Ileen Maisel, who served as a studio executive at Paramount, Lorimar and New Line Cinema and as a producer on films including Onegin, Ripley’s Game and The Golden Compass, has died. She was 68.
Maisel died Feb. 16 of cancer in London, her home for the past 34 years, her sister, Hollywood publicist Cheryl Maisel, announced.
Maisel received a BAFTA nomination for best British film for producing Samuel Goldwyn’s Onegin (1999), starring Ralph Fiennes, and was said to be most proud of her work on the Fine Line Features thriller Ripley’s Game (2002), starring John Malkovich.
In addition to the New Line fantasy The Golden Compass (2007), which starred Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig and grossed $372.2 million at the global box office, her other producing credits included Twelfth Night (1996), Inkheart (2008), and Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism (2015).
Born in Los Angeles on April 6, 1955, Ileen Marla Maisel began working for entertainment journalist Rona Barrett...
Maisel died Feb. 16 of cancer in London, her home for the past 34 years, her sister, Hollywood publicist Cheryl Maisel, announced.
Maisel received a BAFTA nomination for best British film for producing Samuel Goldwyn’s Onegin (1999), starring Ralph Fiennes, and was said to be most proud of her work on the Fine Line Features thriller Ripley’s Game (2002), starring John Malkovich.
In addition to the New Line fantasy The Golden Compass (2007), which starred Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig and grossed $372.2 million at the global box office, her other producing credits included Twelfth Night (1996), Inkheart (2008), and Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism (2015).
Born in Los Angeles on April 6, 1955, Ileen Marla Maisel began working for entertainment journalist Rona Barrett...
- 3/26/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Editor’s note: Downton Abbey and The Gilded Age writer Julian Fellowes has written a heartfelt salute to his friend and colleague, the producer Ileen Maisel, who died in London on February 16 aged 68.
Ileen Maisel was born in Los Angeles, California, where she was raised. In fact, her father had moved there from Alabama to work in retail sales, so she had no immediate help with a career in show business, but it was clearly enough that she breathed the same air as the great filmmakers of the past and present. It is no surprise to learn that by the age of 15 she was working for the entertainment journalist Rona Barrett.
From then on, she embraced, bathed in, and generally loved the film industry until the end of her life. There was never much doubt as to where she was headed and she was still young when she entered the industry.
Ileen Maisel was born in Los Angeles, California, where she was raised. In fact, her father had moved there from Alabama to work in retail sales, so she had no immediate help with a career in show business, but it was clearly enough that she breathed the same air as the great filmmakers of the past and present. It is no surprise to learn that by the age of 15 she was working for the entertainment journalist Rona Barrett.
From then on, she embraced, bathed in, and generally loved the film industry until the end of her life. There was never much doubt as to where she was headed and she was still young when she entered the industry.
- 3/26/2024
- by Julian Fellowes
- Deadline Film + TV
One of the ghostwriter’s most valuable skills is getting their subjects to talk. So, when I gathered L.A.’s most successful ghostwriters at the Formosa Cafe to gossip, they knew all my tricks. In desperation, I went with the most transparent of all reporting techniques — buying them all fruity cocktails.
A reputation for discretion is not only how they get work, but how they avoid getting sued; they sign nondisclosure agreements for every memoir they write. But even if they revealed nothing scandalous about their famous clients — or at least nothing that couldn’t be discovered with a Google search — I learned a lot about the curious craft of ghostwriting and the types of personalities drawn to help famous people tell their life stories. Also, I learned why I am far too egotistical to do their job.
Sitting around the table were Neil Strauss (who has written memoirs for Rick Rubin,...
A reputation for discretion is not only how they get work, but how they avoid getting sued; they sign nondisclosure agreements for every memoir they write. But even if they revealed nothing scandalous about their famous clients — or at least nothing that couldn’t be discovered with a Google search — I learned a lot about the curious craft of ghostwriting and the types of personalities drawn to help famous people tell their life stories. Also, I learned why I am far too egotistical to do their job.
Sitting around the table were Neil Strauss (who has written memoirs for Rick Rubin,...
- 1/19/2024
- by Joel Stein
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Leave it to Adam Sandler to deliver the animated surprise of the holiday season with the “SNL”-influenced “Leo” (currently streaming on Netflix). It’s a smart, funny, existential musical comedy about a jaded 74-year-old class pet lizard (voiced by Sandler), who dispenses advice to Florida fifth graders. It’s also a return to the indie roots of his last animated musical, “Eight Crazy Nights.”
But “Leo” is more personal. It’s the second Sandler family affair this year, following “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah”: Sandler’s wife, Jackie, and his daughters, Sunny and Sadie, voice characters in the film. In fact, the genesis of the project occurred when Sandler put on “Grease” for his daughters when they were tweens and realized that it was inappropriate.
That got Sandler thinking about doing a musical comedy centered around “Grease” for the fifth grade with long-time collaborator,...
But “Leo” is more personal. It’s the second Sandler family affair this year, following “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah”: Sandler’s wife, Jackie, and his daughters, Sunny and Sadie, voice characters in the film. In fact, the genesis of the project occurred when Sandler put on “Grease” for his daughters when they were tweens and realized that it was inappropriate.
That got Sandler thinking about doing a musical comedy centered around “Grease” for the fifth grade with long-time collaborator,...
- 11/27/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Adam Sandler is heading back to fifth grade for his latest film, Leo.
In the Netflix animated movie, the star voices a 70-year-old lizard named Leo, who for decades has served as a class pet for a rotating group of fifth graders. One day, he learns he only has a year left to live and plans to escape to freedom, but instead has to rescue the students from their mean substitute teacher.
Sandler, who also co-wrote and produced the project, told The Hollywood Reporter at its Los Angeles premiere on Sunday that he was inspired to a do a version of “Grease for the last year of elementary school,” while working with writer-director Robert Smigel to craft a musical comedy. Sandler stars in the voice cast alongside his daughters Sunny and Sadie, as well as wife Jackie, marking the second family collaboration they’ve done this year, after You Are...
In the Netflix animated movie, the star voices a 70-year-old lizard named Leo, who for decades has served as a class pet for a rotating group of fifth graders. One day, he learns he only has a year left to live and plans to escape to freedom, but instead has to rescue the students from their mean substitute teacher.
Sandler, who also co-wrote and produced the project, told The Hollywood Reporter at its Los Angeles premiere on Sunday that he was inspired to a do a version of “Grease for the last year of elementary school,” while working with writer-director Robert Smigel to craft a musical comedy. Sandler stars in the voice cast alongside his daughters Sunny and Sadie, as well as wife Jackie, marking the second family collaboration they’ve done this year, after You Are...
- 11/20/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘Leo’ Review: Adam Sandler Plays a Literal Teacher’s Pet in Winning Toon From the ‘TV Funhouse’ Team
“Perhaps if people talked less, animals would talk more,” observes one of the human characters in “Charlotte’s Web,” a kiddie classic that serves as both the butt of several jokes and an inspiration for Adam Sandler’s animated “Leo,” an endearing Netflix original that strikes just the right balance between heart and fart jokes.
Basing the way Leo sounds on his squeaky-scratchy, slightly guttural impression of the late Hollywood agent Bernie Brillstein, Sandler voices a crusty old iguana who’s spent three-quarters of a century — practically his entire life — trapped in an elementary school classroom. Leo’s wisdom is largely limited to what’s taught in fifth grade, though he’s observed enough kids over his 74 years that the lizard reckons he’s qualified to advise this crop. Truth be told, he’s cheaper and more consistently helpful than your typical child psychologist.
Sandler’s an old pro when it comes to animation,...
Basing the way Leo sounds on his squeaky-scratchy, slightly guttural impression of the late Hollywood agent Bernie Brillstein, Sandler voices a crusty old iguana who’s spent three-quarters of a century — practically his entire life — trapped in an elementary school classroom. Leo’s wisdom is largely limited to what’s taught in fifth grade, though he’s observed enough kids over his 74 years that the lizard reckons he’s qualified to advise this crop. Truth be told, he’s cheaper and more consistently helpful than your typical child psychologist.
Sandler’s an old pro when it comes to animation,...
- 11/18/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
The Palm Beverly Hills has closed. Long the shorthand for industry power dining, it was for years run by Bruce Bozzi, the fourth generation in the family steakhouse business. A complicated court battle led to a 2020 sale to the hospitality firm Landry’s, whose brands include Del Frisco’s, Mastro’s and Morton’s. Below, Bozzi — husband of CAA co-chair Bryan Lourd and buzzy podcaster — sums up the storied, singular, nearly half-century run of the restaurant, which opened in West Hollywood in 1975 (where it was known for the many celebrity caricatures on the walls) and moved to Beverly Hills in 2014.
***
You won’t be able to tell the story of Hollywood without The Palm. It’s where on the same day you’d find Richard Zanuck in one booth, Bernie Brillstein in another and Mike Ovitz in a third. My favorite screen memory is Karen Walker in Will & Grace...
***
You won’t be able to tell the story of Hollywood without The Palm. It’s where on the same day you’d find Richard Zanuck in one booth, Bernie Brillstein in another and Mike Ovitz in a third. My favorite screen memory is Karen Walker in Will & Grace...
- 10/17/2023
- by Bruce Bozzi and As told to Gary Baum
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Wasserman has finalized plans to acquire Brillstein Entertainment Partners. The entertainment management and production company run by Cynthia Pett and Jon Liebman will now be under the umbrella of Wasserman’s sports marketing and talent management.
The current Wasserman clients, including but not limited to athletes and musicians, will now be able to potentially more closely participate in films, shows or related content created by Brillstein and using the IP already existing within Brillstein. The pitch to current and future clients is an exchange of services and ideas across marketing, representation, content creation and talent management arms all under one proverbial roof.
“Cynthia [Pett] and I will continue to be co-ceos and will continue to run our production company/talent management company,” co-ceo Jon Leibman told TheWrap. “We will retain our identity.”
Concurrently, Wasserman Chairman and CEO Casey Wasserman told TheWrap, “Every company we acquire we operate as a single...
The current Wasserman clients, including but not limited to athletes and musicians, will now be able to potentially more closely participate in films, shows or related content created by Brillstein and using the IP already existing within Brillstein. The pitch to current and future clients is an exchange of services and ideas across marketing, representation, content creation and talent management arms all under one proverbial roof.
“Cynthia [Pett] and I will continue to be co-ceos and will continue to run our production company/talent management company,” co-ceo Jon Leibman told TheWrap. “We will retain our identity.”
Concurrently, Wasserman Chairman and CEO Casey Wasserman told TheWrap, “Every company we acquire we operate as a single...
- 9/18/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Just over a year ago, the leadership of Brillstein Entertainment Partners — a pioneering Hollywood company founded in 1969 by talent broker icon Bernie Brillstein, who managed names like Lorne Michaels, Garry Shandling, Brad Pitt, Nicolas Cage and Mike Myers — started thinking about strategic options for their business, including a sale.
The management and production firm had been led by co-CEOs Cynthia Pett and Jon Liebman since 2005, when the duo bought out the stake of executive Brad Grey and Brillstein-Grey dropped the latter name from the shingle. (Notably, the late Grey, who went on to become CEO of Paramount Pictures, took the backend interest in HBO’s The Sopranos, which had been produced by Brillstein, with him.)
Liebman, a New York entertainment attorney who joined Brillstein in 1998, says informal conversations were held in 2022 with Casey Wasserman, whose namesake company — which includes sports talent agents and a booking agency — has been on the acquisition hunt,...
The management and production firm had been led by co-CEOs Cynthia Pett and Jon Liebman since 2005, when the duo bought out the stake of executive Brad Grey and Brillstein-Grey dropped the latter name from the shingle. (Notably, the late Grey, who went on to become CEO of Paramount Pictures, took the backend interest in HBO’s The Sopranos, which had been produced by Brillstein, with him.)
Liebman, a New York entertainment attorney who joined Brillstein in 1998, says informal conversations were held in 2022 with Casey Wasserman, whose namesake company — which includes sports talent agents and a booking agency — has been on the acquisition hunt,...
- 9/18/2023
- by Erik Hayden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Wasserman is closing in on a deal to acquire Brillstein Entertainment Partners, TheWrap has learned.
A source tells TheWrap that the two parties, who have been negotiating for months, could close a potential deal within the next 30 days or not at all. Representatives for Wasserman and Brillstein did not immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment.
Bernie Brillstein founded the talent management firm in 1969 and formed a television production company with Brad Grey in 1986 known as Brillstein-Grey Entertainment. Grey, who died in 2017, would later leave the company to become the head of Paramount Pictures.
Bep’s clients have included Brad Pitt, Brendan Fraser, Florence Pugh, Cole Hauser, Adam Sandler, Kaley Cuoco, Robe Lowe and Sarah Michelle Gellar, among others. Its television producing credits have included “The Sopranos,” Disney+’s “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers” and Apple TV+’s “Central Park.”
Bep began exploring a sale in February, Deadline reported, with...
A source tells TheWrap that the two parties, who have been negotiating for months, could close a potential deal within the next 30 days or not at all. Representatives for Wasserman and Brillstein did not immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment.
Bernie Brillstein founded the talent management firm in 1969 and formed a television production company with Brad Grey in 1986 known as Brillstein-Grey Entertainment. Grey, who died in 2017, would later leave the company to become the head of Paramount Pictures.
Bep’s clients have included Brad Pitt, Brendan Fraser, Florence Pugh, Cole Hauser, Adam Sandler, Kaley Cuoco, Robe Lowe and Sarah Michelle Gellar, among others. Its television producing credits have included “The Sopranos,” Disney+’s “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers” and Apple TV+’s “Central Park.”
Bep began exploring a sale in February, Deadline reported, with...
- 6/5/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Brillstein Entertainment Partners is looking to “fuel the momentum” of its production company after striking a first-look deal with Paramount Television Studios.
The management company’s production banner Brillstein Creative Partners will co-develop and co-produce scripted series for Paramount+, Showtime and CBS as part of the multi-year deal.
It comes after Deadline revealed earlier this year that the company, launched by Bernie Brillstein, was exploring a sale with Casey Wasserman one of the frontrunners.
Brillstein Creative Partners has been ramping up its efforts in television development and production with several projects in development at major streamers including Netflix, Amazon, Onyx and Apple TV+.
It recently hired former Netflix and Made Up Stories executive Allie Goss, who produced series including Netflix’s Anatomy of a Scandal and Apple’s Roar, as President of the production company.
Brillstein has also produced series including Disney+’s The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers and Apple TV+’s Central Park,...
The management company’s production banner Brillstein Creative Partners will co-develop and co-produce scripted series for Paramount+, Showtime and CBS as part of the multi-year deal.
It comes after Deadline revealed earlier this year that the company, launched by Bernie Brillstein, was exploring a sale with Casey Wasserman one of the frontrunners.
Brillstein Creative Partners has been ramping up its efforts in television development and production with several projects in development at major streamers including Netflix, Amazon, Onyx and Apple TV+.
It recently hired former Netflix and Made Up Stories executive Allie Goss, who produced series including Netflix’s Anatomy of a Scandal and Apple’s Roar, as President of the production company.
Brillstein has also produced series including Disney+’s The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers and Apple TV+’s Central Park,...
- 4/11/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
On a recent episode of the "Fly on the Wall" podcast, comedian Chris Rock talked about watching the Safdie brothers' film "Uncut Gems" and being incredibly impressed by Adam Sandler's performance. Rock was also made incredibly melancholy, however, as he immediately began to think of the later actor/comedian Chris Farley. Rock felt that, had Farley survived, he would have eventually had the opportunity to reveal his own dramatic acting chops, something Farley was never able to display in his film career prior. Rock and Farley both began performing on "Saturday Night Live" in 1990, and they both rose to fame rapidly. Farley, however, wrestled with addiction and health problems for many years, and died of an overdose in 1997. He was 33.
Farley's death hit the world of comedy hard, and many of his friends and co-workers have come out over the years to say what a kind, shy, decent guy Farley was.
Farley's death hit the world of comedy hard, and many of his friends and co-workers have come out over the years to say what a kind, shy, decent guy Farley was.
- 3/18/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Oscar-winning screenwriter, playwright and film director Christopher Hampton was on feisty form in a masterclass in Qatar earlier this week as part of the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra talent incubator event (March 10-16).
Hampton, who won Academy Awards for the screenplays of Dangerous Liaisons and The Father and was Oscar-nominated for Atonement, urged aspiring screenwriters in the auditorium to try to retain some sort of control of their work and creative vision.
“I would advise anybody to try to get at least some sort of associate producer credit to maintain a grip on the material and you have to fight… fight with a lot of people,” he said. “They don’t want to give it to you. They don’t want to give you those powers, but I’ve always argued that since the writer is the origin of the piece, they deserve to be respected.”
“Don’t be...
Hampton, who won Academy Awards for the screenplays of Dangerous Liaisons and The Father and was Oscar-nominated for Atonement, urged aspiring screenwriters in the auditorium to try to retain some sort of control of their work and creative vision.
“I would advise anybody to try to get at least some sort of associate producer credit to maintain a grip on the material and you have to fight… fight with a lot of people,” he said. “They don’t want to give it to you. They don’t want to give you those powers, but I’ve always argued that since the writer is the origin of the piece, they deserve to be respected.”
“Don’t be...
- 3/17/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
John Belushi remains the poster child for the entertainer who burned bright but had their light extinguished far too soon. The comedian came up through the ranks of Chicago's fabled Second City comedy group and was a member of the inaugural season of "Saturday Night Live." Belushi honed his disruptive, physical style of comedy in the early seasons of "SNL" with characters such as Samurai Futaba and one of the Killer Bees alongside Dan Aykroyd.
In 1977, Belushi would add movie star to his resume with the role of Bluto Blutarsky in the film "National Lampoon's Animal House." Plus, ffter three appearances on "Saturday Night Live," the characters Joliet Jake (Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Aykroyd) were developed into their own 1980 hit movie "The Blues Brothers."
Belushi was integral to "Saturday Night Live's" early success and stayed with the show through 1980 before transitioning completely to movies. But it's also fair to...
In 1977, Belushi would add movie star to his resume with the role of Bluto Blutarsky in the film "National Lampoon's Animal House." Plus, ffter three appearances on "Saturday Night Live," the characters Joliet Jake (Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Aykroyd) were developed into their own 1980 hit movie "The Blues Brothers."
Belushi was integral to "Saturday Night Live's" early success and stayed with the show through 1980 before transitioning completely to movies. But it's also fair to...
- 3/16/2023
- by Travis Yates
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Brillstein Entertainment Partners is exploring a sale of its venerable management/production company. Several are circling, but sources said Casey Wasserman has emerged as a front-runner to bring Bep into the fold alongside his formidable sports and music divisions.
Like every possible deal, this one could fall apart and Bep principals could decide to stay independent. It would be the latest move in management after 3Arts made a deal with Lionsgate, and Anonymous Content, with investment from Laurene Powell Jobs, recently linked with Automatik.
Related Story Courtenay Valenti Near To Taking A Top Film Post At MGM/Amazon: The Dish Related Story Half Dozen Bidders On 'Fair Play' Positions Drama To Be 2023 Sundance's First Big Auction Deal: The Dish Related Story Disney Moving On 'Tron: Ares'; Joachim Rønning In Talks To Helm Jared Leto In Sci-Fi Sequel: The Dish
If this did happen, it would invoke the legacy and...
Like every possible deal, this one could fall apart and Bep principals could decide to stay independent. It would be the latest move in management after 3Arts made a deal with Lionsgate, and Anonymous Content, with investment from Laurene Powell Jobs, recently linked with Automatik.
Related Story Courtenay Valenti Near To Taking A Top Film Post At MGM/Amazon: The Dish Related Story Half Dozen Bidders On 'Fair Play' Positions Drama To Be 2023 Sundance's First Big Auction Deal: The Dish Related Story Disney Moving On 'Tron: Ares'; Joachim Rønning In Talks To Helm Jared Leto In Sci-Fi Sequel: The Dish
If this did happen, it would invoke the legacy and...
- 2/1/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
It's such a sad irony that Chris Farley is often remembered as a tragedy considering the hilarious human that he was. Substance abuse cut short the life of a star in his prime — and on the verge of breaking beyond the physical comedy he was known for.
After honing his craft at Chicago's historic Second City comedy group, Farley joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1990. Some of his most memorable characters included the Chicago Bears Superfan, motivational speaker Matt Foley, the host of The Chris Farley Show, a mall food court Gap Girl, and of course, a dancer auditioning for Chippendales. But by the mid-1990s, Farley had outgrown the small stage of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. After shining in bit roles in "Airheads" and "Billy Madison," Farley was ready for a starring role, playing alongside David Spade in the 1995 film "Tommy Boy." The movie became a cult classic and...
After honing his craft at Chicago's historic Second City comedy group, Farley joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1990. Some of his most memorable characters included the Chicago Bears Superfan, motivational speaker Matt Foley, the host of The Chris Farley Show, a mall food court Gap Girl, and of course, a dancer auditioning for Chippendales. But by the mid-1990s, Farley had outgrown the small stage of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. After shining in bit roles in "Airheads" and "Billy Madison," Farley was ready for a starring role, playing alongside David Spade in the 1995 film "Tommy Boy." The movie became a cult classic and...
- 11/20/2022
- by Travis Yates
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
This story first appeared in an August stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Billy Crudup in The Morning Show. Billy Crudup, ‘The Morning Show’
Nominated for best supporting actor in a drama
“I remember hearing Olympia Dukakis speak about acting, and this one quote always stuck with me: ‘Don’t have the reason why you became an actor be the reason why you remain an actor.’ So many actors end up in the profession because at some point in their childhood they loved performing and being in front of a group of people — having the laughs and the attention. You can get confused as you get older because you’re like, ‘I don’t need the attention anymore. All of my training is in acting — what do I do now?’ Taking it seriously as an adult is different...
This story first appeared in an August stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Billy Crudup in The Morning Show. Billy Crudup, ‘The Morning Show’
Nominated for best supporting actor in a drama
“I remember hearing Olympia Dukakis speak about acting, and this one quote always stuck with me: ‘Don’t have the reason why you became an actor be the reason why you remain an actor.’ So many actors end up in the profession because at some point in their childhood they loved performing and being in front of a group of people — having the laughs and the attention. You can get confused as you get older because you’re like, ‘I don’t need the attention anymore. All of my training is in acting — what do I do now?’ Taking it seriously as an adult is different...
- 8/4/2022
- by THR staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: George Freeman, who saw a 20-year run at WME end in June and continued to represent most of his clients independently as manager, has landed at Brillstein Entertainment Partners. He has brought a lengthy list of clients with him.
Freeman’s list includes Russell Crowe; Dennis Quaid; director Ramin Bahrani; Adarsh Gourav, director and star of the upcoming Netflix film The White Tiger; American Gods, Hannibal & Pushing Daisies writer/EP Bryan Fuller; Florence Pugh, Oscar-nominated Little Women star who next co-stars in Black Widow); actor Arinze Kene (stars with Rachel Brosnahan in Amazon’s I Am Your Woman); actor Russell Tovey (Looking and Years and Years); and director Josie Rourke (Mary Queen of Scots).
A publicist before becoming an agent, Freeman said he chose Brillstein because he had such lasting relationships with its partners along his career track. None longer than CEO Jon Liebman. That relationship goes all the way back to kindergarten.
Freeman’s list includes Russell Crowe; Dennis Quaid; director Ramin Bahrani; Adarsh Gourav, director and star of the upcoming Netflix film The White Tiger; American Gods, Hannibal & Pushing Daisies writer/EP Bryan Fuller; Florence Pugh, Oscar-nominated Little Women star who next co-stars in Black Widow); actor Arinze Kene (stars with Rachel Brosnahan in Amazon’s I Am Your Woman); actor Russell Tovey (Looking and Years and Years); and director Josie Rourke (Mary Queen of Scots).
A publicist before becoming an agent, Freeman said he chose Brillstein because he had such lasting relationships with its partners along his career track. None longer than CEO Jon Liebman. That relationship goes all the way back to kindergarten.
- 10/1/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Steve Martin recently said that he has known only two perfect people: Carl Reiner and “that son of a bitch Martin Short.” Short and Martin were supposed to hit the road this summer for the type of comedy variety tours they’ve been staging since 2016 — in which they tell jokes and revisit some of their favorite characters, with a little bit of Steve Martin’s banjo playing thrown in for good measure — but pandemic-related lockdowns sidelined the jaunt. The turn of events has not phased the typically effervescent Short, who...
- 8/4/2020
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Michael Ovitz still has nothing good to say about Michael Eisner. He and Ron Meyer started to patch things up over dinner a few years ago at Hamasaku, the sushi restaurant that Ovitz owns in West Los Angeles. And the famous threat Ovitz delivered to Joe Eszterhas about having “foot soldiers” marching up and down Wilshire Boulevard? Totally exaggerated in Eszterhas’ retelling via the press.
Those are among the anecdotes and tidbits shared by Ovitz in his new book “Who Is Michael Ovitz?,” due out Tuesday from Random House’s Portfolio imprint. The book isn’t so much a tell-all as it is a take-credit-for-(nearly)-all that went down during Ovitz’s 20-year run as the monarch of CAA.
The 384-page tome offers exhausting detail on how CAA reshaped the movie business in the 1980s and ’90s with its approach to packaging, and how Ovitz engineered the dealmaking behind...
Those are among the anecdotes and tidbits shared by Ovitz in his new book “Who Is Michael Ovitz?,” due out Tuesday from Random House’s Portfolio imprint. The book isn’t so much a tell-all as it is a take-credit-for-(nearly)-all that went down during Ovitz’s 20-year run as the monarch of CAA.
The 384-page tome offers exhausting detail on how CAA reshaped the movie business in the 1980s and ’90s with its approach to packaging, and how Ovitz engineered the dealmaking behind...
- 9/25/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Talent manager George Shapiro helped put Jerry Seinfeld and Andy Kaufman on the map. But that’s only a sliver of his showbiz accomplishments, which include packaging such TV fare as “The Steve Allen Show,” “That Girl,” “Gomer Pyle, Usmc” and specials for Carol Channing, Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. These days, Shapiro, 86, is busier than ever, serving as the producer of the Seinfeld Netflix series “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” and serving as manager to his 96-year-old uncle, Carl Reiner; he was also executive producer on last year’s HBO documentary about people over 90, “If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast.” A decade after launching his career as a William Morris Agency mail clerk in New York in 1955, Shapiro received his first mention in Variety on April 22, 1965, an item in Army Archerd’s column, saying “Melody and George Shapiro (Wm. Morrisman) were expecting a baby.
- 5/25/2018
- by Tripp Whetsell
- Variety Film + TV
Dan Aykroyd has taken to Facebook to further comment upon the Ghostbusters remake, expanding on comments he made to Britain's Channel 4 that Lrm discussed a couple days ago. In the comment, he changes his tune on whether or not the original characters should have been involved.
Paul Feig made a good movie and had a superb cast and plenty of money to do it. We just wish he had been more inclusive to the originators. It cost everyone as it is unlikely Kristen, Leslie, Melissa and Kate will ever reprise their roles as Ghostbusters which is sad.
Where to begin. As the screenwriter of the original movie and with his agent Bernie Brillstein as one of the producers, Dan had a lot more power than your average screenwriter and actor when it came to a potential remake. Add onto that the fact that Ivan Reitman, the original director, had...
Paul Feig made a good movie and had a superb cast and plenty of money to do it. We just wish he had been more inclusive to the originators. It cost everyone as it is unlikely Kristen, Leslie, Melissa and Kate will ever reprise their roles as Ghostbusters which is sad.
Where to begin. As the screenwriter of the original movie and with his agent Bernie Brillstein as one of the producers, Dan had a lot more power than your average screenwriter and actor when it came to a potential remake. Add onto that the fact that Ivan Reitman, the original director, had...
- 6/7/2017
- by Tim Jousma
- LRMonline.com
Brad Grey, the celebrated manager and producer turned film executive who recently ended a 12-year tenure as chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, has died. Grey, who retired from Paramount mere months ago, died of cancer at home in Holmby Hills, California, according to Deadline. He was 59.
Born in the Bronx in December 1957, Grey began his career while he was a student at the University of Buffalo. He worked as an assistant to Harvey Weinstein during the latter’s early days as a concert promoter, before breaking out on his own as a manager of young New York-based stand-up comics. (Bob Saget was his first client.) In 1984, Grey convinced fellow talent manager Bernie Brillstein to make him a partner in his company; re-dubbed Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, the company went on to produce shows like Mr. Show, NewsRadio, Real Time With Bill Maher, and The Sopranos as well as ...
Born in the Bronx in December 1957, Grey began his career while he was a student at the University of Buffalo. He worked as an assistant to Harvey Weinstein during the latter’s early days as a concert promoter, before breaking out on his own as a manager of young New York-based stand-up comics. (Bob Saget was his first client.) In 1984, Grey convinced fellow talent manager Bernie Brillstein to make him a partner in his company; re-dubbed Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, the company went on to produce shows like Mr. Show, NewsRadio, Real Time With Bill Maher, and The Sopranos as well as ...
- 5/15/2017
- by Katie Rife
- avclub.com
Former Paramount Pictures CEO Brad Grey has died from cancer at age 59. Grey served as the head of Paramount for the past 12 years, stepping down just this past February. He died with his family by his side at his home in Holmby Hills, California.
Read More: Paramount First Looks: Garland’s ‘Annihilation,’ Payne’s ‘Downsizing,’ and Bay’s ‘Transformers’
Prior to joining Paramount, Grey co-founded management and production company Brillstein-Grey Entertainment with Bernie Brillstein. At Bge, he executive produced shows including “The Sopranos” and “The Larry Sanders Show.”
Grey also co-founded Plan B with Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston before the couple split and Pitt took control of the company, Deadline reported. Grey left Plan B for Paramount shortly before production began on Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed,” which won for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Plan B had a first look deal with Paramount for several years before...
Read More: Paramount First Looks: Garland’s ‘Annihilation,’ Payne’s ‘Downsizing,’ and Bay’s ‘Transformers’
Prior to joining Paramount, Grey co-founded management and production company Brillstein-Grey Entertainment with Bernie Brillstein. At Bge, he executive produced shows including “The Sopranos” and “The Larry Sanders Show.”
Grey also co-founded Plan B with Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston before the couple split and Pitt took control of the company, Deadline reported. Grey left Plan B for Paramount shortly before production began on Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed,” which won for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Plan B had a first look deal with Paramount for several years before...
- 5/15/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Brad Grey, the former chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, died Sunday from cancer at his Holmby Hills home with his family by his side. He was 59.
Grey stepped down at Paramount in February after leading the studio for 12 years. He arrived from Brillstein-Grey Management, the powerhouse talent management agency that he founded with the late Bernie Brillstein in 1984.
While Grey left a mixed legacy behind at Paramount — during his tenure, the studio relied on such franchises as Transformers, Star Trek and Mission: Impossible and also saw the Al Gore climate change documentary An Inconvenient Truth win an Oscar —...
Grey stepped down at Paramount in February after leading the studio for 12 years. He arrived from Brillstein-Grey Management, the powerhouse talent management agency that he founded with the late Bernie Brillstein in 1984.
While Grey left a mixed legacy behind at Paramount — during his tenure, the studio relied on such franchises as Transformers, Star Trek and Mission: Impossible and also saw the Al Gore climate change documentary An Inconvenient Truth win an Oscar —...
- 5/15/2017
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hollywood talent manager Larry A. Thompson will be inducted into the Personal Managers Hall of Fame. The film and Broadway producer, attorney, book packager, author and motivational speaker will join other previously inaugurated members, including Bernie Brillstein, Shep Gordon, Charles H. Joffe, Ken Kragen and Jack Rollins, among others. Clinton Ford Billups Jr. is the president of the National Conference of Personal Managers (Ncopm), which recognizes outstanding careers in personal management and awards the highest recognition bestowed upon a personal manager. Other members of the 2016 class are Rushion McDonald, Doc McGhee, Edie Robb, Jerry Solomon and Jeff Wald. New posthumous inductees include George.
- 2/16/2016
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
facebook
twitter
google+
Looking for good books about the movies to read? We've got a bumper selection of recommendations right here...
A confession. I actually started writing this article in 2013, and the reason you've only reading it now is that I've made sure I've read every book on this list, save for one or two where I've marked otherwise. As such, what you're getting is a very personal list of recommendations. Each of these books has at least something to it that I think is of interest to someone wanting to learn more about film - or just enjoy stories of movie making.
I've tended to avoid picture books, with one exception, as these ones I've chosen are all intended to be chock-full of words, to relax with at the end of a long day. Which is what I did. There are one or two notable omissions, as I'm still...
google+
Looking for good books about the movies to read? We've got a bumper selection of recommendations right here...
A confession. I actually started writing this article in 2013, and the reason you've only reading it now is that I've made sure I've read every book on this list, save for one or two where I've marked otherwise. As such, what you're getting is a very personal list of recommendations. Each of these books has at least something to it that I think is of interest to someone wanting to learn more about film - or just enjoy stories of movie making.
I've tended to avoid picture books, with one exception, as these ones I've chosen are all intended to be chock-full of words, to relax with at the end of a long day. Which is what I did. There are one or two notable omissions, as I'm still...
- 12/10/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Ocean’s Eleven producer Jerry Weintraub, a man almost as well known for his sense of showmanship in life as the movies he made, has died at the age of 77.Born in Brooklyn in 1937, Weintraub was raised in the Bronx and obsessed with cinema. In his teenage years, he’d sneaked in to the local Lowes Paradise Theater so often that the manager offered him a job as an usher. He ditched high school at 17 for the Air Force and then used the G.I. Bill to fund his education at Sanford Meisner’s Neighbourhood Playhouse. He took a somewhat traditional route into show business, working as a page at NBC and in the mailroom at the William Morris agency. But his restless spirit meant he sought out more, and became a personal manager to various clients on the club circuit and worked briefly for John F. Kennedy’s presidential...
- 7/6/2015
- EmpireOnline
The following is an excerpt from "Film Craft: Screenwriting,"edited by Tim Grierson. The book is now available from Focal Press. The excerpt below was made available by the book's publisher. Stephen Gaghan’s writing career started quite promisingly, publishing a short story in The Iowa Review before he was even 26. He also impressed the writing staff of "The Simpsons" with a spec episode entitled “Family Wheel of Jeopardy,” as well as producer and talent agent Bernie Brillstein with a collection of "Saturday Night Live" sketches he’d written. But a career in television writing in the 1990s— including stints at "New York Undercover," "The Practice," "American Gothic," and "NYPD Blue" (where he shared an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series)—soon gave way to screenwriting. His first produced film credit was "Rules of Engagement" (2000), which starred Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones, but he received much acclaim for his next film,...
- 6/24/2013
- by Stephen Gaghan
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Another very interesting sign from ICM by Jeff Berg‘s Resolution Agency. Leigh Brillstein gave her notice about 15 minutes ago after 25 years working for Berg and then recently Chris Silbermann. She ran ICM’s TV talent department twice and before that was at CAA, first as an assistant in the lit department and later as a talent agent, until 1980. She is, of course, the daughter of the late and legendary Hollywood manager and producer Bernie Brillstein. Update: “Leigh has a great eye for performers and has successfully overseen the careers of numerous award-winning actors while also serving as a mentor for a generation of younger agency colleagues,” Berg said in a statement. ”With the expansion of cable channels and the new digital platforms in addition to broadcast, Leigh’s expertise will become invaluable in helping assure that our clients are fully represented in all aspects of television.”...
- 3/18/2013
- by NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief
- Deadline Hollywood
It's been nothing but prosperity for Paramount Pictures since Brad Grey took over. And so there's no surprise that the studio is going to keep him right where he is. Grey, who among other things pushed for the successful revival of the Star Trek franchise under J.J. Abrams, extended his deal with Paramount to lead at least through 2017. Grey took over right as Viacom was splitting up its film and television units to create Paramount and CBS Television as separate companies. He also decided to undo efforts to have Emmy-winning writer Erik Jendresen write a Star Trek film prequel, and instead lured Abrams in to create a reboot featuring Kirk, Spock and McCoy. Grey started producing television in 1986 with talent manager Bernie Brillstein to create Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, launching ...
- 12/16/2011
- GeekNation.com
Just last week, we told you about the original Ghostbusters movie returning to theaters next month. Now, thanks to the official press release, we know that it will be for three Thursdays in October, starting on October 13th. The film will be playing at 500 theatres across the Us, and in select Canadian and international locations, and will play one showtime each day in 2K digital with 5.1 surround sound!
Check out the full press release below for details and links.
Press Release:
Who Ya Gonna Call? Sony Pictures Entertainment Brings Its Classic Film “Ghostbusters” Back to Theatres
Culver City, Calif., Sept. 22, 2011 — Get ready for mass hysteria! This October, Sony Pictures Repertory celebrates the original movie Ghostbusters, its franchise, and its fans by bringing the quintessential modern classic back to theatres for a special limited engagement of one showtime one night a week. Starting on Thursday, October 13, 2011 and continuing every following Thursday...
Check out the full press release below for details and links.
Press Release:
Who Ya Gonna Call? Sony Pictures Entertainment Brings Its Classic Film “Ghostbusters” Back to Theatres
Culver City, Calif., Sept. 22, 2011 — Get ready for mass hysteria! This October, Sony Pictures Repertory celebrates the original movie Ghostbusters, its franchise, and its fans by bringing the quintessential modern classic back to theatres for a special limited engagement of one showtime one night a week. Starting on Thursday, October 13, 2011 and continuing every following Thursday...
- 9/23/2011
- by Jason Moore
- ScifiMafia
A week ago [1], we told you that the original Ghostbusters would be back in theaters soon for a limited release. Now we've got the details: Sony will put the movie on screens through the month of October, but only on Thursdays, starting October 13. So you might get a chance to see Ivan Reitman's original and still truly entertaining film on October 13, October 20 and October 27. Sony says, "Ghostbusters will show in approximately 500 theatres across the Us on October 13th, 20th, and 27th, one showtime each day, in 2K digital with 5.1 surround sound. Please check local listings for showtimes. Ghostbusters will also be showing in select theatres in Canada and in various international markets; for more information on international locations and dates, please visit ParkCircus.com [2]." This is a good side effect of theaters getting new digital projectors as a result of the 3D boom -- hopefully we'll see more archival releases like this going forward.
- 9/22/2011
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
Official Press Release:
Culver City, Calif., Sept. 22, 2011 - Get ready for mass hysteria! This October, Sony Pictures Repertory celebrates the original movie Ghostbusters, its franchise, and its fans by bringing the quintessential modern classic back to theatres for a special limited engagement of one showtime one night a week. Starting on Thursday, October 13, 2011 and continuing every following Thursday in October 2011, fans together will be able to see their favorite paranormal psychologists back on the big screen as they save the world from ghosts, ghouls, and Mr. Stay Puft.
Ghostbusters will show in approximately 500 theatres across the Us on October 13th, 20th, and 27th, one showtime each day, in 2K digital with 5.1 surround sound. Please check local listings for showtimes. Ghostbusters will also be showing in select theatres in Canada and in various international markets; for more information on international locations and dates, please visit www.parkcircus.com.
Fans who follow Ghostbusters on Facebook (www.
Culver City, Calif., Sept. 22, 2011 - Get ready for mass hysteria! This October, Sony Pictures Repertory celebrates the original movie Ghostbusters, its franchise, and its fans by bringing the quintessential modern classic back to theatres for a special limited engagement of one showtime one night a week. Starting on Thursday, October 13, 2011 and continuing every following Thursday in October 2011, fans together will be able to see their favorite paranormal psychologists back on the big screen as they save the world from ghosts, ghouls, and Mr. Stay Puft.
Ghostbusters will show in approximately 500 theatres across the Us on October 13th, 20th, and 27th, one showtime each day, in 2K digital with 5.1 surround sound. Please check local listings for showtimes. Ghostbusters will also be showing in select theatres in Canada and in various international markets; for more information on international locations and dates, please visit www.parkcircus.com.
Fans who follow Ghostbusters on Facebook (www.
- 9/22/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Sony Pictures has officially announced that Ghostbusters will be making a return to theaters this October. It will be playing in around 500 theaters across the Us and select theaters in Canada and around the world.
Culver City, Calif., Sept. 22, 2011 — Get ready for mass hysteria! This October, Sony Pictures Repertory celebrates the original movie Ghostbusters, its franchise, and its fans by bringing the quintessential modern classic back to theatres for a special limited engagement of one showtime one night a week. Starting on Thursday, October 13, 2011 and continuing every following Thursday in October 2011, fans together will be able to see their favorite paranormal psychologists back on the big screen as they save the world from ghosts, ghouls, and Mr. Stay Puft.
Ghostbusters will show in approximately 500 theatres across the Us on October 13th, 20th, and 27th, one showtime each day, in 2K digital with 5.1 surround sound. Please check local listings for showtimes.
Culver City, Calif., Sept. 22, 2011 — Get ready for mass hysteria! This October, Sony Pictures Repertory celebrates the original movie Ghostbusters, its franchise, and its fans by bringing the quintessential modern classic back to theatres for a special limited engagement of one showtime one night a week. Starting on Thursday, October 13, 2011 and continuing every following Thursday in October 2011, fans together will be able to see their favorite paranormal psychologists back on the big screen as they save the world from ghosts, ghouls, and Mr. Stay Puft.
Ghostbusters will show in approximately 500 theatres across the Us on October 13th, 20th, and 27th, one showtime each day, in 2K digital with 5.1 surround sound. Please check local listings for showtimes.
- 9/22/2011
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
We previously reported that Sony and Columbia Pictures is bringing back the Ghostbusters to theaters again this coming October! We didn't have many details then but a official press released has hit giving us fans all of the information we need to know to see this classic film on the big screen.
The film will be shown on three Thursdays during the month of October, and will be playing in 500 Theaters across the Us in 2K digital with 5.1 surround sound.
Like I said before, I haven't seen Ghostbusters on the big screen since I was 5 years old, and I'm looking forward to taking my kids to see it on the big screen. It should be a pretty awesome experience for them, since they already love the movie.
If it playing in a theater near you, will you be going?
Here's the full press relese with all of the details:
Get ready for mass hysteria!
The film will be shown on three Thursdays during the month of October, and will be playing in 500 Theaters across the Us in 2K digital with 5.1 surround sound.
Like I said before, I haven't seen Ghostbusters on the big screen since I was 5 years old, and I'm looking forward to taking my kids to see it on the big screen. It should be a pretty awesome experience for them, since they already love the movie.
If it playing in a theater near you, will you be going?
Here's the full press relese with all of the details:
Get ready for mass hysteria!
- 9/22/2011
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
It looks like we're going to get movie based on the life of comedian John Belushi. The biopic is being developed by screenwriter Steven Conrad (The Pursuit of Happyness) and director/producer Todd Phillips (Old School, The Hangover). The movie will be made over at Warner Bros. who recently acquired the rights to Belushi's life from Belushi's estate. As of right now Phillips is only producing the film, he has not yet committed to direct. Conrad is attached to write the script.
John Belushi was an incredibly talented comedian who was one of the original Saturday Night Live cast members. He went on to star in films such as Animal house, 1941, The Blues Brothers and several others. Unfortunately Belushi died of a drug overdose in 1982 at the age of 33.
THR Reports:
Belushi's life was famously detailed in Bob Woodward's 1985 biography, "Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi.
John Belushi was an incredibly talented comedian who was one of the original Saturday Night Live cast members. He went on to star in films such as Animal house, 1941, The Blues Brothers and several others. Unfortunately Belushi died of a drug overdose in 1982 at the age of 33.
THR Reports:
Belushi's life was famously detailed in Bob Woodward's 1985 biography, "Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi.
- 8/12/2010
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
John Belushi may be getting a (second) second life on the big screen.
"The Pursuit of Happyness" screenwriter Steven Conrad and "The Hangover" director-producer Todd Phillips are developing a biographical film about the late comedian's life. Warner Bros. recently acquired the rights from Belushi's estate.
Conrad will script the project and Phillips will produce, though he has not yet committed to directing it. Alexandra Milchan and Bonnie Timmerman are also producing.
In a typically difficult process that saw the rights deal come together, then fall apart, then come back together again, the project would be the latest attempt at a full-scale biopic about the "Saturday Night Live" cast member and film star who died of a drug overdose in 1982 at age 33.
Belushi's life was famously detailed in Bob Woodward's 1985 biography, "Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi." That book is not part of the rights deal,...
"The Pursuit of Happyness" screenwriter Steven Conrad and "The Hangover" director-producer Todd Phillips are developing a biographical film about the late comedian's life. Warner Bros. recently acquired the rights from Belushi's estate.
Conrad will script the project and Phillips will produce, though he has not yet committed to directing it. Alexandra Milchan and Bonnie Timmerman are also producing.
In a typically difficult process that saw the rights deal come together, then fall apart, then come back together again, the project would be the latest attempt at a full-scale biopic about the "Saturday Night Live" cast member and film star who died of a drug overdose in 1982 at age 33.
Belushi's life was famously detailed in Bob Woodward's 1985 biography, "Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi." That book is not part of the rights deal,...
- 8/11/2010
- by By Jay A. Fernandez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Canadian television writer, producer and actor John Aylesworth has died of pneumonia, aged 81.
Aylesworth passed away in Rancho Mirage, California on 28 July.
He performed on radio in his native Toronto as a child, and went on to find success on U.S. television.
Aylesworth was perhaps best known for co-creating 1970s American country music television variety show Hee Haw with Frank Peppiatt and Bernie Brillstein. The programme featured famous guests in country, gospel and bluegrass music, including Johnny Cash and Conway Twitty.
In addition, he served as a writer or producer on TV shows such as Your Hit Parade, The Kraft Music Hall, The Judy Garland Show and The Jonathan Winters Show.
He was also among the writers who shared an Emmy nomination for The Julie Andrews Hour in 1973 and The Sonny and Cher Show in 1976.
Aylesworth is survived by his fourth wife, Anita, two children from his first marriage, three from his second marriage, and one grandson.
Aylesworth passed away in Rancho Mirage, California on 28 July.
He performed on radio in his native Toronto as a child, and went on to find success on U.S. television.
Aylesworth was perhaps best known for co-creating 1970s American country music television variety show Hee Haw with Frank Peppiatt and Bernie Brillstein. The programme featured famous guests in country, gospel and bluegrass music, including Johnny Cash and Conway Twitty.
In addition, he served as a writer or producer on TV shows such as Your Hit Parade, The Kraft Music Hall, The Judy Garland Show and The Jonathan Winters Show.
He was also among the writers who shared an Emmy nomination for The Julie Andrews Hour in 1973 and The Sonny and Cher Show in 1976.
Aylesworth is survived by his fourth wife, Anita, two children from his first marriage, three from his second marriage, and one grandson.
- 8/5/2010
- WENN
George Segal has been tapped for a multi-episode arc on HBO's comedy series "Entourage."
The Oscar-nominated actor will play a Bernie Brillstein-type veteran manager who is a mentor to up-and-coming talent manager Eric (Kevin Connolly).
Segal, who starred on NBC's "Just Shoot Me!," is repped by Icm and A Management.
Other actors set to recur on the upcoming sixth season of "Entourage" include Jami Gertz, Autumn Reeser and Alexis Dziena.
The Oscar-nominated actor will play a Bernie Brillstein-type veteran manager who is a mentor to up-and-coming talent manager Eric (Kevin Connolly).
Segal, who starred on NBC's "Just Shoot Me!," is repped by Icm and A Management.
Other actors set to recur on the upcoming sixth season of "Entourage" include Jami Gertz, Autumn Reeser and Alexis Dziena.
- 4/1/2009
- by By Nellie Andreeva
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The entertainment world lost several legendary figures in 2008. From Paul Newman and Charlton Heston to Bo Diddley and George Carlin to Stan Winston and Bernie Brillstein, here is a remembrance of some true originals.
View image gallery...
View image gallery...
- 12/28/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jennifer Aniston showed off the results of all that yoga and Pilates helping her dogs out of the car to get some fresh air at a friend's house in La yesterday. She had a somber day on Monday at Bernie Brillstein's memorial service where she was among the readers, but spending time with her beloved doggies is always a perfect pick-me-up. While we were wondering why she didn't join John on his weekend in the hot tub in Cabo there are now rumors that the two have split. We're hoping that isn't true since they've quickly become one of our favorite steamy couples of the Summer. Flynet...
- 8/13/2008
- by PopSugar
- Popsugar.com
The stars came out to honour Hollywood mogul Bernie Brillstein on Monday as the legendary manager/producer was laid to rest in Tinseltown.
Longtime clients Jennifer Aniston and Rob Lowe remembered the TV and movie heavyweight, while Dan Aykroyd and James Belushi reunited as The Blues Brothers for the memorial service at Royce Hall.
Martin Short and TV mogul Lorne Michaels also attended the event, which was closed by a performance of Rainbow Connection by Brillstein's favourite Muppet, Kermit The Frog.
The producer died last week (ends08Aug08), aged 77.
Longtime clients Jennifer Aniston and Rob Lowe remembered the TV and movie heavyweight, while Dan Aykroyd and James Belushi reunited as The Blues Brothers for the memorial service at Royce Hall.
Martin Short and TV mogul Lorne Michaels also attended the event, which was closed by a performance of Rainbow Connection by Brillstein's favourite Muppet, Kermit The Frog.
The producer died last week (ends08Aug08), aged 77.
- 8/13/2008
- WENN
Jennifer Aniston dressed in all black on her way to attend a memorial service at UCLA yesterday for her friend and the man who helped jumpstart her career, Bernie Brillstein. Her Bff Courteney Cox, who also worked with Brillstein, attended as well. Jen's man John Mayer wasn't there by her side, but the commitment to her friend could be why she didn't join him hot tubbing in Cabo over the weekend. Jen looked cool in her aviator shades out to help celebrate the life and career of someone who helped make this gorgeous actress and so many others household names. Flynet...
- 8/12/2008
- by PopSugar
- Popsugar.com
The industry lost three notables in the past few days - Bernie Mac, Bernie Brillstein and Isaac Hayes. Actor/comedian Bernie Mac died Saturday at age 50 from complications associated with pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital. Born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on October 5, 1957, Bernie grew up poor in Chicago's South Side living with his mother and grandparents. Despite doing stand-up comedy since he was a child, Bernie got his first big break landing a small role in the 1992 comedy Mo' Money with Damon Wayans. Thereafter, Bernie appeared in numerous hit films including Spike Lee's 1996 Get on the Bus, the Ocean's Eleven franchise and the 2005 Guess Who with Ashton Kutcher among others. He was one of The Original Kings of Comedy in the 2000 documentary of the same name that brought Bernie and other African-American stand-up comedians to national attention. Concurrent to his film career, Bernie appeared in a recurring role on...
- 8/11/2008
- by cynthia@cynopsis.com
- Cynopsis.com/
Bernie Brillstein was one of those guys who you figured would be around Hollywood forever, at least in part because it seemed he'd always been here. But even the incandescent ones ultimately, sadly, flame out, as Brillstein did Thursday night at 77 from heart failure.
The irony is that one of the rare industry power brokers known for having a big heart would succumb to issues afflicting the ticker. Or, as his longtime client and close friend Lorne Michaels said last week, "He never gave up his heart. He somehow kept his balance in a world where people do just awful things to each other."
Brillstein would no doubt be dismissive ofanything maudlin that might package the coverage of his demise. And he knew something about clever packaging: presiding formore than a half-century as talent agent, manager, producer, studio head and father confessor to his exceedingly loyal client roster.
That list included many of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players at "Saturday Night Live" in the 1970s, including John Belushi, Gilda Radner and Dan Aykroyd as well as creator/executive producer Michaels. The show's enduring importance and appeal as a comedy institution serves as a Brillstein legacy in and of itself.
Brillstein's eye for comedic talent was almost unmatched, but it was in the packaging of his clientsin movies and TV shows that Brillstein's showbiz skills really stood out.He helped propel the careers of everyone from Brad Pitt to Adam Sandler, from Bill Maher to Dennis Miller, from Gwyneth Paltrow to Jennifer Aniston.
Wearing his producer hat, Brillstein had a hand in steering to the big screen "Ghostbusters," "Dragnet," "Happy Gilmore," "Spies Like Us," "The Blues Brothers" and "The Cable Guy," while in TV he exec produced shows ranging from the NBC comedies "Buffalo Bill," "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd" and "Alf" to Showtime's "It's Garry Shandling's Show." He's also credited with having helped bring both "SNL" and HBO's "The Sopranos" to TV, the latter in partnership with Brad Grey in Brillstein-Grey Entertainment.
"Bernie was a man who lived and breathed our business," Grey said Friday. "The basics and fundamentals and joy of the entertainment business to him were always contagious."
But as anyone who dealt with Brillstein in a professional capacity could tell you, it was his personal style that elevated him above even the most successful power players of his generation: He was brash, he was gregarious, he was the proverbial bearded teddy bear.
"I will miss Bernie every day," Grey added. "Speaking with him and sharing with him was such a meaningful part of my daily life that it's a huge loss for me both personally and professionally. With Bernie, it was impossible to separate those two."
Brillsteincame up the old-fashioned way, via the Wma mailroom in the mid '50s. In 1969 he founded the Brillstein Co., which morphed into Brillstein-Grey Entertainment with partner Grey in 1991 and finally Brillstein Entertainment Partners last year. (Brillstein remained associated with Brillstein-Grey after Greybought out his interest in 1996; Grey sold his own stake in 2005 when he became chairman of the Paramount Motion Picture Group.)
In his 1999 showbiz memoir, "Where Did I Go Right? You're No One in Hollywood Unless Someone Wants You Dead," it was also abundantly clear that Brillstein wasn't afraid to tell it like it is when he felt it necessary -- or profitable.Still, he did it with gusto and generosity of spirit.
"Bernie was just the best," Michaels concluded. "He was one of the most decent and generous people I've ever known."
Brillstein is survived by his wife of 10 years, Carrie; sons Michael Brillstein, David Koskoff and Nick Koskoff; daughters Kate and Leigh Brillstein; son-in-law Abe Hoch; and a grandson.
A memorial will be held 6 p.m. Monday at UCLA's Royce Hall, with a reception immediately following.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be directed to Barlow Respiratory Research Center, 2000 Stadium Way, Los Angeles, CA, 90026.
The irony is that one of the rare industry power brokers known for having a big heart would succumb to issues afflicting the ticker. Or, as his longtime client and close friend Lorne Michaels said last week, "He never gave up his heart. He somehow kept his balance in a world where people do just awful things to each other."
Brillstein would no doubt be dismissive ofanything maudlin that might package the coverage of his demise. And he knew something about clever packaging: presiding formore than a half-century as talent agent, manager, producer, studio head and father confessor to his exceedingly loyal client roster.
That list included many of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players at "Saturday Night Live" in the 1970s, including John Belushi, Gilda Radner and Dan Aykroyd as well as creator/executive producer Michaels. The show's enduring importance and appeal as a comedy institution serves as a Brillstein legacy in and of itself.
Brillstein's eye for comedic talent was almost unmatched, but it was in the packaging of his clientsin movies and TV shows that Brillstein's showbiz skills really stood out.He helped propel the careers of everyone from Brad Pitt to Adam Sandler, from Bill Maher to Dennis Miller, from Gwyneth Paltrow to Jennifer Aniston.
Wearing his producer hat, Brillstein had a hand in steering to the big screen "Ghostbusters," "Dragnet," "Happy Gilmore," "Spies Like Us," "The Blues Brothers" and "The Cable Guy," while in TV he exec produced shows ranging from the NBC comedies "Buffalo Bill," "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd" and "Alf" to Showtime's "It's Garry Shandling's Show." He's also credited with having helped bring both "SNL" and HBO's "The Sopranos" to TV, the latter in partnership with Brad Grey in Brillstein-Grey Entertainment.
"Bernie was a man who lived and breathed our business," Grey said Friday. "The basics and fundamentals and joy of the entertainment business to him were always contagious."
But as anyone who dealt with Brillstein in a professional capacity could tell you, it was his personal style that elevated him above even the most successful power players of his generation: He was brash, he was gregarious, he was the proverbial bearded teddy bear.
"I will miss Bernie every day," Grey added. "Speaking with him and sharing with him was such a meaningful part of my daily life that it's a huge loss for me both personally and professionally. With Bernie, it was impossible to separate those two."
Brillsteincame up the old-fashioned way, via the Wma mailroom in the mid '50s. In 1969 he founded the Brillstein Co., which morphed into Brillstein-Grey Entertainment with partner Grey in 1991 and finally Brillstein Entertainment Partners last year. (Brillstein remained associated with Brillstein-Grey after Greybought out his interest in 1996; Grey sold his own stake in 2005 when he became chairman of the Paramount Motion Picture Group.)
In his 1999 showbiz memoir, "Where Did I Go Right? You're No One in Hollywood Unless Someone Wants You Dead," it was also abundantly clear that Brillstein wasn't afraid to tell it like it is when he felt it necessary -- or profitable.Still, he did it with gusto and generosity of spirit.
"Bernie was just the best," Michaels concluded. "He was one of the most decent and generous people I've ever known."
Brillstein is survived by his wife of 10 years, Carrie; sons Michael Brillstein, David Koskoff and Nick Koskoff; daughters Kate and Leigh Brillstein; son-in-law Abe Hoch; and a grandson.
A memorial will be held 6 p.m. Monday at UCLA's Royce Hall, with a reception immediately following.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be directed to Barlow Respiratory Research Center, 2000 Stadium Way, Los Angeles, CA, 90026.
- 8/10/2008
- by By Ray Richmond
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Legendary Hollywood manager/producer Bernie Brillstein has died. He was 77.
The star passed away in a Los Angeles hospital on Thursday after suffering from heart disease.
Born in 1931 in New York, Brillstein got an early start in the showbiz industry when he joined the William Morris Agency as a postboy.
He worked his way up in the talent agency and soon became a talent scout, before being named manager-producer of TV programming in the 1960s.
He formed The Brillstein Company in 1969 and continued to work as a talent manager while developing various TV shows.
Brillstein went on to found a production and management firm with his business partner Brad Grey, called Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, in 1991.
He helped to steer the careers of The Muppets creator Jim Henson and Saturday Night Live star John Belushi.
His many movie credits as executive producer include 1984's Ghostbusters, and Happy Gilmore and The Cable Guy in 1996.
He was also heavily responsible for bringing hit mob drama The Sopranos to TV, as well as long-running comedy show Saturday Night Live.
The star passed away in a Los Angeles hospital on Thursday after suffering from heart disease.
Born in 1931 in New York, Brillstein got an early start in the showbiz industry when he joined the William Morris Agency as a postboy.
He worked his way up in the talent agency and soon became a talent scout, before being named manager-producer of TV programming in the 1960s.
He formed The Brillstein Company in 1969 and continued to work as a talent manager while developing various TV shows.
Brillstein went on to found a production and management firm with his business partner Brad Grey, called Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, in 1991.
He helped to steer the careers of The Muppets creator Jim Henson and Saturday Night Live star John Belushi.
His many movie credits as executive producer include 1984's Ghostbusters, and Happy Gilmore and The Cable Guy in 1996.
He was also heavily responsible for bringing hit mob drama The Sopranos to TV, as well as long-running comedy show Saturday Night Live.
- 8/8/2008
- WENN
Bernie Brillstein, the prolific talent agent, manager, and producer who was a major force in the Hollywood industry, died Thursday night in Los Angeles of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; he was 77. A man who lived the quintessential Hollywood success story, Brillstein started out in the mail room of the William Morris Agency back in 1956 and worked his way up the ladder, helping package numerous film and television deals and guiding the careers of a number of actors and other creative professionals. Among his early success stories were the launch of Saturday Night Live and the careers of many of its comedians, Jim Henson and The Muppet Show, the hit comedy Ghost Busters, and acclaimed 80s TV shows such as The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd and It's Garry Shandling's Show. With Brad Grey (who later became head of Paramount Pictures), Brillstein formed the powerful management company Brillstein-Grey, which was renamed Brillstein Enetertainment Partners in 2007. In 1999, Brillstein chronicled his adventures in Hollywood with the memoir Where Did I Go Right? -- You're No One in Hollywood Unless Someone Wants You Dead. He is survived by his wife, Carrie, three sons, and two daughters.
- 8/8/2008
- IMDb News
Management and production company Brillstein-Grey Entertainment has been renamed Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
The name reflects the history of the company, which was founded 38 years ago by Bernie Brillstein, as well as its current ownership.
In July 2005, partner and CEO Jon Liebman and partner Cynthia Pett-Dante acquired the company from then-owner Brad Grey following Grey's departure to become chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures.
"Over the last two years, we accomplished what we wanted to do in terms of direction for the company, which was broadening the talent representation area," Liebman said. "We did that through internal growth as we promoted a number of people and by bringing in people from other places, mainly the Firm, who have been great additions."
The Firm's Aleen Keshishian joined BGE as a partner in 2005, followed by Joanne Colonna. Most recently, BGE added literary managers David McIlvain and Missy Malkin.
There will be no changes at Brillstein Entertainment's successful TV division, run by Peter Traugott, Liebman said.
The name reflects the history of the company, which was founded 38 years ago by Bernie Brillstein, as well as its current ownership.
In July 2005, partner and CEO Jon Liebman and partner Cynthia Pett-Dante acquired the company from then-owner Brad Grey following Grey's departure to become chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures.
"Over the last two years, we accomplished what we wanted to do in terms of direction for the company, which was broadening the talent representation area," Liebman said. "We did that through internal growth as we promoted a number of people and by bringing in people from other places, mainly the Firm, who have been great additions."
The Firm's Aleen Keshishian joined BGE as a partner in 2005, followed by Joanne Colonna. Most recently, BGE added literary managers David McIlvain and Missy Malkin.
There will be no changes at Brillstein Entertainment's successful TV division, run by Peter Traugott, Liebman said.
- 6/21/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo star Rob Schneider is the first actor to publicly announce he will never work with Mel Gibson due to the anti-Semitic remarks he made when he was arrested last Friday. Schneider took out an ad in Hollywood trade paper Variety slamming the star for his behavior in "An Open Letter to the Hollywood Community." The ad appeared yesterday and said, "I, Rob Schneider, a 1/2 Jew, pledge from this day forth to never work with Mel Gibson-actor-director-producer-and anti-Semite." Schneider then went on to say even if he were offered the lead role in Passion Of The Christ 2 or a "juicy voice-over role in his new flick Apocalypto and spoke ancient Mayan" he would still turn them down. He also repeatedly praised Hollywood talent manager Bernie Brillstein for publicly saying he would refuse to work with Gibson because "I just don't like bigots." The actor continued by saying he had recently directed a film called Big Stan in which there was a part for a Nazi gang leader "which apparently Mel would be perfect for." Schneider said he would still not cast Gibson in that role and ended the letter by saying, "Of course that would only be after I talked with my financial backers. Some of whom share Mr. Gibson's hankering for a good bottle of tequila. Because, after all...I don't get to call all the shots."...
- 8/4/2006
- WENN
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.