Somewhere, Robert Pete Tranton is smiling and spinning his favorite song, Bruce Springsteen’s “Walk Like a Man,” from the album “Tunnel of Love.” The widely respected communications executive, who just celebrated his birthday on Nov. 10, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. Pietranton was 56 years old.
The news surprised and saddened Hollywood’s close-knit public relations and journalism circles, particularly TV executives, publicists, and reporters who had worked closely with Pete Langton during his time at Warner Bros. TV, Sony Pictures TV, and DreamWorks. The cause of death has not yet been determined, but Warner Bros. TV announced that a memorial service will be held at a later date.
Pete Langton, known by many nicknames (this reporter prefers to call him “Bobby P”), most recently worked as senior vice president of public relations and communications at Warner Bros. TV Group. He has been with Warner Bros. for 20 years, first joining the company in 2006 as director of publicity for Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Marketing.
A busy man, Pietranton regularly worked on projects large and small in his studio, including strategic business and written communications. In a recent notable example, just a few weeks ago, he collaborated with Variety on an article about how the HBO Max series “The Pit” will develop on TNT.
“Robert was an absolute pleasure to work with,” said Rebecca Marks, vice president of public relations and communications for Warner Bros. TV Group. “He was kind, honest, warm-hearted, and widely respected for his ability to communicate with the press. Above all, Robert truly loved this business. He was the perfect executive whose passion for storytelling was evident in everything he did. We were so lucky to have him.”
“On a personal note, Robert was not only a colleague, but a good friend and someone I could always count on,” she added. “There were countless times he helped and supported me, along with many others in our field. I will be forever grateful to him.”
Prior to joining Warner Bros. TV, Pete Langton served as Vice President of Media at Sony Pictures TV. Prior to that, she oversaw PR at DreamWorks TV. He also spent some time doing freelance work for Variety magazine, particularly writing about Clint Eastwood, Regina King, Liev Schreiber, and others in some of the publication’s feature sections. You can see his story here. He began his career at Levine Schneider PR and later worked as an electronic publicity director for films, miniseries and specials during the “Must See TV” era at NBC Entertainment.
Warner Bros. TV summed it up perfectly in their tribute to Pete Langton: “Pete Langton was known for his calm demeanor under pressure, unwavering kindness, generosity, and courtesy. He valued character and work ethic more than title or pedigree. He was the rare executive who valued the traits and shared his lessons well. He deliberately avoided the spotlight and was often happiest when those around him received praise. He was the personification of these words.” ”
As mentioned in the lead of this story, Pete Langton was known for his love of Springsteen. Among his many nicknames (which also included “RP,” “BP,” “Pete,” and “P”) was “Bobby Jean,” after Springsteen’s song “Bobby Jean.” (And also a reference to his full name, Robert Gene Pete Tranton.)
This super TV fan also embraced drama from giants like David Milch, David Chase, and David Simon (he wrote about “The Wire” for Variety here). A tribute to Pietranton mentioned his other passions: “Martin Scorsese, the Pittsburgh Steelers, European soccer, entertainment business trivia, Wardle, and doing small acts of kindness for those around us.”
His friend Stu Levine, now at NBC but also a former variety show staffer, said: “Robert, who he would have cherished, was the Pele of PR and the Clemente of communications. We bonded over a lot of things. We had a 30-minute conversation analyzing a scene from Deadwood, and the next day we had an hour-long conversation about a scene from The Wire. He was my friend. He was my colleague.
Robert Gene Pete Runton was born on November 10, 1969 in Virginia to parents Robert G. Pete Runton and Linda Ann (Cox) Pete Runton. He grew up primarily in Las Vegas, attended Las Vegas High School, and played soccer there. He graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and began his career in public relations.
During his 20-year stint at Warner Bros. TV, some of the shows he worked on include “Abbott Elementary,” “All American,” the “Bachelor” series, “The Big Bang Theory,” DC’s “Arrow” verse, “ER,” “Extra,” “Fringe,” “Gossip Girl,” “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” “The Mentalist,” “Mom” and “The Pit.” “Riverdale,” “Smallville,” “Shameless,” “The Shrinking,” “Supernatural,” “Running Point,” “Ted Lasso,” “Two and a Half Men,” “The Voice,” “The West Wing,” and many more.
“There are no words to describe how much Robert meant to everyone at Warner Bros. Television Group,” said Channing Dungey, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group and WBD US Networks. “He was the heart and soul of not only our publicity department, but the entire studio. Throughout his 20-plus year tenure, he was our confidant, voice of reason, and our first port of call in any serious crisis. Beyond his spotless reputation, most importantly he was our friend. His kindness and warm laugh will be deeply missed. We are heartbroken beyond measure and keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers.”
News of Pietranton’s death immediately resonated among past and present colleagues and those who knew and loved him. “Robert Pete Ranton was a rare gem of a human being,” said Tammy Gollihew, who worked with Pete Ranton for years at Warner Bros. before moving to Amazon. “Razor-sharp, smart, with an encyclopedic knowledge of our industry, he was a master of written communication. He was also funny, supportive, and passionate about the things and people he loved. To all of us who called him a friend, we are devastated by the loss of our irreplaceable Bobby P.”
Karen Barragan, who worked closely with Pete Langton at Sony, added: “My friend Robert was a brilliant, loyal, generous, trustworthy man and one of the greatest strategists I have ever known. I loved him as much as he loved Springsteen, and my heart is broken to lose him.”
“Robert was kind, funny, intelligent, and very smart. He was a friend to everyone. He was a true entertainment expert who understood not only the business, but the movies, series, and music themselves,” said Scott Lowe, a former Warner Bros. public relations executive. I don’t know if there was a movie he didn’t watch or an episode he didn’t watch. One of my greatest joys was making him laugh. It was a laugh I’ll never forget. It was a big, bright laugh. Often interrupted by clapping. ”
And former Disney executive Brandon Shaw considered Pete Langton a mentor and friend. “As a young man interested in the entertainment business, all I wanted was my friend Robert Pete Tranton. And as my career grew, there was no better person than our dear friend to mentor and advise me during difficult times, and to support my former… I missed his life lessons, his ear, his heart, and his generosity, and I thank him from the bottom of my heart for always being a great friend to me and my family right up until the end. ”
Pete Tranton is survived by his brother Ryan Pete Tranton and nephews Michael and Matthew.
