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2ND UPDATE: I’ve confirmed the names of 3 so far in the talent department and in motion picture lit — Holly Baril, Louise Ward, Brian Stern (NY). There will be more. This was discussed at a staff meeting, but all the names haven’t been released inside Morris yet. (See, none are on the moneymaking music side.)
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This is the agency world, so you know the bigger the prick you are the more likely you are to keep your job. Think of the most moral and decent people and figure they are the one’s to be fired.
hearing that the agents are:
Holly Baril
Brian Depersia
Louise Ward
Ken Freimann
Phillip Grenz
Craig Kestel
The problem with William Morris is the MANAGEMENT!!!!!!! .They have Gaby Morgerman as the head of the talent department… Hello???? How is she going to compete with Ari Emanuel, Brian Swardstrom, Patrick Whitsell, Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane,Hylda Queally (a former WMA agent that the management let go…..) These junior people- never stood a chance! How can they service clients that the agency doesn’t have..
The rumors about Phillip Grenz and Craig Kestel being fired are absolutely 100% wrong. They both have a lot of business at William Morris.
They really should get rid of the loathsome Cassian Elwes. It looks like Kestel, who works for him, is taking the hit for the indie division.
Cassian is terrible. Name a good movie he’s put together.
The previous comment above is correct. I can confirm that Philip Grenz still works at William Morris.
Cassian Elway has ruined and or helped stall many filmmakers careers…his brother has talent, he needs to go.
Kestel is not taking the hit on the indie division since he is not a part of that group…he is in the lit department. He should get fired though since his integrity and character is extremely questionable. He’s lied to many writer / director friends of mine he’s tried to sign.
In fairness to WMA, when the economy is in crisis mode, all companies resort to reducing overhead. The problem with WMA is that the wrong action plans are often implemented.
Kestel should be let go, but not Grenz since he is a very good servicer.
Louise Ward started at WMA a little over a year ago after leaving Innovative with Channing Tatum. Why would Morris risk losing an up and comer like Tatum?
Well Kestel’s worked his ass off for the clients he and I share. He’s a total dedicated work-aholic. I’ve been assured he’s staying.
Interesting that the post about wiatt and wirtschafter was taken down, since the fish does stink from the head. As a former agent at WMA, I can tell you this is one of the worst run companies in this town. And I’m not one of the old schoolers who think norman brokaw and sam haskel hang the moon, I base my opinion on having worked several places and witnessing the just irresponsible behavior an greed of all upper management at wma.
Scott Phillips is a moron. I’ve known Craig for many years and so have many people in various circles — independent and studio alike. As a person and as an agent, he possesses an integrity that few people in this town can claim to have. He’s a good friend and most of all a real person – east coast to the core, true to his word, and he’ll fight for projects he believes in long after everyone else has given up.
It’s really sad that random people can pop onto these message boards and try to destroy the character of people they’ve clearly never met, but so be it. We can also defend them. I’m guessing I’m not alone as the lurkers who are reading comments like this are probably shaking their heads also. Consider the record straightened.
It amazes me that Craig Kestel’s name has been included in this rumor. It simply is NOT true. In fact, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Contrary to “Scott Phillips”’ comments, he is a genuine, stand up guy. As many of us know all too well, these sorts of things are put out there by people who have questionable agendas. I’ve personally worked with CK numerous times, and know him to be nothing other than honorable, trustworthy, and a guy who gets his job done extremely well (that, I guess, could be reason enough for some out there who would rather spend their time propagating things like this than keeping their nose to the grindstone like he does).
Sarah Bottfeld, Brian DiPersia, and Ken Freimann are all out.
Craig Kestel is a nice guy. I understand not everyone gets along with everyone in this industry. But, wow, he doesn’t deserve to be trashed like one of the previous posters did.
Regarding Louise Ward, it would be sad, but it wouldnt surprise me if she were let go because unfortunately, the writing was on the wall. From what I understand, the problem is that Michael Cooper had always wanted to sign him, so WMA acquired Ward then put Michael Cooper on the Tatum team with the objective of eventually letting her go. The fact that she was pregnant when she was brought over gave him time to develop the necessary rapport etc.
Her being let go is bottom line business. It ain’t ever pretty.
Regarding Craig Kestel, I can’t help but be slightly amused. My company has dealt with him for several years and there are a few things that are certain.
To claim that Kestel has an integrity that few people can claim is absurdly ridiculous. At WMA, that would go to people like Mike Simpson, Wirtschafter, and from what I hear, Mark Geiger, to name a few. I do hate to say this, because i know him as well, but he is a jerk to people. You can tell the true quality of someone by how they treat the people they don’t need anything from, and if you’ve known him like several of us have (he has pitched our company several times), he is not a genuinely nice guy. Rather, he is a lonely and unhappy person consumed with his job because that is all he has, and he’s not as effective as he could be when you consider that truth. That is why it wouldn’t surprise me if he were let go. If you bring in 2 cents from indy related revenue, yet cost a company 5, 10 or 20 cents, it would make sense that you make executive decisions,like lay-offs. We had to do it recently, too.
I hope the company continues to do well because i like the folks there and have given them good business, but unfortunately, i fear that this economy is going to continue to spiral downwards. Everyone, believe me, brace yourselves because there are going to be a lot more lay-offs across the board.
brian stern? that guy has a solid list
I find it incredibly audacious for these people to be let go just as the board withdrew from the company like an ATM a good portion of the nine-figure windfall from the sale of WMA’s Beverly Hills real estate. The poor mouthing that I’m sure accompanied this announcement couldn’t ring more hollow or be more insulting.
Meanwhile, real dead weight (Joanne Wiles still has a job?) floats on because of their relationships with one or more of the rather useless management, while hard working, well-liked agents who sign and book jobs get the axe. And Wiatt, et al continue on, thinking a talent agency need not represent talent. If they lose Channing Tatum out of this–and if Louise has any backbone she’ll walk right over to Endeavor with him–they truly don’t have even a hint of a clue. Corporate consulting and music booking do not a talent agency make.
Wiatt is well respected at WMA. Like all businesses, there are conflicts but WMA is a very solid agency. Still in the top three. Compare it to other train wrecks like ICM.
I’m a little surprised that the comment about Wiatt Wirtschafter, and Weintraub was removed. If WMA was a public company, it would be scrutinized and found to be operating in a questionable manner. Jim’s number 1 business guy, Irv Weintraub, is a horrible person who has screwed over people the people who hired him. He has no integrity and as the previous blogger indicated, is not respected (nor liked) internally or externally. He may have lost weight but he can’t shed his reputation. There is a dearth of talent due to the managment style – especially Gaby. She wouldn’t be where she is today if it wasn’t for her husband. Talent – what talent? I’d call it the “lack of talent” department. The management is loathed. If it weren’t for the income generated by Mark Itkin’s Television Division (and the real estate holdings that are known only to certain members of the board) the company would be in severe financial trouble. There is no strategy and total lack of visionary leadership (unlike CAA and Endeaver – and even Paradigm). Further, they do like to mock those (behind their back) who made the agency what it once was. They have lost numerous incredible agents (Hylda, Todd, Michelle, etc.) to other agencies. Some of these people left due to the fact that WMA wanted to cut their contract agreed upon salaries. The leadership is a group of unethical, greedy Hollywood misfits – no social skills, no vision and a lack of integrity. They may be moving to a new building, but to shed their skins (like the snakes that they are), they will need to bring in true leaders. The board, which is run by Jim and Dave’s favorites, will, unfortunatly, never do this. And being a private company, the shareholders (senior management who arbitrarily decides who will make what) will only bow down to Dave, Jim and Irv’s commands. It is sad that a company with such rich history and innovative business acumen is now being run into the ground. For the young agents (DePersia who was Jim’s loyal and trusted assistant – and is an amazing agent), they will realize in time that this is a good thing for them. While it may be a sad day in Hollywood for those agents who are without work in today’s financial crisis, it is William Morris who will suffer in the long run from such inept leadership.
Sam Haskel was frozen out by the WMA young turks, so when he parted the agency it began the imminent decline. With Haskell concentrating on a tell-all memoir (I know an editor and had a glimpse at what is coming soon!) Sam dishes the truth as he says “goodbye” to showbiz opening acts and steps onto the real stage as Governor of Mississippi. Truth be told WMA has been a bottom feeder since buying up the super trendy Triad Artists decades ago. The agency should have dumped Nicole David and Arnold Rifkin when they had the chance!
WMA has a terrible karmic price to pay- and they will reap what they sow and everyone knows it. I have no sympathy for WMA and they day they brought in Ed Limato was the day the agency died. And like all tired gas bags- it takes forever for the eternally winded to die and this agency is will wind down similarly!
The good news is it won’t be long now!
Ding dong- the witch is dead…She’s gone where the goblins go below…below below yo ho…!
Well, rumors aside, I’m interested to see how this all shakes out (i.e. who’s 8really* being fired).
One thing about WMA – they hustle to package films like no other agency i’ve ever dealt with. It may be because they have to since they don’t have the rosters of CAA and Endeavor. but still, overall they do a nice job IMHO.
Why DiPersia? He is a good guy.
The above comment was issued from WMA’s PR department which is blog savvy, Congrats, Nikke, you have WMA’s attention. “Often there are conflicts..” is out of the Beginner’s PR manual. Personally, Wiatt is to WMA what Richard Fuld is to Lehman Brothers. Just wait for one of his fired agents to come punch him out on the treadmill at the company gym as Fuld was.