There were some very powerful people who would call my bosses and say, “Hey, why isn’t Brandon getting promoted?” I’m very thankful for the community support internally and externally. Although WME’s recent acquisitions make it a hot contender for that title, Huvane still boasts the most diverse, enviable client roster of any agent in Hollywood. Agencies are not participating in that kind of ecosystem. The demand is higher than the supply. Ryan McKee. Andrea Nelson Meigs of I.C.M. TIAUNA JACKSON (The Jackson Agency owner; agent since 2014; clients include the actors Sam T. West, Arthur Richardson and Lucy Boryer) A lot of times those people of color at top agencies are the cream of the crop — they went to Stanford, Princeton, elite schools. Jacobs became well-known for her ability to package movies with her clients, such as Johnny Depp with Chocolat. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company Literary Agent … Send me, don’t send someone who doesn’t look like me. She had no credits. Screenplay agents work closely with all major studios. ... day's top stories on Hollywood… Ashley Holland and D.C. Wade of WME: For people of color, agencies are not an obvious career path. He doesn’t personally represent many big-name stars other than Laurence Fishburne, but he oversees all of the negotiations with his agency’s clients, which include Gary Oldman, Katherine Heigl, Neil Patrick Harris, Andy Garcia, Adrien Brody, and Philip Seymour Hoffman before his tragic death. HOLLAND When I step into a conference room, I’m aware that I’m 32, that I’m black and that I’m a woman — all [points] for potential discrimination. It was a wild ride," … So I wasn’t fazed [at C.A.A.]. Best action movies 2018 full movies HD She brought the smaller agency a huge comedic-windfall in her clients Jack Black, Jason Segel, Amy Poehler, Jonah Hill, and Jason Schwartzman. Both of those people are Caucasian. He left ICM to create Endeavor, and the rest is history. Kevin Huvane is co-partner of the biggest agency in Hollywood, Creative Artists Agency. I wasn’t expecting to walk in and to see all people looking like me. I want to make sure someone who looks like me is in the room.” I think we’ve come to a time where talent of color are finding their voice and understanding the potential importance or significance of having someone who looks like them on their team. BARTLETT One of the things we’ve talked about is really trying to create a pipeline, a sort of mentorship program to help retain people as they’re moving up the ladder, whether they’re having financial challenges or saying, “Hey, I’m the only one, this is too isolating for me.” We only have 10 African-American agents here and that’s not enough. The talent agents in Hollywood are some of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry. Osbrink spotted Dakota Fanning at 5 years old and turned her into the biggest child star of this generation. Some of her top clients include Lucas Till, Jake Lloyd, the two child actors in Adam Sandler’s Bedtime Stories, and the three children in Robert Rodriguez’s film Shorts. One great example of his talent came when he once played a game of golf with Andy Garcia, telling Garcia that it was his 16-year dream to make a movie about his Cuban homeland. I think especially people of color had to come from those backgrounds to even get in. Brian Swardstrom has bounced around the industry a bit, but he’s always been well-respected within the community. By merging Endeavor Talent Agency with the William Morris Agency in 2009, he helped put WME back to the forefront of show business. LORRIE BARTLETT (ICM; agent since 1993; clients include the stars Michael Keaton, Regina King and Lucy Liu) There was no beacon for me to follow. They tend to have agents who are white. Karen Stu… All of his keen deal-making skills has helped make him filthy rich, as he’s worth $50 million. Drake is in every kid’s earphones. I worked really hard. My boss happened to be a woman of color. "I got hundreds of emails within an hour from all over the world. Very, very few will become agents regardless of gender or race. The biggest player is Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which was founded in 1975 by Michael Ovitz and four others. I’m self-taught. I had informal mentorships like that with a lot of people. Then there's United Talent Agency (UTA), and rounding out the big four is International Creative Management (ICM). Agents NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer talks to writer and producer Keli Goff about members of the Writers Guild of America ... 2019 8:03 AM ET. Tiauna Jackson, agency owner: Some actors consciously decide to hire an agent of color. We’d have drinks, he’d give me advice. This super-agent seems to have a hold on the Hollywood elite about on who is in and who is out, more so than any other agent. HOLLAND I feel very lucky that I came of age at the right place, right time. HOLLAND Sometimes people who aren’t like you want another option. All four of these agencies are widely represented in this list of the 15 most powerful agents in Hollywood. Theresa Peters is one of the most powerful women in Hollywood. 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