Steven Spielberg Pays Tribute to His 'One of a Kind' Collaborator on 'E.T.' and 'Jurassic Park' After Hollywood Icon's Death Aged 96
Steven Spielberg described his publicist Marvin Levy as 'one of a kind' after his longterm advisor passed away aged 96.
April 9 2025, Published 10:14 a.m. ET
Steven Spielberg has paid tribute to his longterm advisor and collaborator behind his Hollywood blockbusters who has passed away aged 96.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Marvin Levy died on April 7 in Los Angeles – leaving the legendary director devastated.
Spielberg worked alongside Levy for over 50 years and collaborated with him on some of his biggest blockbusters.
Spielberg, 78, released an emotional statement following the announcement of Levy's death in which he described the publicist as "one of a kind."
He said: "Marvin's 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.
"For over 50 years, he was a deeply loyal and exceptional collaborator who was respected and appreciated by all those who were lucky enough to learn from his counsel."
Spielberg noted he had worked with Levy since the earliest days of his career.
Levy became the first and only publicist to receive an Academy Award in 2018.
Spielberg added: "When it came to handling the press, he had no peer. To the media and the world of exhibition, Marvin was the face of Amblin.
"We were opposite ends of the movie-making process. Every time I reached the end of production on a film, Marvin's work had only begun.
"Through countless films, TV series, Amblin events, awards campaigns and our public relations strategy—this is where Marvin came alive.
"He loved his work and was endlessly enthusiastic about our business. He was creative, innovative and respected for his knowledge and honesty.
"He was excited to figure out new and better ways to present films to audiences. As a result, he was the first and only publicist to receive an Academy Award."
In addition to his work with Speilberg, Levy helped to promote well known films including Back to the Future, Sophie's Choice, Taxi Driver, Men In Black, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Gigi, Ben-Hur, Kramer vs. Kramer, Deep Impact, Shrek and Gladiator.
Levy, who was from New York, began his career in advertising and eventually worked his way up in the marketing department of Columbia Pictures.
He got along so well with Spielberg that the director relied on him for advice throughout his career.
When Spielberg founded DreamWorks in 1994, Levy moved over to the company.
Spielberg, here with wife Kate Capshaw, said Levy was 'creative, innovative and respected for his knowledge and honesty.'
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In 2018, aged 90, he became the first publicist to receive an Honorary Academy Award for "an exemplary career in publicity that has brought films to the minds, hearts and souls of audiences all over the world."
Levy once pointed out he often struggled to describe to some just what he did for a living.
He said: "Most friends and relations outside the industry really had no clue, so I could never explain the full range of what the job really entails.
"But at least now they know I got an Oscar for it."
Survivors include his wife of 73 years, Carol and their sons, Don – also a publicist – and Doug.
He also had grandsons Brian and Daniel, with his sister Jane previously passing away.
His funeral will be held on Friday at Mount Sinai in Los Angeles.
