Stars and Their Doctors: A ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Producer and the Man Who Knows Him Inside Out

Stars and Their Doctors: 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Producer and the Man Who Knows Him Inside Out — THR_Cohan_Brunetti - H 2015
Christopher Patey

This story first appeared in the Sept. 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

If it weren’t for the medical equipment surrounding them, Gary R. Cohan and Dana Brunetti would seem like two buddies just catching up on life. “He’s very accessible, and I consider him a friend,” says the Fifty Shades of Grey and House of Cards producer, who was referred to Cohan five years ago by Legally Blonde director Robert Luketic.

Indeed, Cohan was present, as a friend, when Brunetti’s daughter was born, and Brunetti invited Cohan to attend the premiere of his Oscar-nominated film Captain Phillips. Brunetti, 42, whose hectic schedule includes finding a director to take on the sequel Fifty Shades Darker, says the highly regarded internist always has been available to him, by phone or text if out of town.

Cohan, 55, who’s been practicing medicine in L.A. for 25 years, also makes himself available for house calls — or even set calls. He once rushed to Sunset Gower Studios to see a well-known TV director who was feeling ill but didn’t want to cancel a day of shooting with so many people depending on him. “He didn’t have to idle 120 people that day,” says Cohan about the set visit. “It’s not that I do this because it’s a luxury item. I do it because I understand this business.”

Cohan’s understanding has led to a patient list of 1,500, including some of the biggest names in town, from Drew Barrymore to WME’s Mark Itkin to Matt Bomer (among those who approved the use of their names). But most important, “what people value in L.A. is discretion,” says the doctor, whose state-of-the-art facility allows him to handle procedures in-office rather than forcing patients to go elsewhere. Cohan also knows when it’s time for tough love. “I take care of a lot of people who are alphas; they call the shots,” he says, but his passion for treating the patient, not the celebrity, creates a trust that many of Cohan’s patients find invaluable. “I will listen to him because I know that he knows me very well,” says Brunetti. “I trust his advice.”