Well, that was quick. I've confirmed that the William Morris talent agent Theresa Peters has landed at United Talent as a partner with all of her clients, including James McAvoy, Mandy Moore, Kirsten Dunst, Rachel Bilson. She's telling pals that she needed to make a change "in order to grow". The word is UTA paid "fair market value" to bring her in. It's interesting that, in this time of lowered bonuses and even layoffs, UTA (which has had its share of roiling) is adding partners.
What's Really Happening Inside Morris?
William Morris Starts Laying Off Agents...
just curious, what is “fair market” value to bring an agent over with clients?
Comment by J. mac — October 11, 2008 @ 10:00 am
Fair market value for an agent is what?
$3 and a twinkie?
Comment by ReelBusy — October 11, 2008 @ 10:30 am
I worked inside that agency many years. These posts were obviously written by a lot of frustrated assistants. The problem at WMA is not the top tier leadership it’s the department heads. Fogelman, Gaby, Kaplan, Wellins are all assholes and are feared and hated by most people there because they are so abusive. People who are truly horrible and treat others like shit are not good leaders but they are good agents and have a lot of clients and that is at the crux of the problem. These are the people who need coaches so they can be leaders.
Comment by Eric — October 11, 2008 @ 10:38 am
I met Theresa a few years agao when my friend was working as her assistant. I do not know much about her work in the business, other than the obvious fact that so much talent seems to go to her, but I do know something about her character and in today’s world that seems even more important. She was kind and generous to me and immediately welcoming. She is a good person at the core. UTA is lucky to bring such a great person on board and its no wonder that so many people trust her with their careers.
Comment by Mark — October 11, 2008 @ 11:33 am
great sign for UTA, but I am surprised that they made her a partner. UTA is not one, at least in the past, to throw partnerships at people. That is Endeavor’s thing.
Comment by rufustfirefly4 — October 11, 2008 @ 12:16 pm
Good for Theresa Peters, she’ll excel a lot further outside the halls of WMA! Too bad WMA doesn’t have someone like Theresa as a partner. Instead, we’re faced with the likes of Irv Weintraub et al.
Comment by Anonymous — October 11, 2008 @ 12:33 pm
Eric:
While you are correct, the problem does indeed lie at the top.
Comment by Anonymous — October 11, 2008 @ 1:21 pm
Okay, I too worked with many of these people. Let me be perfectly clear, I bear no agenda as I think many of these agencies (most especialy CAA are full of themselves in addition to other things) BUT, Aaron Kaplan at WMA is so drunk on his own (belief) of power and is so abusiv to anyone he perceives as threatening that power, that there are a tremendous amount of people in town who do not wish WMA well. He cast a pallor over the agency enough so as to make you root against them. I know when I have the ability to steer people, I will steer them AWAY from WMA due to Aaron Kaplan. He believes he’s the star. And here’s the thing, if he was the star, and I was the agent, I’d still fire him!
Fogelman is lazy and also full of himself. I agree get rid of the heads. It’s not Wiatt. It’s not Dave. It’s Kaplan and Fogelman. Not only wastes but deterrents. I am but one of many who feel this way. It’s a wake up call Jim! Time to reshuffle the deck, once you pop Aaron’s baloon it’s just a bunch of hot air…
Comment by michelle — October 11, 2008 @ 2:12 pm
There are so many agents who are full of themselves at WMA. I find them way worse than ICM, ENDEAVOR (except for, of course, for Ari,) and CAA. Aaron Kaplan is full of hot air. John Fogelman is a joke. He doesn’t return calls, and then dumps them either after hours or during lunch. Wake up call, boys - everything comes around. You’re not in the league of CAA or even UTA.
Never seen an agency more disliked, more unfriendly to buyers, studio execs, producers than WMA…
Comment by marcy — October 11, 2008 @ 3:14 pm
Watch your backs guys on Russell Crowe, Denzel W, and Vanessa Hudgens. They’re all on the move.
Comment by scott — October 11, 2008 @ 3:15 pm
is she crazy? tracey jacobs and jeremy zimmer are her new bosses. that ain’t worth fair market value x 2.
Comment by nouta — October 11, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
I love agent speak…its such bullshit…agents…actors who couldn’t make it.
Comment by actor — October 11, 2008 @ 5:00 pm
Why would Denzel, or Russell or Vanessa be on the move. Their careeres are on fire. It’s INSANE for people to start rumors. We do a very good job for these actors, and if they are going to be that disloyal as to want to leave, then WE DON’T WANT THEM!
Comment by Loyal 'till the end — October 11, 2008 @ 5:24 pm
If Peters had an issue with WMA, just wait until she experiences the dysfunction of her new partners! UTA is a total mess - partners leaving huge amounts of money on the table just to escape.
The UTA partners despise each other and don’t speak to each other. Berkus is desperate to sell the company to WMA or any other bidder (would’nt that be funny Theresa?) and his partners just want to cash out. Jay Sures begs the heads of the other agencies to “just make an offer” and they will totally screw all of the “ponzi scheme” partners underneath them since none of them will vest and they will have done all of the hard work for no payoff. Talk about a scam!
UTA is on the sales block and nobody but the senior partners will reap the benefits…….
Comment by observer — October 11, 2008 @ 5:27 pm
Was out for dinner last night with my husband at AOC. While waiting for our table, there was a couple at the bar who were going on and on about your website (which I had never heard of)and the very troubled William Morris. When we sat down, we were seated next to four guys. Again, this was the topic of conversation at their table. Seems like there is not a lot of love for WMA or their management.
Comment by Anonymous — October 11, 2008 @ 6:27 pm
Observer, you are actually quite wrong about UTA. Ever since Stevens and company departed, UTA has been a much better place. Your claims about the it being up for sale is old stale news. Of all the agencies around, UTA is probably the most healthy one right now.
Comment by NegativeNelly — October 11, 2008 @ 7:27 pm
hey ‘observer’
nice try, but you can always smell a jealous rival a mile away. uta has represented me for a long time, and theyve been nothing short of excellent. they dont need to build some stone ego fortress or have a tv show named after them, they dont give a shit about that. they do, however, give a shit about me - a client - and that’s all that matters in this business. i’ve always found them to be friendly to one another and totally professional to me, so spare yourself the agony of wondering how they get along. they do just fine.
Comment by mightypen — October 11, 2008 @ 9:45 pm
For mr. observer…..re: mr. berkus wanting to sell…times have changed…he is part of a board…that board doesn’t do anything without the other members…After the “witches of uta” fires months ago…the best thing that ever happened to UTA, the board is energized to make UTA what is is truly about - TALENT.. They may be the best thing happening for real ARTISTS…which is what actors/directors/writers are truly about… how refreshing. Theresa’s addition with her actors lists, is a true signal that this is their focus… GO UTA!
Comment by industry vet — October 11, 2008 @ 10:00 pm
With all of this bullshit talk about crappy agents and fickle stars, I just thought a little reality check was needed…a major star who has excelled in film and theater as an actor, writer, producer and director got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this Friday, that being Tim Robbins. His wry yet perceptive take on it:
“I used to take the bus from here to Burbank to go to work,” he recalled. “When the bus was late, I would walk up and down and throw my cigarettes down. Now I have the honor of having this done to my star.”
The lesson? It’s the WORK that counts, not the personalities. WMA? UTA? CAA? Fuck all the alphabet nonsense. The best agents have always known it’s what’s on the screen that counts, be it a 10 foot by 30 foot theatrical projection, a TV screen, a computer monitor or a PDA in your pants that counts, and they know that deep in their hearts, even the most reprehensible of the lot. All the rest is bullshit.
Comment by Irving Thalberg's Ghost — October 11, 2008 @ 10:32 pm
Prediction: five years from now UTA will be the elite agency. Never in terms of money, or power, but just sheer quality.
Comment by midsider — October 12, 2008 @ 2:38 am
NegativeNelly you are completely right. I have certainly noticed and heard that ever since Nick Stevens and company jumped to Endeavor it is like a huge negative weight has been lifted. Now, they are much more united and ready to move forward and be successful. Sure, they lost great clients, but they got rid of what ailed them.
Comment by rufustfirefly4 — October 12, 2008 @ 3:36 am
UTA sucks. They are finished. Theresa should have gone to Endeavor or CAA if she wanted to grow. She probably (like everyone else) just hated Gaby so much that she couldn’t take another casting meeting being run by the dragon lady. It amazes me that WMA bosses had no idea on how much this woman was disliked inside and outside their agency.
Comment by Anonymous — October 12, 2008 @ 8:23 am
Who would you rather gave at your agency Theresa Peters and Holly Baril or Gabby Morgerman and Joanne Wiles? WMA is a sinking ship. Wake up Jim and stop the cronyism.
Comment by Anonymous — October 12, 2008 @ 9:07 am
So she’s a partner!
Guess what? That means nothing! She got duped! She still reports to Zimmer and Jacobs and will not, just like her other partners, make any money in success since the UTA partnership has been changed to only benefit the top tier.
Partner at UTA is best defined as, “a way to keep your income down and your optimism high - and NO CHANCE of having any real money down the line”.
Go check out the top tiers income and assets and then look at the rest of them - talk about a scam….
Modern day pirates at UTA - Corporate greed - Sad, Sad, Sad……..
Comment by I wanted money too — October 12, 2008 @ 9:12 am
I am an assistant at UTA and probably shouldn’t be writing this but people are very upset by this hire. It feels like a bunch of agents have been waiting to be made partner and have been passed over yet again for someone from the outside. First Camacho and now this new one. There is supposed to be a big agency retreat this week and I heard my boss say that a group of agents are preparing to be VERY agressive about this going down. More disruption in a place that is already in total turmoil.
Comment by insideguy — October 12, 2008 @ 9:53 am
Poor Theresa. What is she thinking? How do you go from one unstable agency to another that is in even worse shape. Jacobs does not let anyone speak in the talent meetings and the only clients discussed are hers so good look to Kirsten Dunst and James Macavoy. They went from being big fish to dead fish in this pond. As for the rest of the board it seems that Berkus has lost all control to Zimmer who uses the agency as a personal ATM withdrawing cash and never depositing. Does anyone else notice that guy has not had a client since the mid-90’s? The TV department is shattered since the exit of Sue Naegle. Half of those agents will be out the door by the end of the year. What kind of an environment is that to try to integrate clients who need big help.
Comment by Michael R. — October 12, 2008 @ 9:59 am
uta writing about uta is funny to read. they have fallen far in tv. they have fallen far in comedy. they were never strong in drama or with directors that mean anything. no one will ever sign with zimmer. that has been proven. their agents are calling anyone to get a chance to leave, and of course they are trying to sell, they are always trying to sell. how is 60 frames doing? how is their marketing company doing in ny? the witches dont seem to be upsetting endeavor’s success.
Comment by obvious — October 12, 2008 @ 10:02 am
What does Tim Robbins getting his star have to do with the price of sausage? Makes no sense. Go back to point - and that is, WMA has terrible leadership. I myself cannot stand Aaron Kaplan. I’ve only dealt with him peripherally, and even then I found him living up to every sterortype of an agent I’ve ever seen.
Someone should run an agent school, and bad agents should be required to go there. Work out their anger, jealosy, and their star envy.
WMA board - dump Kaplan!
Comment by Baywolf — October 12, 2008 @ 10:54 am
Endeavor is going through what UTA had in the mid 90’s. Wait a beat and see how it plays out. UTA has found its stride and will continue to build here on. As far as the UTA assistant posting. I highly doubt you actually work there, but if you do, you truly deserve a good sound beating for being such a pussy.
Comment by Please — October 12, 2008 @ 1:13 pm
PLEASE, WHAT DID UTA HAVE EXACTLY IN THE MID 90′S THAT YOU ARE REFERRING TO? THE AGENCY BUSINESS COULDNT BE MORE DIFFERENT NOW. ENDEAVOR HAS DIVERSIFIED SUCCESSFULLY. I DONT SEE ANOTHER AGENCY WHO HAS. CERTAINLY UTA IS TRAPPED WITH A DYING TRADITIONAL COMMISSION BUSINESS. GOOD OR BAD, IT AIN’T THE 90′S ANYMORE DOROTHY
Comment by confused — October 12, 2008 @ 3:27 pm
What does this mean for Julien Thuan, Jeremy Barber, Rob Kim, Darren Statt, Billy Lazarus, Shani Rosenzweig, Keya Khayatian, Tobin Babst, Jason Burns, Ruthanne Secunda and Shana Eddy. Haven’t they all been told that there would be no new partners made at UTA? Are those the agents that inside guy is referring to in his post? That’s an awful lot of agents to leapfrog over. I wonder how welcoming they will be to Theresa when she starts tomorrow. Sounds like that staff meeting will be a mine field of disgruntled agents.
Comment by palinrocks — October 12, 2008 @ 3:38 pm
Hey Baywolf (good spelling by the way)-
If you only know Aaron Kaplan peripherally (as you state), on what basis would you demand that the WMA board “dump him”?
Did he fire you for being a bad agent and you’re still pissed off and unemployed?
Have you realized that it was’nt him - that it was in fact…..you?
Reality sucks, don’t it?
Comment by response to baywolf — October 12, 2008 @ 8:34 pm
UTA is in remarkable shape. Talk to the clients. These spiteful posts must be planted by folks at other agencies to create fear and instability.
UTA is unlike any agency in town because they actually serve their clients. You are not brought on to serve their agenda. They serve yours.
I have been a client there for several years. Both in TV and film they have been incredibly supportive and attentive to my goals as an artist. They are unlike an other agency in town in that way.
Talk to any clients (which is what they are there to do…serve clients) and you will find a very eclectic, diverse and satisfied bunch or writers, directors and actors.
Comment by client — October 12, 2008 @ 9:08 pm
Having dealt with some agents in this town, I can honestly say that without them movies would be much better. Agents (most of them) are parasites who serve to “package” above all else, in most cases, above art, above quality, above material. It’s a system antithetical to creativity. If a piece of writing is good for so-and-so, who fucking cares who represents him or her? As for UTA, they’re like a rich kid lost in the forest. They still have the revenue from all the comedy they’ve done, but over time they’ll need to find their way out. They’ll need to seek out more fresh blood in order to re-establish their identity among the new pillars (Endeavor, CAA, et al.)
I just sincerely hope the future is free of them.
What did Lennon say?
Imagine there’s no agents
It’s easy if you try
Comment by agents are scum — October 12, 2008 @ 9:21 pm
could you guys be any more inside…it sounds like everyplace sucks! It’s like Best Buy trashing Circuit City….
Comment by Outsider — October 12, 2008 @ 10:25 pm
Re: Agent/Client relationship: No agent really “wants” to talk to their client unless Will Smith is calling.
The idea of UTA being an agency that nurtures, or cares about artists above any other agency is a joke. Make no mistake, they are circling the drain.
Most agents in town watch Piven on Entourage as a template to agenting. The good news is, you’re ALL going to die a horrible, vicious death like Paul Ben-Victor’s character in Sunday nights episode.
If I was Piven in that scene, I would have kicked Ben-Victor in the face when he was on his knees and on his way down because he was such a douchebag like all of you. That’s closing a deal isn’t it? LOL.
I don’t know how the Producers missed that beat???
Until then, watching all you shortsided, self important a-holes cannabilize each other week in, week out is DELICIOUS.
THANK YOU!
Comment by Conscientious Obsever — October 13, 2008 @ 9:50 pm
Is McAvoy really going to UTA now? I know that he and DePersia were the “tight” ones.
Comment by SeanH — October 20, 2008 @ 9:34 pm
What is going on with Holly Baril? I think she is great!
Comment by Lorraine — October 28, 2008 @ 8:29 am