Publicist came across as intense (8)
I believe the answer is:
profound
'intense' is the definition.
('profound' can be similar in meaning to 'intense')
'publicist came across' is the wordplay.
'publicist' becomes 'pro' (I've seen this in other clues).
'came across' becomes 'found' ('find' can be a synonym of 'come across').
'pro'+'found'='PROFOUND'
'as' is the link.
(Other definitions for profound that I've seen before include "Deep; intense" , "unqualified" , "showing great knowledge" , "Overpowering" , "Needing deep thought" .)