Mickey Cottrell, Hollywood publicist, ‘Star Trek’ actor and producer, dead at 79

Mickey Cottrell, a veteran Hollywood publicist, who championed independent films for decades and also dabbled in acting, has died. He was 79.

Cottrell died on New Year’s Day at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills in Los Angeles, California.

His sister Suzy Cottrell confirmed his death and posted a tribute to her late brother on Facebook.

“My adorable, fun, critical, foodie, particular, brilliant, loving brother passed on to the next life early on New Year’s Day,” she wrote. “He was smiling when he died. Mickey Cottrell will be missed by many.”

The Post has reached out to reps of Cottrell for comment.

Cottrell lived with his sister in Arkansas after he suffered a stroke in 2016 and then returned to L.A. in 2019.

Born on Sept. 4, 1944, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Cottrell began his career in publicity at Landmark Theaters in 1982. In 1989 he launched Cottrell and Lindeman Associates, and in 2002 he started his firm and named it Mickey Cottrell Film Publicity.

During this time he handled publicity for a plethora of movies including “Earth Girls Are Easy,” “The Quiet American,” “Weekend,” “I Am Divine,” “One False Move,” “Blood and Concrete,” “Earth Girls Are Easy,” “Streetwise,” “Ballets Russes” “Salt” and “Querelle.”

Cottrell also worked with several notable independent filmmakers such as Andrew Haigh, Phillip Noyce (“Dead Calm”), Wim Wenders (“Wings of Desire”), Percy Adlon (“Bagdad Cafe”), Ira Sachs (“Keep the Lights On”), Andrew Haigh (“Weekend”) and Jonathan Caouette (“Tarnation”).

He also worked extensively with film director Gus Van Sant, 71, on “Drugstore Cowboy,” “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues,” and “My Own Private Idaho,” in which he played Daddy Carroll opposite Keanu Reeves and the late actor River Phoenix.

Cottrell also racked up acting credits appearing in the films “Ed Wood,” “Volcano,” “Jolene,” “I Do,” “Shortbus,” and on the small screen in episodes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek: Voyager.”

As a producer, Cottrell worked on 1992’s “Chain of Desire” and 1993’s “Shelf Life.”

In addition to his sister Suzy, Cottrell is survived by his sister Gigi, his nephew Jeremy Allen, and great-nephew Gregory Allen.