James Grant (publicist)

James Grant is an American publicist, and former journalist, photographer and West Coast Bureau Chief of Life Magazine. He is now President of JGPR - James Grant Public Relations based in New York.http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2014/08/20/5-ways-to-generate-powerhouse-pr-results-for-your-brand/
==Journalism==
Born in Portland, Oregon, Grant began his career at Time/Life in 1983 as a Special Correspondent for People Magazine reporting numerous cover stories http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20096581,00.htmlhttp://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20094327,00.html including two best-selling Sexiest Man Alive covers.http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20095905,00.htmlhttp://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20092820,00.html
In 1986, he left People joining The Fox Network as a segment producer for The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers.Archerd, Army.Just For Variety. Variety, July 4, 1987, p2.Nicholas, Jonathan.Reach for the stars. The Oregonian, December 30, 1986.
In 1987, he was named West Coast Bureau Chief of Life Magazine based in Los Angeles re-establishing all editorial operations for the magazine in Hollywood.http://www.catlin.edu/page.cfm?p=753 While at Life, Grant landed several major exclusives for the magazine including the first interview with Donna Rice following the breaking news of her alleged involvement with then Presidential front-runner Senator Gary Hart,Grant, James.Donna Rice Tells Her Story. Life Magazine, July 1987, p. 82. and exclusive interviews with Diane Sawyer,Grant, James.The Prime Times of Diane Sawyer. Life Magazine, August 1989, p. 73-76. Spin Sisters: How the Women of the Media Sell Unhappiness --- and Liberalism ...
 By Myrna Blyth P.318 Sylvester Stallone The Palm Beach Post - Jun 16, 1988 P59 and former Governor Jerry Brown discussing his work with Mother Teresa in Calcutta.Grant, James.Passage to India. Life Magazine, April 1988, p. 28-32.
The following year, Grant negotiated and conducted the first ever interview with Lisa Marie Presley.http://www.lisamarieonline.net/lisa/interviews/LifeMagazine-1988.php It went on to become one of the bestselling issues in the history of Life.Archerd, Army.Just For Variety. Variety, January 4, 1995, p4. He also landed the first interview with Mike Tyson and wife Robin Givens for a top selling Life cover done just days after they eloped.Grant, James.The Lady and the Champ. Life Magazine, July 1988.
Grant coordinated Life's 1987 year in pictures issue featuring Charlie Sheen, Patrick Swayze, and Jimmy Smits among the newcomers, and celebrating Bette Midler, Cher and Paul Newman.Archerd, Army.Just For Variety. Variety, December 21, 1987, p2. In 1989, Grant helped coordinate Life's Special Hollywood 1939-1989 Issue overseeing interviews and photo sessions with Bette Davis (in her last photo session), Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Jimmy Stewart, Michelle Pfeiffer, Glenn Close and other actors.Archerd, Army.Just For Variety. Variety, September 26, 1988, p2.Life Magazine, Spring 1989, Special Issue.
In 1990, Grant moved over to Entertainment Weekly, another Time Warner publication,http://www.whomyouknow.com/2010/05/movers-and-shakers-james-grant-vice.html#.VBmt-xZsS-e under contract writing cover stories Grant, James.Deep in the Heart of Texasville. Entertainment Weekly, September 21, 1990, issue 32, p35. and helping to establish the magazine in Hollywood.
In 1993, Grant interviewed River Phoenix for the cover of Detour. The interview turned out to be the actor's last cover story before his overdose a few weeks later.http://www.aleka.org/phoenix/zines/phoeni43.html
That same year, Grant became a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times doing over a dozen profiles on filmmakers including Will Smith,Grant, James.Yo! Check Out the Fresh Prince's 180-Degree Turn. Los Angeles Times, December 4, 1993. Forest Whitaker,Grant, James.One Quiet Man, One Booming Career. Los Angeles Times, June 30, 1994. 
John Waters,http://articles.latimes.com/1994-04-10/entertainment/ca-44103_1_serial-mom/3 Elizabeth Taylor http://articles.latimes.com/1989-10-01/entertainment/ca-1045_1_elizabeth-taylor and Kirk Douglas.Grant, James.The Defiant One Has the Last Laugh. Los Angeles Times, March 16, 1994.
In 1995, Grant moved to New York where he wrote cover stories for Cosmopolitan including Cindy Crawford's first interview following her divorce from Richard Gere.Grant, James.Cindy Talks!. Cosmopolitan, January 1996, p180.
He also wrote cover stories for Us Magazine,Grant, James.Groove Is In The Heart. US Magazine, February 21, 1991, issue 148, p26. Out,Grant, James.Haaarvey! On the Verge of a Network Breakthrough. Out Magazine, October 1994, issue 16, p72. McCalls http://simplycilla.com/mp/simplycilla/articles/Priscilla%20Prelsey%20Articles%20McCall%27s%201989.htm and features for In Style,Grant, James.Wanted: Full House. InStyle, May 1995, p97. Harpers Bazaar,Grant, James.Top Gun. Harper's Bazaar, October 1990, issue 3346, p204. Good Housekeeping,Grant, James.Clint Eastwood and His Daughter Alison Talk About Rebellion, Reunion, and Their Renewed Love. Good Housekeeping, July 1995, p24. Seventeen,Grant, James.17 Questions: Antonio Sabato, Jr.. Seventeen, October 1993, p97. and Newsday.Grant, James.The Doctor is On. Newsday (Fanfare), April 17, 1994, p20.
As an entertainment commentator, Grant has been interviewed by The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/27/garden/the-stylists-trim-clients-cut-deals.html and has appeared on Larry King Live, Entertainment Tonight, CNN's Showbiz Today, The McLaughlin Group, E! Network, and A.M. Los Angeles, among others.
Also an established photographer, Grant has photographed celebrities including
Sir Ian McKellen,Photo credit. Grant, James. Scene Magazine, November–December 1995.
Tim Daly,Photo credit. Grant, James. People, November 18, 1996, p206. 
Bridgette Wilson,Photo credit. Grant, James. Scene Magazine, Summer Style 1997.
Matthew Broderick,Photo credit. Grant, James. Scene Magazine, September–October 1996. 
Brendan Fraser,Photo credit. Grant, James. Scene Magazine, April–May 1996.
Emily Watson,Photo credit. Grant, James. Scene Magazine, Summer 1998.
Pedro Almodóvar,Photo credit. Grant, James. Scene Magazine, February–March 1996.
and Antonio Sabato Jr.Photo credit. Grant, James. Scene Magazine, November–December 2000. His photography has been published in People, Entertainment Weekly,Photo credit. Grant, James. Entertainment Weekly, May 15, 1998. Movieline,Photo credit. Grant, James. Movieline, December 1996, p64. and TV Guide.Photo credit. Grant, James. TV Guide, June 22, 1996, p18.
==Public Relations==
Grant began his publicity career at the firm Davidson & Choy publicizing the play Private Lives with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, as well as the musicals Dreamgirls and Little Shop of Horrors. 
Grant also served as West Coast Publicity Director of Orion Pictures, where he strategized publicity campaigns for several films including the successful Academy Award for Best Actress campaign for Jessica Lange for Blue Sky, the directorial debut of Jodie Foster in Little Man Tate, for Brad Pitt on The Favor and was part of the studio's publicity team which oversaw the successful Oscar campaign for Silence of The Lambs, and as a Media Consultant to heiress Aileen Getty in helping to bring awareness to Women With AIDS.
In January 2009, Variety reported that Grant had been hired by MRG - The Michael Russell Group as Vice President and would oversee all aspects of the company's public relations operations for the newly established New York office.http://variety.com/2009/scene/news/grant-joins-michael-russell-group-1117998349/
On January 18, 2011, PR Week reported that Grant was leaving MRG to launch his own PR company—JGPR, James Grant Public Relations based in New York. It was reported that Grant took with him all his clients along with his entire PR team to the new company. Those clients included two of New York's most prestigious non-profit organizations—The Loreen Arbus Foundation and United Cerebral Palsy of New York City.http://www.prweek.com/article/1265354/grant-splits-michael-russell-group
In addition to those accounts, JGPR subsequently signed The Women's Media Center Women's Media Awards,The Elly Awards, The Courage in Journalism Awards, global architecture & design firm HOK NY, Women Who Care, the YWCA USA, the Mental Health Association of New York City, best-selling author Mary Buffett, actress Robin Givens, The Ackerman Institute for the Family, the award-winning documentary "A Whole Lott More," photographer Javier Gomez, the TV series "In Between Men,"The White House Project and other accounts.http://www.jamesgrantpr.com/clients/
In August 2014, Grant was the subject of a story for Forbes entitled "5 Ways To Generate Powerhouse PR Results For Your Brand".
==References==
==External links==
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Category:American public relations people
Category:American photographers
Category:American journalists
Category:Living people
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Journalists from Portland, Oregon