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Who Is Michael Ovitz? Hardcover – September 25, 2018

by Michael Ovitz (Author)

4.5 564 ratings

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“When the history of Hollywood is written, few people will have played a larger role than Michael Ovitz.... It is impossible to read such a chronicle and not see Mr. Ovitz as the Steve Jobs of agenting, possessing a version of Jobs’s fanatical drive and a similar desire to remake an industry.” —The Wall Street Journal

Who is Michael Ovitz? He’s a striver who talked his way into the famous mailroom of the William Morris Agency without any connections, then worked his way out of the mailroom in record time.

He’s an entrepreneur who left a safe job to launch Creative Artists Agency, growing it from five guys in a rundown office to the most powerful agency in the world.

He’s a friend and confidant to megastars such as Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, Robert De Niro, David Letterman, Sean Connery, Bill Murray, Paul Newman, and Martin Scorsese.

He’s a pioneer who reinvented the role of the agent in packaging actors, directors, writers, and producers, which made CAA the essential hub of countless movies and television shows.

He’s a master negotiator who drove historic deals for many of his clients, as well as the acquisitions of two major studios by Sony and Matsushita.

He’s a self-taught connoisseur of art and architecture, a generous philanthropist, a devoted father...

And to his detractors he’s a world-class jerk and a ruthless manipulator who double-crossed his friends, crushed his enemies, and let nothing stand in his way, ever.

After decades of near silence in the face of relentless controversy, Ovitz finally tells his whole story in this memoir, with remarkable candor and insight. If you’re going to read just one book about how show business really works, this is the one.

Print length

384 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Portfolio
Publication date

September 25, 2018
Dimensions

6.38 x 1.27 x 9.53 inches
ISBN-10

1591845548
ISBN-13

978-1591845546
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From the Publisher

Excerpted from WHO IS MICHAEL OVITZ?


Me and my neighbor Dustin Hoffman at Broad Beach, Malibu.	With Bobby DeNiro and Penny Marshall at Marty Scorsese's surprise fiftieth birthday party.	Me trying to convince Bill Murray of something very important that I no longer remember at the Ghostbusters premiere.


The team in David Letterman's new office at CBS after we closed his deal.	With Tom Cruise and his first wife, Mimi Rogers, at the opening of The Color of Money.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"When the history of Hollywood is written, few people will have played a larger role than Michael Ovitz.... It is impossible to read such a chronicle and not see Mr. Ovitz as the Steve Jobs of agenting, possessing a version of Jobs’s fanatical drive and a similar desire to remake an industry." —The Wall Street Journal

"A revealing retelling of his Hollywood career…. A study in the unusual personality traits required to pull this off, Who Is Michael Ovitz? represents a master class of sorts." —The New York Times

"Learn how to build an empire and transform an industry from the Jedi master of modern Hollywood." —Marc Andreessen

"This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. The meticulous detailing is as graphic and captivating as Michael’s Jasper Johns 'White Flag' painting. The stories are vivid, educational, entertaining, and deeply satisfying." —LA Reid

"Who Is Michael Ovitz? is an unexpectedly good read….What makes [it] juicier than the average business memoir is that the author proves surprisingly willing to dish about the foibles of former clients and colleagues alike." —Michael Cieply, Deadline: Hollywood

"Michael is a legend and I don't use that term lightly. Learning from his journey is something that every entrepreneur and executive should do." —Gary Vaynerchuk

"Michael’s brilliance and relentless drive clearly shine through in this entertaining memoir. You see the man behind the agency and how he built a global business empire. His life story has powerful lessons for us all." —Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner

"It is truly rare to read a book this honest from a living legend. The Hollywood superhero lets us peak behind his mask and understand his weaknesses and methods.... I was shocked, thrilled, and surprisingly educated. A masterpiece of a memoir."—Ben Horowitz, co-founder and general partner, Andreessen Horowitz

About the Author

Michael Ovitz cofounded CAA in 1975 and served as its chairman until 1995. For most of the past two decades he has been a private investor and an adviser to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. This is his first book.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

PROLOGUE

I couldn't sleep last night, so I slipped downstairs and started watching Terminator 2 on television. It was so late it seemed like no one else was awake anywhere. From my living room, high in Beverly Hills, the glitter of Los Angeles below felt like key lights burning on an empty sound stage.

As I watched Arnold Schwarzenegger bulldoze his enemies, I had a sudden realization. That was me. I was a Terminator. When we built Creative Artists Agency, Hollywood’s premiere talent agency, I’d get banged around, hurled through a wall, plaster dust exploding everywhere . . . and then I’d climb out from the rubble, red eyes glaring, and hurl my opponents through the wall even harder than they’d hurled me. I completed my mission. The fear my opponents felt derived from sheer hopelessness: How could they beat someone so tireless, so relentless? So inhuman?

That was the image I took great care to project, anyway. It was an image I grew to hate. Who wants to scare the living shit out of people? But it was so effective. Our sell was simple: if you were with us, as an agent or a client, CAA would protect you 24-7, take care of your every need. At a time when other agencies were full of solo acts, we had teams of four or five agents on each client. By working longer and harder and smarter than the others, we became a mighty fortress. You were either with us or you were against us, and if you were against us, our phalanx of agents would stream forth from our stone walls, eager for combat.

We could demand $5 million for our best directors, double what they’d gotten at other agencies. We could package the stars and the writers and the director of huge films like Ghostbusters and Forrest Gump and Jurassic Park and insist that studios make the film we gave them. We could collect almost $350 million a year in commissions from our 1,350 clients, who included everyone from Isabelle Adjani to Billy Zane, from Pedro Almodóvar to Robert Zemeckis, from Andre Agassi to ZZ Top. And it was all because our agents carried a heavy club: the implied threat of terrible consequences if the buyer didn’t do what we wanted—a boycott by our talent; all the best films going elsewhere; total humiliation. I taught our agents to reach for the club every day, but to never— or almost never— pick it up. Power is only power until you exert it. It’s all perception.

I was that club. The most persuasive point our agents could make to a stubborn exec was “I don’t have the authority to close the deal at that number, so you’ll have to talk to Michael.” That was the last thing the exec wanted, because he knew I’d ask for even more. Better to close at an unpalatable number now than to be upsold into stratospheric realms once I got on the phone.

Most of our 175 agents uttered some version of that threat five times a day. My name became a kind of hex, a conjuring. In just twenty years I went from a complete unknown, to a comer, to being hailed as the most powerful man in Hollywood— a man the press invariably described as a gap- toothed, tightly scripted, secrecy- obsessed superagent. After a few years of that, I became the most feared man in town. And once I left CAA, when it became safe for everyone to vent, I became the most hated.

“Mike Ovitz” was such a potent bogeyman because he wasn’t a person, he was a specter. I avoided red carpets; I’d enter and leave parties through the back door; I kept the rights to almost all photos of me; I didn’t do any press for the first ten years, and very little after that. When conducting business, I was so soft- spoken I made people inch their chairs closer. I rarely lost my temper (which was an enormous strain because I’m a perfectionist, and everything— everything— bothered me if it wasn’t just so). I drank barely at all, I didn’t use drugs, I didn’t even dance. I never understood why you’d want to shower and change for a dance just so you could go get all sweaty. This set of traits made me seem freakishly composed and controlled. And you know what? I was.

My clients played characters on-screen; I played them offscreen. Ninety- nine out of a hundred people, their act is who they are. But anomalies like me manufacture their characters from bits and pieces of those they’re with. I was a chameleon, becoming whomever I needed to be to make everyone comfortable and close the deal. My basic character was buttoned-up, omniscient, wise, loyal, indomitable. But I could be a sports car aficionado with Paul Newman just as easily as I could discuss fiscal policy with Felix Rohatyn, the banker, or dive into the specifications of the Walkman with Akio Morita, the head of Sony. So to those I worked with I was a control freak. A shape-shifting machine. A Terminator.

Yet the private me, the one only my closest friends saw, was ultrasensitive to every slight and constantly concerned about threats from every direction. This me, the man with back pain and uneasy memories, wandered into my living room to look at Jasper Johns’s White Flag, his 1955 masterpiece. I bought it from a bankrupt Japanese construction company years ago, and a condition of the sale was that I couldn’t show it in public for a year because the company wanted to hide the state of its imploding finances. So for that year I kept the painting in an empty room in my house behind a locked door, the way Bluebeard guarded the secret room where he was truly himself. I’d go look at White Flag every day, and sink into a reverie, admiring Johns’s talent, his fluidly expressive brushstrokes, his extraordinary will and imagination. Great art brings out the boy in me, the insatiably curious kid who has to know everything about everything.

I’m a frustrated artist. I couldn’t paint or sculpt, I wasn’t musical, and I sure couldn’t act: when Albert Brooks asked me to make a cameo appearance in his movie Real Life I froze up completely. So I did the next- best thing with my life. I spent it around artists: appreciating them, admiring them, helping them become their best, fullest selves. I was the whetstone that sharpened them so they could slice through anything. Our pitch at CAA was “better material, better information, better deals— and we’ll make your dream project happen.” James Clavell’s Shōgun moldered on the shelf for four years before my partner Bill Haber and I came along and turned it into a huge miniseries; Tootsie was just another dead- end script for six years before I began representing Dustin Hoffman and put him together with the director he loved to hate, Sydney Pollack.

Yet agents make dreams happen at a terrible price. When a painter paints, other painters may be jealous of his success, but they don’t believe he’s personally screwing them over with every brushstroke. It’s not a zero-sum game: there’s room for everyone to do his best. When an agent agents, though, the list of the personally embittered lengthens with the size of the deal. If we poached a new client, his old agency hated us. If one of our movies went to Universal, six other studios hated us. CAA’s goal was to have all the clients, and therefore all the conflicts; we used to say “No conflict, no interest.” It was a heroic goal, but it cost us. And it cost me.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio; Illustrated edition (September 25, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1591845548
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1591845546
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.53 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.38 x 1.27 x 9.53 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #716,636 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #380 in Theatre Biographies
- #2,059 in Business Professional's Biographies
- #6,119 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies

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4.5 564 ratings

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Michael Ovitz co-founded CAA in 1975 and served as its chairman until 1995. For most of the past two decades he has been a private investor and an advisor to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.

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Amazon Customer

So many stories!

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2020

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This book is such good fun to read. The pace of story telling is relentless, which is what it must have been like to be around this man.

As a tech person with no background (or interest) in Hollywood I was still gripped by his stories. My outsider knowledge is similar to his description of LA movie people ignorant of New York finance people: “Hollywood, where people didn’t know Goldman Sachs from Saks Fifth Avenue”. He worked with so many people moving behind the scenes with such high profile outcomes.

Ovitz transformed the commercial artist representation business, in the process dramatically raising the price and power of talent for the studios. In an industry built on luck and relationships he scaled up hard work and hard ball to make an almost monopolistic agency that often represented all the major actors, directors and producers in each movie so the studio could not play any off against the other.

He then expanded the agency to handle mergers and acquisitions, selling 2 of the 7 Hollywood studios to Japanese companies. And extended further to advertising, winning a $31 million Coca Cola contract from a standing start in the advertising industry. He would have done much more if it was not for the guilds stopping him.

The CEO of Disney did not allow him to succeed when he hired him as the COO of Disney. But Orvitz got $130 million severance out of it. He latest act was to become a successful technology investor in Silicon Valley.

The secret to his enormous success is clear - he works harder and longer than anyone else, and his hard work has compound interest. I do not understand how he managed to sustain such a pace but he really did.

I also do not understand why he still cares because he clearly does. Once you get $130 million for being fired and the court confirms that you were mistreated by your employer, why does the mistreatment still hurt you? Once you sell Columbia to Sony, why does your LA colleagues’ annoyance at your being in Japan during the deal still upset you? Once you have signed up every important actor and director away from their previous agent, why be angry that the agents you beat and the buyers whose buying power you crushed are angry at you? But the book is full of hurt, upset and anger. Even though he won, and won massively, I don’t think he got to enjoy it.

Nevertheless, what an extraordinary collection of stories of winning in difficult situations. One story stuck with me from his founding of the agency. He and four cofounders left their previous agency employer to found the new agency. The employer found out about this before they had fully set up because the banker setting up their account was friends with the employer and tipped off the employer. The employer fired them, blocked others in the industry from working with them, and convinced another company to sue them for the trademark name of the new agency. A spurious lawsuit, but it would take time and money to fight and the new team has neither. Back against the wall, Mike remembered that the massive company suing his tiny startup was being investigated by the Federal government anti trust team. Hands shaking, voice quivering, he calls the company’s lawyer and says he will tip off the federal government that this lawsuit is another example of monopolistic practices. He gives the lawyer 2 hours to send a letter cancelling the law suit before Mike will call his contact. Mike has no such contact. But in 1 hour and 45 minutes he has a hand delivered a letter cancelling the law suit.

There is always a move.

It’s inspirational to read Mike share some of his moves.

6 people found this helpful

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Leticia Souza

Good Bio

Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2022

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A well-written story about a hustler in one of the probably more hustling industries in the world. Michael Ovitz is definitively someone looking for the next "big hit" regardless if that would be on an ad, campaign, movie or a new business trend.
Some interesting stories inside his career and inspiring for people to be always re-inventing themselves, working hard and being ahead of the curve.
Nice read.

One person found this helpful

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K. Jordan

Details on Deals and Relationships

Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2023

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Interesting discussion of strategy, deals, and the personal fumbles. Not knowing much about Hollywood, there were times when I wanted more context to understand the thinking of others at the time, and other times when I wanted more on his thinking of strategy. The great arch of the story keeps it going. So many great connections to people-- seems like he has more people skills than he shares. I wanted to know more about him in some ways versus the deals, the successes, and the flops. Yet, I enjoyed it too!

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JSV

Ovitz: Profile of a Sui Generis American Icon

Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2020

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An engaging deep dive into the professional and personal lives of Hollywood scion Michael Ovitz.

As the co-founder of talent powerhouse CAA, Ovitz long wielded unprecedented power over the world’s entertainment capital. Choosing the people and platforms that would capture consumer attention spans, while impacting the career trajectories of many major Hollywood players.

Entrepreneurial, ambitious, visionary and demanding, Ovitz played an outsized role on the entertainment landscape for years. A feat made all the more remarkable by the fact that he was operating and innovating within one of today’s most ego-driven, Machiavellian communities—Hollywood and the global entertainment industry.

Yet, Ovitz prospered. At least until his growing restlessness brought him to look beyond Hollywood’s frontiers. At a time when many of his enemies sought to usurp his power.

A fascinating look at one of the more interesting facets of the American business landscape. And a unique profile in power, strategy, victory, defeat, and all of the accouterments that accompany them.

The book captures the essence of one of America’s sui generis business and entertainment figures. While providing the reader a wealth of entertainment and education.

2 people found this helpful

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Switch Natural

A business book, Hollywood story, and memoir rolled into one

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2018

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An interesting and fast read about one of the most successful people in recent Hollywood.

Ovitz combines business lessons, an inside look at Hollywood and a personal memoir all in one book. Anyone interested generally in business case studies will enjoy the book at the author built one of the most successful startups in Hollywood in the modern era. If you are interested in the film business specifically, the book is probably a must read.

You also get some insight on how he handled negotiations, employees, and clients. There are Hollywood anecdotes about stars and famous directors including a priceless paragraph about how he got his martial arts instructor, Steven Seagal, a movie deal.

The "memoir" part is also interesting. Ovitz doesn't get too specific but you get a feel for the background he came from and what drove him. He admits to some mistakes he made and discusses how he manipulated people and was stabbed in the back as well. As usual with memoirs, there is some self-promotion and score settling.

I'm surprised there aren't more reviews of Who is Michael Ovitz. Maybe Ovitz's Hollywood enemies have helped bury the book, which is one of the better reads of the year.

11 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Joel Canada

Hollywood buff must read

Reviewed in Canada on October 1, 2018

Verified Purchase

Very insightful and intriguing read on the rise of CAA. If you are a movie buff you will enjoy the read!
Also Ovitz is an interesting personality which makes the read more fascinating.

One person found this helpful

amc262

Fantastic!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2020

Verified Purchase

Great read for anyone interested in Hollywood and the Entertainment industry or business in general. Having been someone that has inspired me for years it was good to hear about the man that shaped Entertainment in his own words.

Rational Thinker

Best business book you will ever read!

Reviewed in India on October 4, 2021

Verified Purchase

This is by far the best business book I have ever read. I have made tons of notes from this book. I have read and listened to this book couple of times. It is dense and yet captivating.

Every other business book will state how you need to be strictly ethical to succeed, which is not true or feasible in real life. However, I admire the author’s unapologetic ability to manipulate his way to make many projects a reality.

MJW

If you like hollywood business stories you'll love this. A great read!

Reviewed in Australia on October 23, 2018

Verified Purchase

Ovitz is a powerhouse. He may come across as crass, self absorbed, and greedy but he's also fascinating. He proves that old saying...progress relies on the unreasonable man (?).
Anyway I loved every page of this book . Well done Mike!

Tanya

Must read book for Hollywood

Reviewed in India on February 28, 2024

Verified Purchase

A good experience overall a complete page turner. Plus the seller was excellent so book condition was perfect

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Who Is Michael Ovitz? Hardcover – September 25, 2018

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From the Publisher

Excerpted from WHO IS MICHAEL OVITZ?

Me and my neighbor Dustin Hoffman at Broad Beach, Malibu.

With Bobby DeNiro and Penny Marshall at Marty Scorsese's surprise fiftieth birthday party.

Me trying to convince Bill Murray of something very important that I no longer remember at the Ghostbusters premiere.

The team in David Letterman's new office at CBS after we closed his deal.

With Tom Cruise and his first wife, Mimi Rogers, at the opening of The Color of Money.

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

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Who Is Michael Ovitz

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