Bicoastal Villains has named Laura Dane to serve as its in-house East Coast rep….Sally Newsom has joined the U.K. office of bicoastal/international Hungry Man as its London sales rep. Most recently, Newsom was on staff at Rogue, London, where she oversaw sales and marketing….Bicoastal Imaginary Forces (IF) has secured Roxanne Artesona and partner Jeff Bowman of independent rep firm Roxanne & Co. to handle East Coast sales in the TV spot marketplace. The move reunites Artesona and Bowman with IF’s New York-based executive producer/managing director Maribeth Phillips. The reps handled sales for New York visual effects/graphics studio Spontaneous when Phillips was exec producer/managing director there…..Daria Zeliger has been named head of sales & development for New York-based edit house wild(child), sister shop macsound, and a new related company slated to be launched next month….DP Cesar Charlene, whose feature The Constant Gardener recently debuted, is again available for commercials via ICM, Beverly Hills….Production designer Bradley Martin Thordarson has signed with bicoastal Paradigm for exclusive representation….Production designer Walter Barnett has come aboard Montana Artists Agency, Los Angeles, for exclusive representation in all areas…..
Gene Hackman Died Of Heart Disease; Hantavirus Claimed His Wife’s Life About One Week Prior
Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, authorities revealed Friday. Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference. "Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease," Jarrell said. "He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death." Authorities didn't suspect foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative. Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was Feb. 11 when she visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to their gated neighborhood that afternoon, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday. Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later and that he had an abnormal heart rhythm Feb. 18, the day he likely died, Jarrell said. Although there was no reliable way to determine the date and time when both died, all signs point to their deaths coming a week apart, Jarrell said. "It's quite possible he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said. Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said he believes Hackman was severely impaired due to Alzheimer's disease and unable to deal with his wife's death in the last week of his life. "You are talking about very severe Alzheimer's disease that normal people would be in a nursing home or have a nurse, but she was taking care... Read More