As we prepare for the 2018 Oscars this Sunday, we recall the celebrated film publicist’s musing on her symbiotic friendship with Larry Gagosian
“I met Larry 27 years ago. I had read he had just bought Toad Hall, built on the dunes in Amagansett and designed by Charles Gwathmey. A total stranger, I called Larry up and said, ‘You have a screening room; I have all the movies. I would like to make a deal.’ He was so horrified and intrigued that he said, ‘Sure!’ My proposal was to split the seats 50/50 between my filmmaker friends and his artists and collectors. Larry and I ended up introducing each other to many creative people. I brought artist and director Steve McQueen. Then a young Damien Chazelle, who had just made Whiplash; Larry introduced him to Mick Jagger who raved about the film’s similarities to his life. These are just two examples of our wonderful symbiotic relationship. Larry’s great eye for talent transcends art. He sells pictures that don’t move, and I sell pictures that do.”
Peggy Siegal connects people. Throwing lunches, dinners and soirées that couple New York’s upper echelons with the year’s most acclaimed films, the powerhouse film publicist will get the right people in front of your movie come Oscar season. Her clairvoyance is undeniable: she predicted Leonardo DiCaprio’s first win and coached him on tactics to score. Siegal is, incidentally, impeccable: from her voracious work ethic to her red carpet looks. To anyone who’s met her, it’s no surprise that this year sees the launch of her book, How to Look Like Me at 70: a guide to the best gynaecologists and surgeons in the city. In the grand Hollywood tradition, it’s a sequel – to How to Look Like Me at 60.
Hair: Blake Erik at Statement Artists using Hairstory. Make-up: Susie Sobol at Julian Watson Agency. Set design: Ian Salter at Frank Reps. Digital tech: Frederike Heide. Photographic assistants: Christopher Parente and Max Bernetz. Styling assistants: Rebecca Perlmutar, Kat Banas and Athena Zammit. Make-up assistant : Ayaka Nihel. Set-design assistant: George de Lacey. Production: Artistry London. Post-production Studio Private
The Spring/Summer 2018 issue of AnOther Magazine is out now.