Michael S. Ovitz (b. December 14, 1946 in Los Angeles, California) is a former talent agent and Hollywood powerhouse who served as the head of the Creative Artists Agency from 1975 to 1995.
After graduating from UCLA with a degree in theater, film and television, Ovitz began his career at the William Morris Agency, but left with four other agents in 1975 to found Creative Artists Agency.
While at CAA, he was responsible for pioneering the practic...
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Michael S. Ovitz (b. December 14, 1946 in Los Angeles, California) is a former talent agent and Hollywood powerhouse who served as the head of the Creative Artists Agency from 1975 to 1995.
After graduating from UCLA with a degree in theater, film and television, Ovitz began his career at the William Morris Agency, but left with four other agents in 1975 to found Creative Artists Agency.
While at CAA, he was responsible for pioneering the practice of "packaging" writers, directors, and actors for motion pictures. This practice led to CAA and its clients holding significant negotiating leverage over the major studios. Various industry critics, such as entertainment-securities attorney John Cones in his recent book, Hollywood Wars, maintain that the practice of packaging is an illegal tie-in prohibited by federal and state antitrust laws.
Ovitz is also well-known for negotiating David Letterman's move from NBC to CBS, which was chronicled in the book The Late Shift: Letterman, Leno, and...
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