Someplace, Robert Pietranton is smiling and spinning his favourite tune, Bruce Springsteen’s “Stroll Like a Man” from the “Tunnel of Love” album. The beloved and well-respected communications exec, who simply celebrated his birthday on Nov. 10, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. Pietranton was 56.
The information shocked and saddened the tight-knit Hollywood publicity and journalism communities, notably the TV execs, publicists and reporters who labored carefully with Pietranton throughout his stints at Warner Bros. TV, Sony Photos TV and DreamWorks. The reason for his loss of life has not but been disclosed, however Warner Bros. TV mentioned a celebration of his life might be held at a later date.
Pietranton, identified for all kinds of nicknames (this reporter appreciated to name him “Bobby P”), most lately labored at Warner Bros. TV Group as senior VP, publicity and communications. He had been at Warner Bros. for 20 years, having first joined in 2006 as director of publicity at Warner Bros. Worldwide Tv Advertising and marketing.
The busy Pietranton labored repeatedly on tasks huge and small on the studio, together with strategic enterprise and written communications. In a single latest notable instance, only a few weeks in the past he helped Selection on this story in regards to the HBO Max sequence “The Pitt” could be rolled out on TNT.
“To have labored with Robert was actually a pleasure,” mentioned Rebecca Marks, the exec VP of publicity and communications at Warner Bros. TV Group. “He was sort, trustworthy, and heat, and his potential to attach with the press was broadly revered. Most of all, Robert liked this enterprise dearly. He was a consummate govt whose ardour for storytelling was evident in all the things he did, and we have been so fortunate to have him in our lives.
“On a private word, Robert was not solely a colleague however a very good pal that I might all the time rely on,” she added. “I couldn’t start to rely the occasions he helped and supported me, together with so many others in our area. I’ll perpetually be grateful to him.”
Previous to Warner Bros. TV, Pietranton frolicked at Sony Photos TV, the place he was VP of media relations. And earlier than that, he oversaw PR at DreamWorks TV. He additionally spent a little bit of time performing some freelance work for Selection, notably for a few of this publication’s specials sections, writing about Clint Eastwood, Regina King, Liev Schreiber and others — you’ll be able to see his tales right here. He started his profession at Levine Schneider PR and later labored at NBC Leisure throughout its “Should-See TV” period as director of digital publicity for motion pictures, miniseries and specials.
In its tribute to Pietranton, Warner Bros. TV summed it up completely: “Pietranton was identified for his calm demeanor beneath strain, unwavering kindness, generosity, and decency. He was a uncommon govt who noticed character and work ethic as traits valued over title or pedigree, classes he typically shared. He intentionally prevented the highlight and was typically happiest when these round him acquired the accolades. He personified the phrase mensch to these lucky sufficient to know him.”
As referenced within the lede to this story, Pietranton was identified for his love of Springsteen. Amongst these many nicknames (which additionally included “RP,” “BP,” “Piet” and “P”) was “Bobby Gene,” a reference to Springsteen’s track “Bobby Jean.” (And in addition a reference to his full title, Robert Gene Pietranton.)
The tremendous TV fan additionally embraced dramas from titans like David Milch, David Chase and David Simon (he wrote about “The Wire” for Selection right here). A tribute to Pietranton famous his different passions: “Martin Scorsese, the Pittsburgh Steelers, European soccer, leisure enterprise trivia, Wordle, and performing small acts of kindness for these round him.”
Stated his pal Stu Levine, now at NBC but in addition a former Selection staffer: “In a comparability I do know he would treasure, Robert was the Pele of PR, the Clemente of communication. We bonded over many issues, together with our absolute love of tv. We might have a 30-minute dialog dissecting one scene from ‘Deadwood’ after which an hour dialog a couple of scene from ‘The Wire’ the very subsequent day. He was my pal. He was my colleague. He was the most effective.”
Robert Gene Pietranton was born on Nov. 10, 1969, in Virginia to folks Robert G. ‘Piet’ Pietranton and Linda Ann (Cox) Pietranton. He grew up principally in Las Vegas, attending highschool there, the place he performed soccer. He the graduated from Loyola Marymount College with a bachelor of arts in political science and commenced his profession in PR.
Throughout his two-decade stint at Waner Bros. TV, the reveals he labored onincluded: “Abbott Elementary,” “All American,” “The Bachelor” franchise, “The Large Bang Idea”, the DC “Arrow” verse, “ER,” “Additional,” “Fringe,” “Gossip Woman,” “The Jennifer Hudson Present,” “The Mentalist,” “Mother,” “The Pitt,” “Riverdale,” “Smallville,” “Shameless,” “Shrinking,” “Supernatural,” “Working Level,” “Ted Lasso,” “Two and a Half Males,” “The Voice” and “The West Wing,” amongst many others.
“There aren’t any phrases to explain simply how a lot Robert has meant to everybody at Warner Bros. Tv Group,” mentioned Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. Tv Group and WBD US Networks. “He was the guts and soul of not simply our publicity division, however of our broader Studio. All through his 20+ yr tenure, he was our confidant, our voice of motive, and our first cease in a brewing disaster. Past his impeccable fame inside our trade, he was most significantly our pal. His kindness and heat snort might be deeply missed. We’re heartbroken past measure and are protecting him and his household in our ideas and prayers.”
Information of Pietranton’s loss of life shortly reverberated amongst colleagues previous and current, amongst these know knew and liked him. “Robert Pietranton was a uncommon gem of a human being,” mentioned Tammy Golihew, who labored with Pietranton for years at Warner Bros. earlier than she moved to Amazon. “Razor sharp, whip-smart and sporting an encyclopedic information of our trade, he was the G.O.A.T of Written Communications. He was additionally humorous, supportive and passionate in regards to the issues and people who he liked. I’m devastated for all of us, who referred to as him pal, that the irreplaceable Bobby P is gone.”
Added Karen Barragan, who labored carefully with Pietranton at Sony: “My pal Robert was good, loyal, beneficiant, reliable, and one of many most interesting strategists I’ve ever identified. I liked him as a lot as he liked Springsteen, and dropping him breaks my coronary heart.”
Former Warner Bros. publicity exec Scott Rowe mentioned: “Robert was sort, humorous, and good – good as hell. He was a pal to everybody. A real knowledgeable on leisure, he understood not simply the enterprise, however the motion pictures, sequence, and music themselves. I’m unsure there was a movie he hadn’t seen or an episode unwatched. One among my biggest joys was making him snort. It was an amazing snort. It’s fun I’ll always remember. It was huge, brilliant, and sometimes punctuated with a hand-clap.”
Then there’s former Disney exec Brandon Shaw, who thought of Pietranton each a mentor and a pal: “As an adolescent with an curiosity within the leisure enterprise, all I wished to be was our pal Robert Pietranton. And as my profession has advanced, nobody was higher capable of information and supply counsel in powerful occasions and have fun the success within the up occasions than our expensive pal. I’ll miss his life classes, his ear, his coronary heart and his generosity, and thank him from the underside of my coronary heart for being such a rare pal to me and my household all the time. On the backstreets till the tip, RP.”
Pietranton is survived by his brother, Ryan Pietranton, and his nephews Michael and Matthew.
