Redemption, Scream and Scream 2, Dead Man Walking, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Good Will Hunting and Finding Forrester.
Some of them, including Amadeus, Misery, Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, The Shawshank Redemption and Dead Man Walking, Seltzer represented from production all the way through their Academy Award campaigns.
“She will be remembered as a legend of Hollywood publicity, one who helped define the role and set a standard few will ever match,” Seltzer’s obit says.
In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Tower Cancer Research Foundation.