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Mandalay Entertainment CEO Peter Guber on aspiring actor Vivek Shah’s extortion attempt and director Tony Scott’s suicide.
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This sounds like something out about bad Hollywood movie an aspiring actor trying to extort money from a big time producer.
And energy magnate and an Internet it revolutionary just to further his own acting career.
Federal authorities say it is very real basic 25 year old the -- shop pictured here -- Tom Cruise.
Was trying to extort money from Miramax co-founder Harvey Weinstein cold magnate Christopher client and Groupon co-founder.
Eric love costly.
Joining us now is someone who knows Hollywood from the inside Mandalay entertainment chairman and CEO.
Peter -- by the way we should mention Peter and I'm sure you know these people everybody likes to have themselves photographed with the stars of the fact that we saw -- photographed -- Tom Cruise and other start.
Doesn't mean that he was he was successful and -- this is that there's a struggling actor who may have just been trying to.
Extort money to make ends -- right.
Yeah but you know it you know -- story -- celebrity.
Get this screen credit has bank credit.
And people want the gold to be bought the -- -- -- people often become victims of crackpots who wanna get -- the -- -- of their money.
And you see it all the time it doesn't become public as much as it as you think it wasn't really -- -- gets -- nipped in the bud.
But the reality is that kind of attraction comes when you have that kind of -- celebrity.
Yes but said now you see these things and you wonder what do wealthy people left to do to protect themselves.
I -- it first thought was interesting all of the stars next to whom he stood.
Looks slightly uncomfortable and a special -- of -- Angelina Jolie -- she looked like she was ready to just run away and and that's the thing you never know who's standing next -- take these pictures.
This guy allegedly tried to extort and threatened to kill people.
Well one of the things is all celebrity's faced this.
What's celebrities music film television wherever that -- -- somebody wants to get near -- they think that proximity gives them power.
Then when they get that they have the rattled the begging -- -- the usually.
The perpetrate it has that other connection.
But this as far as celebrity and they can't get what they want so now they want some of the fame so what do they do they go from the casting -- to the killing couch.
Connections connections everybody's uses connections to get ahead whether it's in in politics in DC -- Hollywood.
-- does but people must be savvy when when a guy like this shows a picture himself with Tom Cruise or some other celebrity.
The folks say that and I I I I know this is not this is not for real -- had your -- -- or are people taking the end.
By visuals of connections like that.
Pictures a powerful force really really Powell force and has the -- it it makes the story right away just the picture.
But what really happens and I think this is really the case today this -- so pervasive.
The people who celebrities are around people photo -- in the picture as people get taken photographs and looked like they are part of the possibly of the celebrity -- stock -- Politico and then nature and that until our -- -- almost an addiction and that's if you look back with Cindy Crawford and John Travolta and David Letterman all these kinds of extortion is G.
Generally.
Aimed at money.
Not necessarily fame when you look at -- like John Lennon people in those kinds of people a people who try to get.
At political figures presents no less.
They're looking for something different everybody has something thereafter when they're doing -- I'll have to act crackpots but they have to they're -- to something.
Peter at have you ever been targeted by something like this.
No they have to succeed at that level but -- Civic leader award laid eyes Sara Lee -- -- -- studios -- Freddie ought to watch sports teams and you know what thank but I'm sure that you take.
Security precautions.
Well I I just don't have any posse around me I believe the best security.
Is paying attention to your business and not trying to be frivolous and what you do and these people love prevalence really -- you really look at it most of the folks that.
Yet attacked by these things -- usually there is some connection to the person.
There's some free pretty history it just doesn't happen out of the blue most of the time -- some ongoing connection -- the Jodie -- syndrome with somebody tries to get close to the celebrity and then converted into romance converted the money.
There's always some currency these crackpots are -- them.
Do we know any more about what might have led -- -- suicide.
Now I did a movie with a back many -- a baseball movie called a fan.
And he was a fantastic -- really terrific -- very well organized we should be delighted when he was not only great directors also producer.
Yes you -- He was multi facet no and a good guy very well liked in the community.
You know it's so law deal that kind of suicide -- just the talk about it is if it's difficult I mean how do you jump off a -- -- makes a statement in itself.
But I think that the guy was pretty stable guy from Alabama hi -- and he didn't have a reputation as a you know as -- as being on drugs -- anything like that so.
It's pretty dog and you know nobody made it seems to know the answer that would not his family not -- friends nobody seems to know why.
Peter thank you for your perspective.
Peter go over have a great weekend thanks very much what.
