Who Is Michael Ovitz

If you're going to read one book about Hollywood, this is the one. As the co-founder of Creative Artists Agency, Michael Ovitz earned a reputation for ruthless negotiation, brilliant strategy, and fierce loyalty to his clients. He reinvented the role of the agent and helped shape the careers of hundreds of A-list entertainers, directors, and writers, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Sean Connery, Bill Murray, Robin Williams, and David Letterman. But this personal history is much more than a fascinating account of celebrity friendships and bare-knuckled dealmaking. It's also an underdog's story: How did a middle-class kid from Encino work his way into the William Morris mailroom, and eventually become the most powerful person in Hollywood? How did an agent (even a superagent) also become a power in producing, advertising, mergers & acquisitions, and modern art? And what were the personal consequences of all those deals? After decades of near-silence in the face of controversy, Ovitz is finally telling his whole story, with remarkable candor and insight.

If you're going to read one book about Hollywood, this is the one. As co-founder of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Michael Ovitz earned a reputation for ruthless negotiation, brilliant strategy and fierce loyalty to his clients. He reinvented the role of the agent and helped shape the careers of hundreds of A-list stars and directors, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Sean Connery, Steven Seagal, Bill Murray, Robin Williams and David Letterman. But this personal history is much more than celebrity friendships and bare-knuckled deal-making. It's an underdog's story: How did a kid with no connections work his way into the William Morris mailroom, and become the most powerful person in Hollywood? How did a superagent also become a power in producing, advertising, mergers & acquisitions and modern art? And what were the personal consequences of all those deals? After decades of near-silence in the face of intense controversy, Michael Ovitz is finally telling his whole story in this blistering, unforgettable memoir.

In August 1995, after the Walt Disney Company announced its $19 billion merger with Capital Cities/ABC, Michael Orvitz's power as head of the high-rolling Creative Artists Agency seemed eclipsed--until he joined Michael Eisner at the top of the Disney empire. This book offers the first complete, unauthorized portrait of one of the richest, most formidable, yet least known of the media moguls, whose clients include Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, David Letterman, and Barbra Streisand. of photos.

Executive Compensation is an invaluable legal guide through the maze of rules, regulations and practices that govern corporate financial compensation for executive employees.

“Rarely has a movie this expensive provided so many quotable lines.” So wrote Roger Ebert in his review of Ghostbusters, the 1984 blockbuster that handed our paranormal fears over to some of the sharpest comic minds of the day. Ghostbusters instantly resonated with audiences thanks to eye-popping special effects and crackling wit; to date, it remains the highest-grossing horror comedy of all time. The film spawned an Emmy-nominated Saturday morning cartoon, a tentpole 1989 sequel, a contentious 2016 reboot, legions of merchandise, and one of the most dedicated fan bases in history. Ghostbusters also elevated its players to superstardom, something a few cast members found more daunting than the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Now, for the first time, the entire history of the slime-soaked franchise is told in A Convenient Parallel Dimension: How Ghostbusters Slimed Us Forever. The cohesion of talent during the mid-’70s comedy revolution, the seat-of-their-pants creation of the first Ghostbusters, the explosive success that seemed to mandate a franchise, the five year struggle to make Ghostbusters II, the thirty-one-year struggle to make Ghostbusters III—it’s all here, with incredible attention to detail. Thoroughly researched and engaging, A Convenient Parallel Dimension smashes long-held myths and half truths about the dynamics behind this cultural juggernaut and presents the real story, down to the last drop of ectoplasm.

"Michael Ovitz is the iron-fisted CAA talent agent and dealmaker who negotiated unprecedented salaries for his agency's clients and, with unbridled tenacity and street-wise cunning, wrested power from the almighty studios. His ascension to the pinnacle of Hollywood power impressed both his friends and foes ... but his rapid fall from grace stunned even the most hardened Hollywood insiders (not to mention an astronomical severance package that weighed in at over $125 million.)" "Now, for the first time, here is the inside story of the charismatic yet media-shy mogul, in a behind-the-scenes account that exposes not only the underpinnings of his meteoric success, but also the often-hidden machinations of the entertainment industry. This revealing new biography is based upon the author's unprecedented series of interviews with Michael Ovitz, as well as 150 exclusive interviews with Hollywood's top celebrities."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved