Star Trek actor dies after devastating Parkinson's disease battle
Mickey Cottrell has died at the age of 79 after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
His death was announced by his sister Suzie Cottrell-Smith. The actor, who was well-known for his work in Star Trek, has been remembered by Suzie as "the most fun brother ever". Mickey died on New Year's Day at the Motion Picture & Television Fund in Woodland Hills. He experienced a stroke in 2016 and had gone to live with his sister before returning to Los Angeles in 2019.
Paying tribute to her brother, Suzie said: "He was the most fun brother ever. So many good memories of when I was a kid — we’d sing together, dance, just all kinds of fun things that went on all the time when he was around.
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Mickey Cottrell has died after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (WireImage)
He was 79 years old (FilmMagic)"He was just so fun, full of life, entertaining. Every woman in the neighbourhood adored him." Speaking to Deadline, she added: "He knew every movie ever made and every little bit actor that was in movies. It was amazing. I could just ask him the question and he always knew the answer when it came to a movie." Suzie said her brother would always be "singing and dancing" when he walked home from his job.
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Mickey worked as a producer on several films and also as a publicist for projects such as Dead Calm with Nicole Kidman and 2011's Weekend with Tom Cullen. On Star Trek, he had roles in The Next Generation and Voyager. In 1989 he launched Cottrell and Lindeman Associates, then in 2002, he started the firm Mickey Cottrell Film Publicity.
The actor was passionate about his work and wrote on his LinkedIn profile: "In my thirty years in the film and public relations industries, I have had the great joy of representing many important film artists. The films and filmmakers I have represented have been honored with eight Sundance Jury Prizes, three Academy Awards, and numerous other nominations and awards. Some of my successes have given new life to films that might not otherwise have had the chance, ranging in scale from big budget to minute."
As a publicist, he worked with the likes of director John Maringouin (Getty Images)In 2016, Mickey survived a stroke and went to live with one of his sisters in Arkansas. He later returned to Los Angeles. The publicist is survived by his two sisters.
Fans have been paying tribute to Mickey on social media, with one person writing on X: "RIP Mickey Cottrell, the campiest, most fun publicist, and the most dedicated to truly independent film, no matter how far off the radar it fell. There was a man who knew how to live and, better yet, flatter a credulous critic into covering his films."
Another person said: "I love this man so much. He gave a very green, 22 year old me a job when I first moved to LA (and desperately needed the work) and was one of the most memorable, hilarious people I have ever know. R.I.P to an extremely real one," while a third person posted: "The heavens are envious of talented individuals."
"Mickey Cottrell embodied pretty much everything that made life in ‘70s Hollywood great: intelligence, humor, daring, passion for cinema + life. RIP friend," one fan remembered, while another described him as a "dear man". A sixth fan simply wrote: "RIP, gone too soon."
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