Summary
Robert Slater examines Michael Ovitz's rise as a talent agent and dealmaker, the power of Creative Artists Agency, and his difficult departure from Disney. The biography draws on interviews with Ovitz and people in Hollywood to describe a career built around relationships, negotiation and access to creative talent.
Its central subject is how an agent became a major force in an industry where studios had long held much of the power. The account also follows the change from running an agency to holding a senior role inside a large entertainment company. It offers an interview-based portrait of Ovitz's business career and the industry around him, published in the aftermath of his Disney exit.
Why read it Our view
Compare the authority of an agency founder with the authority of an executive inside another company. Use this participant-based career account to examine negotiation and role expectations, while allowing for the access and perspective on which the book depends.
Written about
- Michael OvitzBiographical subject and interview participantSlater's biography covers Ovitz's CAA career and Disney exit and draws on interviews with him and Hollywood colleagues. This is substantial career coverage, not Ovitz's own writing or recommendation.Source