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BREAKING NEWS! EXCLUSIVE UPDATE: So my sources just told me. He’d been with Paul Bloch and Arnold Robinson at Rogers & Cowan. He’ll now be repped by 42 West’s Amanda Lundberg, who also personally reps MGM CEO Mary Parent. Cruise is still the titular head of United Artists although the studio is now seemingly dormant because of MGM’s financial problems teetering on the bring of bankruptcy. “42West handles MGM’s movies, and Tom was impressed by Amanda’s work on Valkyrie,” an insider explains to me. “They’ve been talking about this for a long time.”
Cruise had been a devoted client of Pat Kingsley at PMK until March 2004 when he fired the veteran publicist after 14 years of faithfully maintaining his image from prying tabloids. He replaced her with his sister, fellow Scientologist Lee Anne DeVette. It was during her flackery that, on May 23rd of that year, Tom’s worst PR nightmare took place: that disastrous couch-jumping incident as he demonstrated to Oprah Winfrey how much he loved Katie Holmes. (Not only did it coin a new phrase, “jumping the couch” but it was voted #1 of 2005′s “Most Surprising Television Moments” on a countdown on E! and was the subject of numerous parodies, including the epilogue of Scary Movie 4 and an episode of Family Guy.)
It wasn’t long before Cruise realized he needed more professional PR. His sister announced in November 2005 that she was resigning as his publicist to work on philanthropic projects. And Cruise quietly migrated to Rogers & Cowan’s veteran Paul Bloch who specializes in repping mostly over-the-hill action stars. (He should have signed with Alan Nierob there instead.) Then again, Rogers & Cowan is a dinosaur in the increasingly complex world of the Internet. For instance, I was told just yesterday by his office, when I called to confirm this story, that Bloch doesn’t have voicemail on his cell phones. The once venerable PR agency has gone downhill rather rapidly under the management of Tom Tardio who seems clueless about the ins and outs of flackery. Frankly, the PR biz is too cutthroat these days for Rogers & Cowan to exist in its present behind-the-times state. Parent company InterPublic should shake up that place now.
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At this point, do you think he’ll ever clue in to the fact that it’s him, NOT the PR agencies’ fault that people think he’s creepy?
No amount of spin will ever get all the crazy out at this point, Tommy Boy. Deal.
I actually think this was the right choice. How long has he been with that PR agency? They’ve done NOTHING for him lately. Even with the shocking success (I think everyone thought it would bomb) of Valkyrie, the agency really dropped the ball on positioning him correctly.
Shocking success? lollll. The only thing worse was Lions for Lambs. Problem is him not the agency.
She is a longtime veteran of the Miramax and MGM studio machines and her 42West film team with Tom Piechura is the best there is. They handle the MGM film slate so the relationship obviously got underway with Valkyrie. Way to go Tom Cruise.
And just look at the job done with MGM…
After he fired Pat his career took a nosedive. Now, it is safe to say that his career as a big A list player is over.
Cruise was terrific in “Tropic of Thunder”. He should try turning the tables on people and just do send-ups and comedy. He’s good at it and has exhausted the action star image. Too much back fat now anyway.
I read all the hype about his Tropic of Thunder performance. How he was “unrecognizable.” The second he came on screen, and the second he spoke, I thought, “It’s Tom Cruise, acting just like Tom Cruise, sounding just like Tom Cruise, but with a bald cap on.” Among the most overhyped pieces of drivel ever committed to film. He was good in Born on the 4th of July, he was good in Risky Business, and he was good in Jerry McGuire. I don’t doubt he’ll be good in something else again. He wasn’t good in Tropic of Thunder.
Sounds like a good move for Tom!
Hope he is happy and stays with 42 West for a long time=)
About time, but don’t know if they’re any better.
How ironic on the day that Miramax comes to an “end” that old veterans/survivors Amanda. Lundberg and Tom Piechura and (well not as ironic since she stayed to the bitter endL Emily Bear have such big news. Sad though that it is the last day of so many Miramaxers and the end of that legendary era.
Rogers & Cowan isn’t really a dinosaur…it’s focused on diversifying it’s client base and now has a wide range of divisions that focus on other aspects of entertainment. For example, they worked with a number of hi-tech clients like Microsoft, EA, and Texas Instruments at one point and maybe still do. It’s not that it’s a dinosaur, but I think it now sees corporate business as more important to the bottom line, since they can pay hundreds of thousands of dollars, while they’re lucky to get more than a couple thousand a month out of a personality. It’s all about the bottom line, but you should research the agency’s other clients.
Amanda is a real pro and she will do a great job with him.
I respect what Cruise tried to do, in the tradition of Pickford and those types. He may not have succeeded, but his efforts impacted the hearts and minds of new blood/creative generations to come.
…yet, he is a moron.
Let Tom Cruise play musical PR chairs–it won’t get him much traction at this point. I’m afraid he’s sentenced to a (charmed) life of tabloid pixs of his wife and daughter and appearances in terrible movies.
But you really hit on something with Interpublic, Nikki: they need to give the heave-ho to Tardio and revamp R & C–an agency filled with very talented, seasoned professionals who are unchallenged by a leader who is uninspired and clueless about the business.
Tom Cruise needs to forget about being the brand movie star he was and just focus on the material, like he appeared to be doing for a short stretch post-Kubrick.
Someone needs to get him lined up with movies with commanding writer/directors that don’t have him jumping on top of cars and grinning at Cameron Diaz (or requiring an eye patch or an accent).
I hope to see him in a good role again in the future. And I, like a lot of people, really couldn’t care less that he’s a Scientologist when he’s on screen….
Saw the previews, just yesterday of Tom and Cameron. Someone said it right. It looks like a winner, funny and clever! Looking forward to his next movie. Tom can survive all venues….he is aging well, and his fans appreciate his talent(s). The Scientology aspect has nothing to do with Tom Cruise, the man, father, husband and actor. Just look at John Travolta! There are hateful morons who feed on crucifying Tom Cruise. The man is one of the best, if not the best in Hollywood. Kudos to Tom!
How mean-spirited of you, Nikki, I thought you were a friend of Paul Bloch’s. At least when I worked for him for 15 years he ALWAYS took your calls or returned them. But then, I guess that’s old-fashioned if you return calls at all in HOLLYWOOD!
Shame on you.