Hollywood power publicist Nanci Ryder is dead at 67 from battle with ALS after an unparalleled career representing stars including Renee Zellweger and Courteney Cox
BWR Public Relations co-founder and legendary Hollywood publicist Nanci Ryder passed away on Thursday afternoon after a six-year battle with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
CAA partner and Nanci’s longtime friend Bryan Lourd said she died peacefully at her home in Los Angeles, California at 2:24 p.m, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Ryder was 67 years old.
Rest in peace: BWR Public Relations co-founder and legendary Hollywood publicist Nanci Ryder passed away on Thursday afternoon after a six-year battle with ALS; seen here in 2016
Throughout a career that spanned over three decades, Ryder represented everyone from Renée Zellweger, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Lopez to Courteney Cox, Sarah Jessica Parker and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Zellweger and Witherspoon, in particular, both won Academy Awards while under her tutelage as their publicist.
Ryder was diagnosed with ALS in 2014, and later was the inspiration for Team Nanci, the goal of which was to find a cure for the debilitating neurological disease.
In great company: Ryder was diagnosed with ALS in 2014, and later was the inspiration for Team Nanci, the goal of which was to find a cure for the debilitating neurological disease; Nanci seen here in 2015 with Courteney Cox, Reese Witherspoon and Renee Zellweger
Team Nanci consisted of close friends and heavy-hitting industry players, whose regular events collectively contributed well over $800,000 to ALS Association Golden West Chapter.
Nanci’s inimitable Team consisted of clients-turned-friends Zellweger, Cox, Witherspoon and actor Don Diamont along with Lourd, talent agent Kevin Huvane and many, many others.
Since 2014, the group would gather in support of Nanci at LA’s Exposition Park each fall.
For a great cause: Team Nanci consisted of close friends and heavy-hitting industry players; seen here in 2016 with Jennifer Garner
Yearly tradition: The group’s annual meets collectively contributed well over $800,000 to ALS Association Golden West Chapter; seen in 2017
After relocating from her hometown of Great Neck, Long Island in New York to LA in 1979, Ryder worked as a talent agent for three years before segueing to publicity.
She formed Nanci Ryder Public Relations in 1984, with actor Michael J. Fox as her first client, who has been quoted as saying, ‘Everything I’ve gone through, I’ve gone through with Nanci.’
Before its eventual absorption into parent company Burson Cohn & Wolfe last month, Ryder’s BWR Public Relations (cofounded with Larry Winokur and Paul Baker) was one of the top PR firms in Hollywood, and the world, with annual billings pegged in the billions of dollars in the year 2000.
Some of Ryder’s other clients over the years included Robert Downey Jr., Helen Hunt, Woody Harrelson, Paul Reiser, Paul Rodriguez.
Power player: Nanci’s BWR Public Relations was one of the top PR firms in Hollywood, and the world; seen here with Jeffrey Katzenberg in 2015
Close friends: Nanci helped guide Zellweger to her first Oscar win for Cold Mountain in 2004, and the pair were close confidantes over the years; seen together here in 2017