Ovitz, Michael

▪ 1994

      In 1993 the middleman was alive, well, and taking his cut in Hollywood. The most powerful such person was Michael Ovitz, who, through his Creative Artists Agency (CAA), pampered, promoted, and profited from such clients as Madonna, Bill Murray, Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Costner, Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, and—most dramatically in 1993—David Letterman (q.v.). As Letterman's agent, Ovitz negotiated an unprecedented three-year, $42 million contract for the talk-show host to leave his 12:30 AM Eastern Standard Time program at NBC for a show one hour earlier on CBS. After the signing, Letterman described his agent as "a smart, thoughtful man" and declared himself "a satisfied customer."

      Later Ovitz ventured beyond the talent-agent business to advise the French bank Crédit Lyonnais on its red-inked entertainment holdings, particularly Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. He arranged a deal in which the bank would forgive past loans to MGM, give it additional moneys to increase film production, and appoint as the studio's new chairman Frank G. Mancuso, an experienced Hollywood hand and an Ovitz friend. While Crédit Lyonnais praised its agent's counsel, the press and CAA's competitors called the deal a conflict of interest because Ovitz was both advising a studio and representing clients who might seek work there. Ovitz denied the charge all the way to the bank; his estimated 1993 income from commissions and fees amounted to a whopping $10 million. Defending the deal in a rare interview, he insisted that "Hollywood is a small, familial place," where "everyone does business with everybody else."

      Ovitz was born on Dec. 14, 1946, in Chicago, Ill. His parents wanted him to become a doctor but, while working part-time as a guide for Universal studios, he fell in love with the idea of pursuing a career in Hollywood. After graduating from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1968, he took a job in the mail room of the William Morris Agency, a leading talent-management firm. The aggressive and disciplined Ovitz soon worked his way up to being an agent for television talents Merv Griffin and Bob Barker. In 1975 he joined with four other disgruntled Morris agents to form CAA. Thanks to Ovitz' knack for hustling up clients, CAA was quickly transformed from a cheesy operation with card tables and folding chairs to a bustling agency with modern offices and power suits.

      A short man with narrow brown eyes and a tight smile, Ovitz had a secretive, anonymous air akin to that of an underworld attorney, an image that was especially apt in the 1980s, when his success engendered a mix of respect and fear. His hard bargaining techniques and large stable of big-name talent greatly inflated Hollywood's costs, but few criticized him until he reached for a lion's share of business with the MGM deal. (MICHAEL AMEDEO)

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▪ American talent manager

born Dec. 14, 1946, Chicago, Ill., U.S.

      American talent manager who, as head of the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), was considered one of Hollywood's most powerful figures in the 1980s and '90s.

      Ovitz's parents wanted him to become a doctor, but, while working part-time as a guide for Universal Studios, he decided to pursue a career in Hollywood. After graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1968, he took a job in the mail room of the William Morris Agency, a leading talent-management firm. The aggressive and disciplined Ovitz soon worked his way up to become an agent, representing such television talents as Merv Griffin and Bob Barker. In 1975 he joined with four other Morris agents to form Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

      Thanks to Ovitz's knack for hustling up clients, CAA was quickly transformed into arguably the most prominent talent agency, and Ovitz became known as the most powerful man in Hollywood. Through the company, Ovitz promoted and profited from such clients as Madonna, Bill Murray (Murray, Bill), Whoopi Goldberg (Goldberg, Whoopi), Tom Cruise (Cruise, Tom), Steven Spielberg (Spielberg, Steven), and David Letterman (Letterman, David). As Letterman's agent, Ovitz negotiated in 1993 an unprecedented three-year, $42 million contract for the talk-show host to leave his late-night program at NBC for a show scheduled one hour earlier on CBS.

      Later Ovitz ventured beyond the talent-agent business to advise the French bank Crédit Lyonnais on its red-inked entertainment holdings, particularly Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. (MGM) (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.). In 1993 he arranged a deal in which the bank would forgive past loans to MGM, give it additional moneys to increase film production, and appoint as the studio's new chairman Frank G. Mancuso, an experienced Hollywood hand and a friend of Ovitz. While Crédit Lyonnais praised its agent's counsel, the press and CAA's competitors alleged a conflict of interest because Ovitz was both advising a studio and representing clients who might seek work there. Defending the deal, Ovitz insisted that “Hollywood is a small, familial place,” where “everyone does business with everybody else.”

      In 1995 Ovitz left CAA to become president of the Walt Disney Company. After months of internal power struggles with CEO Michael Eisner, Ovitz resigned in 1996 and was given a severance package valued at more than $140 million. This decision enraged shareholders, who later filed a lawsuit against the board, citing breach of fiduciary duty regarding the payout. In 1998 Ovitz bought a fledgling theatre company, Livent Inc. Within six months, however, the struggling business filed for bankruptcy protection, and it was later sold. Attempting to regain his prominence as a Hollywood manager, Ovitz founded Artists Management Group (AMG) in 1999 and quickly lured high-profile managers and talent to his new business. His clientele included Martin Scorsese (Scorsese, Martin), Leonardo DiCaprio (DiCaprio, Leonardo), and Robin Williams, all of whom he had lured away from CAA. Ovitz, however, was unable to match his former success, and in 2002 he sold his interest in AMG.

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