He flies in private jets he sits courtside at Lakers games and races a rival agent through the streets of Beverly Hills in a Ferrari with a license plate that reads "ARISFRRI." The character flaunts all of the lavish trappings that come with being a powerbroker. On the show, Gold is known for a no-holds-barred style of negotiating.
People knew there would be cuts, but the scale of the layoffs - the largest mass termination at an agency in recent years, described by some as a "bloodbath" - came as a surprise.Įndeavor founder Ari Emanuel, brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, is the inspiration for the agent Ari Gold character on the HBO series "Entourage." Insiders said the merger would be a mutually beneficial alliance during tough economic times, combining William Morris' strong music department with Endeavor's stronger television and motion picture departments. The layoffs come on the heels of a federally approved merger between the William Morris Agency and a smaller rival, Endeavor. While companies across the country are feeling the impact of the recession and cutting back, agencies have, for years, paid for perks beyond what was typical in other corners of white-collar America. The times of sitting in first class, drinking Champagne and having it all are done," he said. They still think they're masters of the universe and it's not reality anymore," said the recently laid off television agent, who would not speak for attribution in fear that would hurt his chances of finding another job. Agents were my celebrities and then you come in and you see it and soon enough it becomes your job. "I was in a different industry before I became an agent and I was lured in by the glamour.
In one of the most public displays of the recession's grip on Hollywood, that agent along with 119 other employees were laid off at William and Morris, one of Hollywood's oldest and most storied talent agencies, which for a century has represented some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry.įor months now, Hollywood's talent agents - those notoriously cutthroat dealmakers famous for negotiating on behalf of the famous and renowned for 10 percent commissions - have felt the pinch of the economic recession.Įach of Hollywood's major agencies has recently cut back, reining in spending on conspicuous corporate cars, expansive expense accounts, pricey power lunches and armies of attentive assistants. Working his way up the ladder, one television agent spent four years as an assistant at the beck and call of a heavyweight dealmaker, before eventually becoming a "tenpercenter" himself, with entrée to Tinseltown's back lots and backrooms and most exclusive restaurants. May 29, 2009— - To be a talent agent at William Morris once meant you had made it big in Hollywood.
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