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UPDATES Hollywood Signings & Hirings & Firings
WME talent agent Michael Cooper is jumping to CAA, bringing with him clients Josh Brolin, Charlie Hunnam, and a few others. Cooper was considered William Morris chief Jim Wiatt’s go-to guy because he used to be an assistant on the CEO's desk. At one point, Cooper was tipped to co-head the Morris talent department. But he lost clout at WME when Wiatt was exited before the Endeavor merger. The move to CAA by Cooper, who is the veteran HBO & DreamWorks exec Bob Cooper's son, also reunites a bit of a boys club from the old Morris (Todd Feldman, Joel Lubin).
WME and manager Robert Stein have been dropped by Mark Ruffalo. It happened a month ago, but for some reason it hasn't registered with Gaby Morgerman. Ruffalo for now is parked with his lawyer. Yesterday, his Sympathy For Delicious film won Sundance's Special Jury Prize and marks his directing debut.
Paradigm and agent Andrew Rogers have parted company. He's taking Michael Cera and a few other clients with him. "Michael's contract was up and he has other plans," a source tells me.
ICM has signed Michael Keaton, who recently completed production on The Other Guys; Oscar-winner Alan Arkin who recently wrapped Due Date; David Scearce, who is vying for an Independent Spirit Award for A Single Man which he co-wrote; Garry Shandling, best known for his two iconic series, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show and The Larry Sanders Show; and Aasif Mandvi, a writer and on-air correspondent for The Daily Show who's in M. Night Shymalan’s The Last Airbender; Eric Stonestreet who stars in the hit series Modern Family; and Émile Gaudreault, the Canadian filmmaker whose De Pere En Flic (Fathers and Guns) became the highest-grossing local French-language film there.
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he is a great guy and reps Michael Fassbender, the most charismatic actor I’ve seen in years
Cooper is a bad guy. I can’t stress enough how unlucky people are when they come in contact with him. He is more fake than anyone I ever met. His father taught him the ways to be an evil executive with no morals or spine. I wish Brolin would realize what kind of jerk he really is. Cooper is the kind of guy who stabs his best friends in the back. He stabbed everyone at William Morris (even his so called best friends) in the back and always got away with it because he was Wiatt’s boy. Thank God that has changed. I hope that karma comes into play and he gets what he deserves so that everyone he stepped on when climbing the ladder will have a smile on there face. He helped Brolin sure…but he stole a lot of thunder from other agents. Jeff Kolodny and Holly Baril used to repp him with Cooper and put a lot of work into getting Brolin back too and they were never recognized because of Cooper’s thugery. I know nice guys finish last but in this case this guy is just an evil person. Ari and Co. may even have a heart compared to “Coop” as he is called (please you’re a jerk), but this guy is a vampire. I would stay clear of anything he says. Most of the time it’s all lies. For the love of God whomever is his assistant should not go with him. Let him suffer setting up his office at CAA.
And so the balls continue to drop from the merger…WME still seems to be losing out here…
OMG, finally Mark Ruffalo has seen the light regarding so-called Manager, Robert Stein. One encounter was enough for me…I could rant on about Stein forever but I’m afraid I can’t be bothered and I’m sure everyone knows anyway.
I find these comments so filled with venom disgusting. There is no reason to be so nasty about anyone. You are such a tiny human. Why not man (or woman up) and give your name.
This goes to all of you people that write so nasty about people. Grow up. I hate that these comments are printed. But since they are, I will defend Michael Cooper.
He has been professional, honest, true to his word on our deals – and fun to work with. I wish him the best at CAA. His clients are lucky to have him fighting so hard for them. WME was luck to have him and so will CAA.
Try spending the time you put into being so angry into something good.
You want people who criticize others to attach their names to their comments? You didn’t even have the guts to reveal your name in your DEFENSE of Cooper. Get real.
I have to speak up, especially when I hear how people say that Coop was handed everything he has. That is so not true. Cooper has worked his ass off since the day he graduated college. His best friends from fourth grade are still his best friends – is this someone who’s “evil” and “venomous”? Please, reserve your rage for a therapist. And yes, I’ve known cooper longer than anyone, so don’t tell me you have better insight.
Ummm, hey sis! How about you respond regarding his treatment of his assistants… Anything to say about that? Didn’t think so. Shut it. The guy is an ass and the way he treats people makes him even more of a clown. No excuse for treating assistants the way he does. I have no patience or sympathy for Cooper getting blasted on these posts. He needs to change the way he treats people. He has no class. End of story.
And you complain about how the guy treats assistant? You just told me to ’shut it’? Real classy.
reserve rage for a therapist? sure that could be a good option actually. i’ll get everyones names he screwed over. should we bill it to you or michael? since michael is the one that inflicted this so called rage. will he pay for the sessions? i would like to go to a expensive therapist though because there might be some subconscious issues I haven’t dealt with regarding michael’s treatment of others.
Haha, Oh poor Sherri. If someone saying “Shut it” is offensive and class less to you, you would faint if you watched your brother at work for one day. That is the equivalent of him blowing a kiss to his assistant and gently whispering “I respect and appreciate you. Have a great night.” …actually, if he just said “shut it” to his assistants from now on I bet people would think he turned to religion or found jesus or something. Wake up and take a look at your brother. Pretty sad stuff.
Always funny to me when someone who doesn’t divulge THEIR real name tells everyone else to “man (or woman up)” and give THEIR real name.
Agree with XXXX re: the venom but if you knew Coop or had worked with Coop, you might change your tune a little.
HOWEVER, agents are agents people. Not ALL agents behave like this but COME ON! “SWIMMING WITH SHARKS” may be fiction but it isn’t folklore. I’ve been in the room to hear Ed Limato un-friggin-load on a Fox exec spitting words that almost made ME cry!
PS – How’s this for dirt…Todd Feldman is a pizza delivery boy turned agent that climbed the ladder quickly due to the dirt he had on Jim Wiatt and Lubes is “Lubes”. (Both good agents though!!)
The pot calling the kettle black: What’s your real name?
Oh please. Cooper was so D-list and had mostly crap clients. Anyone decent he stole from other agents. Everyone makes it out like it’s a WME loss. Ever think it might have been WME’s choice for him to go? He was just dead weight (along with the bulk of those let go after the merger). Now he’s CAA’s dead weight. Yeah, Josh Brolin is a loss now that his career has been revitalized…but Charlie Hunnam? Come on.
Don’t kid yourself. The atmosphere at WME is so toxic right now, CAA can pick and choose whichever agents they want from that place.
This Cooper guy is a bad apple from my impression.
Thank you.
And so Andrew Rogers finally publicly reveals what had been his intention since back when Sarah Clossey was one of the Talent Dept. heads at Paradigm: that he never intended to stay there because he thinks he’s bigger than Paradigm.
Only problem with that line of thinking is: Andrew Rogers isn’t a rainmaker. He didn’t sign Michael Cera, he merely intra-company poached him. He didn’t sign Mary Elizabeth Winstead. He’s just a glorified covering agent.
The biggest questions now are: 1) Does this mean that Jim Osborne will just take over that entire department now?; 2) Does this mean that Steve Small and Michael Lazo will be further marginalized since they bet all of their chips on the now-departed Rogers?; and 3) What happens to Nate Bryson – the guy who had absolutely no claim to being an agent, other than that he was Rogers’ loyal slave?
Hmmm: This is a huge loss for WME. Stop sugarcoating it. WME has been getting crushed by CAA since the merger, and this is another huge loss, following Shia leaving a few weeks ago. Cooper represents Michael Fassbender, who will be winning Oscars soon enough. I wonder who Matthew Fox will stay with?
Michael Cooper is an incredible agent and a fantastic colleague. As anyone who has worked with him can attest, the guy is smart, focused, possesses vision and creativity, and works tirelessly on behalf of his clients. He’s also damn funny.
Andrew Rogers is about a big a moron as there is in the agency business. Hearing he went over to ICM? UTA and CAA and WME all passed on him. I bet Gersh would have passed too. He is disgusting to be around and a slimy slob. I bet Michael Cera will eventually see the light. It isn’t like Paradigm has too many “stars” so it isn’t like Andrew can take too many people. This is probably the first time Sam Gores did something smart at the agency…next he needs to boot those deuchebags Steve Small and Norm Aledjem (or however you spell it).
Cooper lost all his pull when Jim Wiatt was kicked to the curb. Ari probably didn’t want to pay Cooper his $800k salary so he too let him go. I know he did do a lot for Josh Brolin’s carrer, but come on, Brolin won’t be a star for that long and to pay Cooper that kind of money is insane. Cooper is a little man. Not even 5ft6inches and his ego is as high as anyone would imagine. He kisses the right asses and steps on everyone else from his assistant to his best friends. I hope one day Carma will catch up with this guy because if there is anyone that deserves a knife to the back, it’s him. I’m sure Ari didn’t put up a fight to let him go. Less overhead and less ego in the WME offices.
What’s up with these cool signs at ICM. Mandvi is cool, as is Searce and Keaton. I hear Rogers is going to ICM too.
i only know one thing about this man. he’s a real prick to his assistants.
please tell me more about how he treats his assistants… I interviewed with him but didn’t get it. Dodged a bullet, I see.
Robert Stein was an arrogant, mean spirited, pathetic fool posing as a Hollywood somebody for years, riding off of the back of just one respected client (Mark)… I personally saw him over-negotiate this client out of millions. He truly was perhaps the person in town most often referred to as a “moron” and whom others shook their heads in disbelief when his name came up (like you do when someone brings up a famous football fumble, like Ernest Byner on the three yard line).
R.I.P.
Byner wasn’t the reason the Browns lost that game. The pathetic defense that showed up and allowed 38 pts to the Broncos blew it.
Byner was the reason they were in that game in the first place (Kosar had a little to do with it as well).
Oh, and Stein is a dick!
yeah i don’t like cooper either. i’m glad people are stating the truth about this guy. i’ve known him since the ICM days when he was on wiatt’s desk. he wasn’t the most trustful person i came into contact with and would always try to steal people’s thunder. slimy… nikkie, thanks for the forum.
oh god, i hate cooper. i wonder if he’ll get as many haters on here as he did when nikki reported when tommy lee jones left him and wiatt. the problem with him is that he was too privileged, had a sense of entitlement and also treated agents and assistants like they were 3rd class citizens with a green card. he also stole credit from other agents (CAA agents watch your back when teaming up with him). now that his protector (wiatt) is gone it will be interesting to see how he makes out at CAA. obviously Ari saw through his bullshit.
I agree with Karma for Cooper. He did treat people like 3rd class citizens. I remember once I was hanging out with an agent near Cooper’s office and I overheard him on the phone. Wow, what a maniac. He really swung his bullshit around by criticizing others. He also started screaming at his assistant who at the time was trying her best with what she had. Poor girl. I felt so sorry for her. People all told me she worked her butt off trying to please him. I ran into this poor girl months after and she decided to take time off because of the mental abuse.
I never liked Cooper. Bad vibes. Hopefully CAA will steal away his clients and show him the door. He’s not a good apple.
Michael Cooper is Bob Cooper’s son. Is he also 60’s and 70’s literary agent Frank Cooper’s grandson? If so, that fully explains his becoming a big time agent since Jim Wiatt’s first gig as an agent in this business — even before his ICM days — was as the protege of Frank Cooper.
Which would go to prove not only the “The Sun Also Rises”, “The Son-In-Law Also Rises (David O. Selnick vis. Louis B. Mayer) but also “The Grandson Also Rises”
Get Real,
The only thing funny about Cooper is his hair.
Thank you.
All of you that are posting anonymous comments trashing Michael Cooper, you’re typical Hollywood cowards that would never have the BALLS to say that to anyone’s face. Either speak nicely about people, or show you’re name!
Don’t be an idiot. You really think anyone wants their name out there? It has nothing to do with being a coward or not.
And who cares? Everyone has personal experiences with people in this town, some good, mostly bad. The nameless comments allows for honest opinions – but does it really change anything. I deal with Coop, I think he’s a putz, but so what, I still deal with him – doesn’t mean I want him over for American Idol finale.
And I read that someone else feels that he’s one of the top 5 best guys on the planet – it still doesn’t change my opinion of him being a putz.
It’s not like comments are influencing people – just sharing opinions. Chill out dude.
To quote Bob Sugar (JERRY MAGUIRE): “Finally! Someone said it!”
Well-worded Arturo. Except for the American Idol finale part. You lost me there…
Michael Cooper has done wonders for Josh Brolin’s career. I’d pass on the new Wall Street movie if it didn’t have Brolin.
Andrew Rogers is an outstanding agent. I have worked with him over the years and he keeps his clients working and helps them choose good projects. He has a solid list of up-and-comers as well as veteran actors who all constantly work.
Where ‘Anonymous’ is most incorrect is that it’s hard to be a rainmaker unless one is at one of the big four agencies. If Mr. Rogers moves on to one of those agencies, I think he’ll have an easier time. If I were a top actor, I would choose an agency with top directors. Paradigm doesn’t have any.
Also, this notion that Cooper/Rogers ’steal’ intracompany clients is absurd. If the signing agent isn’t getting the job done, then a fellow agent should do the client, and the company, their just duty and help them find work and progress in their career.
I think a lot of this hate is jealousy. Lord knows that Cooper isn’t the first person to benefit from a famous last name, but I doubt he would’ve survived if he hadn’t done a solid job. As far as I know Rogers isn’t a legacy, just a hard-working young agent who is probably moving on to bigger and better things.
To Lou (Cooper is that you?),
Why would anyone show themselves? So they can be blackballed? This blog is all about venting with no repercussions…You see…if people start naming themselves than others like Michael Cooper (jerk) will blackball them in the industry calling everyone they know and telling lies. That’s why!!! Nikki has great reporting skills and knows a great story, but also this site is successful because you can vent about this stuff. People have an open forum to discuss this because they can’t go to HR and complain. That’s useless in this industry. Maybe Cooper will change his behavior now. Limato might of yelled at a Fox exec and it may have been wrong, but hey he’s Ed Limato…give him some respect. I’m sure the exec deserved it anyways. Who is Michael Cooper but just a tiny little man that got handed everything…People want to know what really happens behind the scenes. Karma is a bitch. Maybe he should of realized that when he was stepping on people and taking credit when credit is not due. I hope Nikki continues to print this because it needs to be said.
hey mr annonymous, its so much easier to deal with someone else’s success by rationalizing that he was handed everything. you think he could’ve lasted in this town if he didn’t have something to back it up? as for karma, you think cooper’s hurting? he’s the winner here. and yes keep printing nikki, you’re certainly aren’t going to change anyone’s mind bitter guy
Won’t state the exec’s name but she had it comin’ BIG TIME. Ed is the man.
Totally agree with everything Mr. Anonymous stated. These requests for commentors to use their real name is getting a little old. Everyone here should know by now that this is a venting site. Anyone sincerely requesting the identity of a commentor is either the recipient of the venting or someone not in the business.
We do business with people we hate EVERY SINGLE DAY. We hug it out at Kate Mantilini’s and discuss when we could get together for a beer then call our assistant’s to inform them that they are not to set anything with that piece of shit.
This is the business. Love it or please, get the f out…
thank god someone is telling the truth about cooper. here i thought i was all alone in knowing he was human scum. oh well nothing to concern myself with but i huge smile on the face of many people in the industry who have hatred for him. good luck michael i hope you change your outlook on how you treat people while at CAA. you’re no jay maloney (RIP) and ovitz is not around anymore. in your case jim wiatt is not around to protect you. maloney god rest his soul. in his heyday before 94-95 he was “the man.”
I never like Michael Cooper (Wiatt’s so called wonder boy). I remember when he took credit for Henry Cavill getting his tv show while I was in the staff meeting and he announced it. Too bad he didn’t mention Ashley Josephson’s name who was really the agent that got Cavill the job. Ashley is one of the best young agents out there. She did it all for Henry. Cooper did nothing. Also, Alan Gasmer (nicest man ever) and Cooper got into it during a staff meeting and when Alan showed him up Cooper went and told on him to Wiatt. Wiatt threatened Gasmer with his job because he didn’t take shit from the little man. Why would Gasmer ( a respected veteran of this community) take it from Cooper? NO WAY! We need more people like Gasmer…LESS of Cooper.
i howled when i read “rogers is a blowhard” because he is! and he’s a slob too. If he’s going to ICM, he’ll have to at least buy a suit that fits, get a haircut, change his rumpled rabbi look and lose a few pounds if he wants to fit in. With regards to taking talent, he didn’t really rep anyone but michael cera (who he stole from another agent). He had mary elizabeth winstead, but she fired him.
Lou-you should learn the difference betweenthe use of “your” and “you’re” before you jump in the ring here….you should prob move back over to the Daily Candy blogs where everything’s light and fluffy
I’m new to this website and I love it. I guess it’s nice to talk shit here like a throwback to middle school online forums. It seems as if a lot of you guys have a lot of steam to let out. (Agency work a bit competitive and high pressure eh?) As long as you all don’t call people f@ggots and threaten to kick someone’s ass I say fight on.
I’ve never posted on this site before, though obviously I read it regularly. As someone who works with and speaks to Andrew Rogers every single day (and often on weekends), I think I am in a better position than most to have an opinion. Andrew has done that rarest of things as an agent at a second tier agency, which is to build and nurture real careers, while actually managing to hold onto his clients.
The only reason I’m not posting my name is that I have other business with Paradigm and I don’t want to hurt feelings. But anonymously posting hateful, ignorant comments about a guy in transition, who may be vulnerable, is low class behavior. Rogers was a star at Paradigm and he will thrive wherever he lands.
Rogers is still a blowhard. He is a slob and a putz. Watch how little he thrives at a place like ICM which will spit him back out to the street.
I also have had experience with Rogers and others at Paradigm over the years and have a very different opinion. The things said about him are all true. He is sloppy, rough around the edges and couldn’t sign a client that wasn’t already at the agency to save his life. Very immature and had NO business being the head of that department. It’s just that Paradigm is so light on star talent that Gores had no choice but to give in to Rogers outrageous demands. Now everyone at Paradigm can see that while enormously talented, Michael Cera is not a movie star so Rogers became expendable and they wanted to unload his salary.
By the way, you say you don’t want to mention your name because you have other business at Paradimg and don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and yet you call Paradigm a 2nd tier agency. Does that mean you represent 2nd tier clients?
Poor Andrew Rogers. He needs Michaels manager to back him up.. When will this talent manager learn that Andrew has been nice to him only because he is Michael’s manager? Smarten up Willie Mercer. Michael will be better off at CAA with your other client Jay Baruchel. You may be the only guy in town that thinks positive of slob Rogers. I hear Paradigm agents were celebrating his departure. Face it, he was quite disliked inside those halls. When he doesnt land, you should hire him….then he can poach the clients inside your office as well.
Actually, Talent Manager, the fact that you work with and speak to Andrew Rogers every single day does NOT mean that you are in a better position than most to have an opinion. Rather it simply means that you’re more likely to have a biased opinion on the matter.
Case in point: you say that Rogers has done that “rarest” of things, which is 1) to build and nurture real careers, while 2) managing to hold onto his clients.
So, I guess “Pathfinder” was a great career move for Moon Bloodgood? Or “Journeyman?” Or “Day Break?” Or “What Just Happened?” Hmmm…is that why she left him? (After which her new agency put her in “Terminator: Salvation”)
And I suppose that the flops “Black Christmas,” “Bobby” and “Death Proof” (in which she basically had an under-5 role) were great career moves for Mary Elizabeth Winstead?? Hmmm…I guess that’s why she left him?
And I guess you’ll have to remind me exactly which of Michael Cera’s movies has grossed even $50M since “Juno” and “Superbad,” both of which were about 3 years ago???
You do realize that, by way of comparison, Nick Stein signed Cameron Diaz way back when he was at APA, that he booked her on “The Mask” and that he’s kept her ever since, right?
That’s the difference between a real star agent and a wannabe. And also the difference between objectivity and subjectivity.
Cooper is a narcissist. That is the answer for everything that explains the way this guy operates. He will never change. He is not capable of chanhe. He only knows how to bully and be mean. He is nice and generous to those he cares for bt don’t be fooled and surprised when he turns on you. Don’t ever feel sorry for him and what people say on these boards. He loves the attention and feels sorry for no one.
For everything he says and does..the answer is its because he is a narcissist. Actually this trait is helpful to be a good agent. However, he will never change because its like a real charcter issue and this is what he will be remembered for no matter how succesful he ever is. I don’t feel sorry for him about what people say
I don’t know Michael Cooper from a hole in the wall. Except in my one experience with him. I am a nobody from nowhere. I made a call. Sent an email. Made another call. Sent another email. Made another call. Sent in another email. Finally talked with his asst. Coops asst told me to send in my script that I wrote for T.L.J. Coop read it. Called me. Gave me hope. You can’t put a price tag on that, my friends. Hope is worth all the gold in the hills to those who’ve never seen it or tasted it. Michael Cooper. Bless you. You are a beacon of light to those who have little. C.A.A. will get much lighter and brighter from this man.
Rita Rudner says that LA is a town that will kill you with hope…
Reading all this about Cooper is really something else. I know him well and have known him for several years. Worked with him while at ICM when he was a little pisher on Wiatt’s desk. What I can tell you is that he is a good agent and fights hard for his clients, but most of what everyone has read on these blogs is unfortunately true. Cooper has no class, no integrity, no guts, no spine, no heart and in Hollywood that kind of behavior and morals get rewarded if you do the job well. See that’s the problem with Hollywood. People don’t care if you treat assistants and fellow agents like shit as long as you get clients work and make money for whatever firm you work for. However, the longer you stay around and keep acting like a Cooper, you won’t last. Look at Ovitz and look at Wiatt. Not that I’m comparing Cooper to a Ovitz or even a Wiatt. I don’t feel sorry for Cooper, but when it’s all said and done and he looks back on his legacy and how many people he stepped on, stepped over and or lied to directly to their face, is it really all worth it. Will Cooper have regrets? Sure it’s nice to drive a fancy car and have a multi-million dollar house, of which Cooper has both, but you ultimately pay the price and have to live with yourself. Hollywood execs. need to be held to a higher standard and it will never happen and people like Cooper will never change unless something is done about it. The CAA culture should hopefully help Cooper a little because a veteran class agent like Richard Lovett won’t stand for the way Cooper treats others. Just like Ari fired Darren Statt for the way he yelled at some Dreamworks asst., Lovett should do the same if Cooper behaves the way he is use to and was unfortunately allowed to get away with. I love working in this industry, but I too have paid a price and have to live with myself. However, at the end of the day I get to go home to my kids and that’s why I get up again in the morning and deal with scum like Cooper.
Sounding like we may have roamed the same halls. I have no clue who this is but I will say this is the one comment on this entire board that everyone interested in being a studio exec or agent should read.
I agree that Coop could mellow a little at CAA but I also know how he can be around his old buddies Todd and Joel.
cooper is refreshing this page constantly and reading all these negative comments, and trying to get re-assurance from others and acting hurt, asking, “am i really like that?” yes you are. you think that all your little accents and imitations make you likable, when you’re really just the court jester. his favorite thing to do is popping in a video of himself re-enacting the diner scene from Michael Mann’s HEAT and showing it off to his peers and clients. “look at me, i’m de niro, now i’m pacino…!”
they say karma is a bitch and yes it is. i wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up like michael gruber who repped clooney and then lost him to bryan lourd and gets booted from CAA. Hylda, i hope you don’t welcome cooper into the fold considering how he liked to bash you to Henry Cavill, and yes Ashley Josephson DID bring Henry into Cooper’s life and deserves more credit.
let’s not forget, how great a signer you are… just ask Judy Marte… wait Judy who? Brolin and Hunnam were inherited, you never signed them. but yes you’ve done well for Josh… ONE client how long have you been an agent? about time. as for charlie… thank brian depersia that he’s got his career back.
get over your napoleon complex, and acting like your father, who’s like a keebler elf, and stop being selfish, THEN maybe you’ll really truly prosper at CAA. if anything at least maybe NOW you’ll get your wish and finally get to rep Shia.
To Tori Profit and all you angry anti-cooper, I should really get off these sites since reading all this trash about Cooper big and little is making me sick. I love how you all go to the height jokes. Its so easy when you have little else to say. He wasn’t nice to an assistant? You know what, the job of an assistant is hard work and sometimes you get criticized for screwing up, that’;s the business. Meanwhile, he works all the time, and does read constantly, just not this blog – i know for a fact he hasn’t even looked at it!!!
Hey Insider, you sound like a real A-hole too. It is not an assistant’s job to take the blame for Cooper when he messes up. Coop uses his assistants as a scapegoat for everything. Even if some poor kid (trying to make it) messes up, there is NEVER an excuse to treat them the way Cooper does. It is disgusting. Assistants take the shitty job so that they can learn and grow while using their boss as a mentor. Cooper bought into the same system when he started with Jim Wiatt. Don’t sit there and try and justify disrespectful and outrageous behavior because you are a friend of his (which is sad). Also, I KNOW FOR A FACT he does look at this site and is reading these comments. Sad I know, but true. Have fun with your little friend. Your comment was as hilarious as it was ignorant.
To Tori Profit and all you angry anti-cooper, I should really get off these sites since reading all this trash about Cooper big and little is making me sick. He wasn’t nice to an assistant? You know what, the job of an assistant is hard work and sometimes you get criticized for screwing up, that’s the business. Meanwhile, he works all the time, and does read constantly, just not this blog – i know for a fact he hasn’t even looked at it!!!
who said anything about assistants screwing up? Cooper was never satisfied with anything. everyone knows this is Hollywood baby…we’re just telling it like it is. bitching at a assistant is one thing. berating her to the point of exhaustion is another. and that is what michael does. not just to assistants but to anyone who he thinks is beneath him. and trust me yes 100% michael is reading these posts daily and most likely hourly. besides criticizing others, ordering from porta via, and talking to brolin he refreshes his nikki finke page hourly. i would say 45 percent of any good comments on here are from him. look at the wording of the posts…example…he always says “fiercely loyal, reading constantly more than other agents”, etc etc.” i used to deal with michael on a daily basis over at william morris endeavor. i know him and he thinks i like him. truth be told i hate him. i have never met a more selfish man in my life. his sister should stay off this blog as well. she is just stirring up more frustration with these readers or is trying to get her name out there as a writer. she cant be that good if she is reading her brother so wrong on his character.
Crosby won’t let Cooper near Shia when he goes to CAA. Megan showed respect during that courtship period.
I love her but she hate me cause I didn’t like some script.
Sorry to break it to the haters but Cooper IS getting the karmic kickback he deserves. Yes, he is Bob Cooper’s son…but rather than take the easy road and trade on his last name, Michael has built a reputation for himself by working tirelessly with a passion and dedication that belies any sense of entitlement. He reads constantly. He is not afraid to a have a point-of-view. He is honest, direct, and doesn’t play games. He takes the job seriously while always maintaining a sense of humor. Most importantly, Michael Cooper is an indefatigable advocate for his clients. The guy represents the best qualities in a representative. Any agency would be lucky to have him.
“He reads constantly.”
Clearly he’s been “reading” these boards and posting comments regarding “karma” in his defense! LOL!!
I think the above comment must have been written by Coop himself. Does anyone actually think 9oop is so wonderdul and funny and getting a karmic kickback. The reason for so much venom on this board is because you are someone that is like out of swimming with sharks! You may have said some nice stuff to a writer or joked around some time buy truth betold you are filled with so much insecurity and rage and have acted with so much non character is actually frightening.
He probably thinks he is Ari Gold and therefore its good to be hated. Yes, Cooper reads scripts. Well he should, he is an agent, that would be the professional thing to do. Jealousy some say? Please, there are lots of successful people that people don’t hate.
To be a good business man/ wheeler dealer in this biz does not mean that you have to be “that horrible guy” that cliche awful guy. The very best of the best succeed with lots of class and execellent business savvy. And if Coop wins, some may feel like its evil trumps good and we think we have to be terrible people to succeed.
For all you defenders… Really? Do you think people would be so worked up if this was not true?
Good on you Coop for your success. You are envied by some and hated by others because they think you got to where you did buy stealing credit and being Wiatt’s spy. Not sure what they would do different if they were in your shoes. People write books about people who are really horrible and do really well in the biz. Maybe that is your goal?
Money is something but your character and reputation is actually everything. Its everything because its what people talk about when you leave the room. Its what people remember when you die.
“So, I guess “Pathfinder” was a great career move for Moon Bloodgood? Or “Journeyman?” Or “Day Break?” Or “What Just Happened?” Hmmm…is that why she left him? (After which her new agency put her in “Terminator: Salvation”)”
This proves that you don’t know what you are talking about. Rogers not only put her in Terminator Salvation, he helped negotiate a release from Street Fighter so she could arrive on set on time.
“And I suppose that the flops “Black Christmas,” “Bobby” and “Death Proof” (in which she basically had an under-5 role) were great career moves for Mary Elizabeth Winstead?? Hmmm…I guess that’s why she left him?”
She was Bruce Willis’s daughter in Die Hard 4, as well as the female lead in the upcoming Scott Pilgrim. Tell me genius…what was she doing before all this?
But the funniest thing is, you keep going on and on mentioning project after project…proving that he found them work. And they ain’t exactly stealing work from Scarlett Johannsen or Emily Blunt since.
“Now everyone at Paradigm can see that while enormously talented, Michael Cera is not a movie star so Rogers became expendable and they wanted to unload his salary.”
Unload his salary? Is that why he’s moving on to a bigger/better agency? People who are cut by the D-League don’t go on to the NBA. It’s the other way around. In this case, it’s someone moving up from the D-League and signing with the Orlando Magic.
And aside from Katie Heigl, they don’t have any other lead actors/actresses. So yes, that makes sense, they got rid of the guy who has a star and keep all of the other agents who rep Billy Zane, Hayden Christensen and Mischa Barton. No, no, no, this logic makes perfect sense.
Perhaps the Indianapolis Colts should cut Peyton Manning and sign Tony Mandarich just in time for the Super Bowl.
Anonymous: excellent description of Andrew Rogers. Your facts are spot on, except for one: Paradigm did put Moon Bloodgood in T4. That was her last movie at the agency. Another interesting fact though is that Rogers fought to NOT have Moon do T4. He didn’t want her to audition. He thought she was too big to “read”. He thought that while she was off in Thailand doing STREET FIGHTER it was below her to “put herself on tape”. Lucky for Moon, the Warners covering agent and Moon’s manager got around Rogers and made it happen. No credit for Rogers on that one.
IF Andrew Rogers lands at ICM or Talentworks or Willie Mercer, his new colleagues and bosses are going to need to know a few things:
1) Never shake his hand – he doesn’t shower or wash his clothes
Don’t believe ANYTHING he says – he is a liar through and through; he is incapable of telling the truth
2) Never do a deal with him – he will fuck it up; he has no clue how to negotiate or make a deal
3) Never share a client with him – he will turn the client on you
4) Don’t bring him into signing meetings – he is an embarrassment both physically and conversationally – he won’t look anyone in the eye and that makes people nervous; as stated above, he has the slimy agent quality that most people hate
5) Pay him half of what he demands – he is half the agent that he thinks he is and his clients won’t make any money; as stated by Anonymous above, he put his clients into small shitty movies that don’t make any money. THE YEAR ONE was supposed to be Cera’s payday….yeah, didn’t happen.
– also, keep him on a short leash with his expenses; he loves to spend other people’s money
6) Don’t make him head of anything – he is the worst manager of personnel in the Greater Los Angeles area; it is true that Paradigm is cheering his departure and sighing relief
7) Don’t let him run any meetings – he will make up certain so called “facts” about movies, studios, executives and clients that he knows nothing about and try to belittle the entire staff with these lies in order to make himself look like the big dog
9) If he attempts to gossip about a colleague, don’t buy it; he loves to manipulate and getting groups of people to turn on the people that don’t kiss his ass; he trumps up false charges against his “enemies”; he is the anti-thesis of a team player. Every agency has one, he is that ONE!
10) Don’t kiss his ass; if you do, then you will pay the price because he will at some point turn on you – he has zero loyalty
11) Stay away from him as much as possible; he is cancerous and dangerous to an organization and will cause great harm to your business
12) Don’t loan him any money – he will never pay you back. He feels that the world owes him something, and certainly you do for being so stupid to loan him money
Good luck to you future colleagues and bosses of Andrew Rogers, you’re going to need it.
Hey Anonymous and Colts Fan: I’m not Willie Mercer, but I’ll tell you what. You print your real names (which Nikki can verify) and I’ll print mine. Unlikely, I’m sure. For all we know, you’re an assistant with a grudge. That’s what makes you so cowardly.
Yes, in addition to my higher-level clients, I rep some second-tier people as well. Show me a manager who doesn’t other than Rick Yorn. Hopefully that won’t be the case for long. Meanwhile, your Cameron Diaz analogy is sheer stupidity. So Vanilla Sky and In Her Shoes were major successes? She should have left Nick? To go where?
Show me a talent agent and I’ll show you a talent agent whose clients have done bad movies. The major releases of the past two weekends were Edge of Darkness, Tooth Fairy, When In Rome, Legion and Extraordinary Measures. Lots of box office winners, right? Lots of Academy nominations expected. Please. Get in the business. There are infinitely more failures than successes and Rogers’ clients are bound to be in a few of them.
And if sloppiness were the benchmark for failures, I can think of two Endeavor partners whose expense accounts are higher than your gross income and whose careers would have derailed long ago. While yours has thrived, right?
I mean it. Come clean with who you are and I’ll do the same. No? Didn’t think so, cowards.
Ok ok so I’ve read all the comments thus far about Michael Cooper. I’ve also known him since the old ICM days from Wiatt’s desk. I have to say I agree with all the negative comments. I also completely understand that the positive comments are all from his good friends (most likely Joel Lubin, Todd Feldman, Troy Zien, Brad Slater (he used to say Brad has bad taste in material), Esther Chang (made fun of her voice), Jim Wiatt, Phillip Grenz (Phil he mad fun of you all the time stop kissing his ass), his sister, or Michael himself which is probably the case) trying to make him out to be a “good guy.” What these people don’t understand is that they get treated well (to some degree) from Cooper because they are good friends and everyone on this site (and most likely hundreds more out there in Hollywood) especially the people venting are the ones who get treated poorly by Michael. This site is to vent! We should be able to vent. Why not? For the people that say they know cooper (his sister or good friends) better than anyone well that’s just not true. You may know cooper’s good side at times at family reunions or beers at the bar on the weekend, but what you don’t know is the absolute selfishness this man has to most people he comes into contact with. He is the meanest man in Hollywood. At least if Scott Rudin or Jerry Bruckheimer were yelling at you there would be some light at the end of the tunnel to hope they would help you with the future. He doesn’t have the same respect and following as those guys so it’s depressing to think he got away with all of this bad behavior. I was a mid level agent for many years and am much older than Cooper. I’ve been in the business a long time and in all these years he has to be the most inconsiderate person I know. Hollywood is what it is and will reward these cruel people and we can only wish they learn from the mistakes, but he will never change. Did his sister think coming on this site and saying something positive would scare us? Did she think that we would shut up because she knows him better than us? I would advise her to stick to her writing career and stay off of here because she doesn’t know her little brother as much as she thinks unless she and him were taught by daddy bob in the same ways of the world. People are fed up with him. What else can people do about it but vent on Nikki Finke???? Shut it!!! We will write the negative comments because we are mad…Mad at him for being selfish. Mad at him for being a mean spirited person with no values. So stop telling people to state there names and get real. Who else is with me???? Speak up! Write up and speak the truth about this guy. I’ve had it with Cooper’s behavior! I’m just glad I’m not alone and there are more out there that agree with me. Nikki, thank you for this blog. It’s needed in a lot of ways you wouldn’t imagine.
No, i went on this site because i believe in standing up for family, and for what i believe is true. you’re all talking about looking back at the person you are when you die, that ultimately it’s about character, well, thats why i’m here on this site owning my name. because i was taught by my so called hollywood family that ultimately that’s what’s most important. and just like you, i’m giving my opinion and another side. and real knowledge that we were handed nothing, that michael works his ass and really cares about his clients and material and what this business is supposed to be about.
Sherri, I’m sure everyone is fine with you sticking up for your Michael. Anyone of us would stick up for our family. The real issue here is that many people don’t like Michael because he is selfish and mean spirited as some of the posts have been saying. You’re his sister. He’s going to treat you like a member of the family. The people on this blog are simply stating what has happened to them and others they know. You can’t honestly say you know his real character because let me assure you he has treated many many people poorly over the course of his career. No one is disputing the fact that he works hard for his clients, but other agents or managers work just as hard if not harder than him without all of the selfishness and cruel behavior he has portrayed over the years. Yes, some agents/managers are cruel and nasty but not to the degree Michael has shown. You don’t deal with him on a daily basis in the office. You don’t know him like that. It’s probably better you don’t see that side of him because it would disgust you. Everyone on this blog is simply stating the facts about how he has behaved. That’s all. I highly doubt anyone is just being angry for the reason of boredom. Trust me, most of the people on this site work there asses off harder than Michael (agents and assistants) and they have decided to take a few minutes out of the hectic day to write the truth…Those few minutes are taken so they can get the word out and make sure people know who he is and what he’s done. Actions define character. I know you don’t agree with this, but if there are over 60 posts so far about Michael than I’m sure you can figure out that he’s not well liked for a good reason. Look at all the posts!! Do you know how many people complained about him internally alone? Michael thinks he’s better than everyone else so he now has to own up to this. He needs to check himself in the mirror everyday and tell himself he will be a better person to his fellow man and woman.
hey sis – knowone can blame you for sticking up for your brother but please understand that michael is getting the karma he deserves. bad guy equals bad karma. period. i’m sure you’re a nice woman and all but understand that he screwed over many people. it’s true…he did…
With Rogers gone, does this mean that Small and Osborne are going to have to start coming in before noon?
over 50 comments for cooper alone…wow…well let me jump in too and add that he is a scumbag. i tried to get a hold of him (trust me he knows me well) to no avail. i hooked him up with favors in the past and i still haven’t gotten a callback. i also heard from close friends that he told them he was using me to get things and he called my company a bunch of loosers. well, the company i work for might not be as powerful as the top 3 agencies but we work hard for our clients and i resent all the bad things i heard. i know this though…i will never take his call again not for favors not for an apology or nothing…goodbye michael. it was not nice knowing you. you’re really a putz like some people have been saying on here. PS- He also was the one who tried to steal Channing Tatum away from Louise Ward many times before she got to WMA and during her stay there as well. He used to also make fun of her husband, Will Ward from Roar Management. He thought Will was low class. Trust me, I know…They’re alot of people out there that have Cooper horror stories…
I think michael cooper will fade away into oblivion once he starts stepping on people’s toes at CAA. I worked as a floater on Troy Zien’s desk one time (COOP’s office was next to Troy’s in the old WMA building) and would listen to him yell at his assistant at the time April. In COOP’s eyes everything she did was wrong. She couldn’t get a break. She handled it good though and kept on fighting until she had to take a leave of absence from the agency. My guess is she was psychologically damaged due to the torture chamber of Michael Cooper. I;m so glad others are talking about this. I was scared of him like most other assistants were and I didn’t know if I should of reported him. But that’s not my call. I’ve floated for a lot of agents at the old WMA (probably 50 agents in all different departments) and I’ve never seen someone treat others as poorly as he did. Also, overheard him on the phone with producers or whomever and he would I don’t know…somehow have an air of superiority with his tone of voice. I haven’t read all these comments because they are too many of them but got the jist of what everyone was saying so I at least wanted to put in my two cents and add that I too don’t like Cooper. Bad dude…..
Oh man these comments are brutal. I now have to join in and thank everyone who is supporting the COOP haters. The only client he does work for is Brolin. If anyone gives him a good idea for Brolin he thanks them and then announces in staff meetings or phone calls that he came up with the idea. Brian Depersia was the one working hard for Charlie Hunnam and also got him “Sons of Anarchy.” I wonder if Charlie knows how much Depersia helped him? Reality is that COOP’s a bad man who deserves the negative attention. Hey, who knows… it might help his career with all this attention, but you know one thing is for sure…he is going to ride in his Porsche every morning from his multi million dollar home in the Hills and think “am i really this bad with people?” Yes, Mr. Cooper you are. You are not only this bad, but worse. I have no respect for him whatsoever. I remember he criticized Britney’s husband (agent at WME) all the time without him knowing it. He would make fun of him on his covering reports. I think Britney’s husband is a great person with good values set in place. He is very well liked. But that’s the thing with Michael he uses his humor to get by and make fun of others in a less fortunate position who aren’t Wiatt’s cronies. Well guess what…Wiatt is out!! Thank god for that. Let’s see if Cooper can make it on his own without Wiatt at CAA. Obviously he couldn’t survive Ari & Co. at WME without his mentor protecting him.
I can only imagine the embarrassment that Coop must feel right now. Anyone that works in Entertainment reads Deadline Hollywood. This is horrible to have so many comments written about a person. This is really bad.
Wake up people!!!!!!! Feel bad for the assistant that was mentioned that had to take a break from all the mental abuse!
I hope he can no longer intimidate. I hope the next time he acts up people will see him as a clown and maybe even capture it on a cell phone and broadcast it.
Bottom line: Cooper works his ass off and gets results. Josh Brolin went from a failed television series to an Academy Award nomination. Michael Fassbender went from UK obscurity to being Hollywood’s next big thing, Charlie Hunnam went from bit player in Cold Mountain to starring in a critically-acclaimed television series. Coop has always been fiercely loyal to his friends and colleagues. Don’t be jealous of his success. He’s earned it.
Its his behavior that is in question. Read the posts! No one is jealous of the reputation he has created for himself. No one!
Just goes to show you that karma is a bitch for cooper. He should take all of this and learn from it. Maybe it will do him some good to start treating people better. I was also a victim. He probably doesn’t remember my name, but now maybe he will at least take the time to have conversations with the little people.
If he is so fiercely loyal to all his colleagues then why are they all posting on here how awful he is?
Bottom Line is that he has far too big of an ego and needs to get over himself.
Cooper is a little midget and a compulsive liar. Like most little people in tinseltown, he has a Napoleon complex like you wouldn’t believe. All his years getting his ass kicked in High School is probably the reason why he acts like he does. Or it could have been the way Wiatt humiliated him and used to call him a midget and throw pencils at him, that could be why he treats assistants like shit. ANywho, he is an ugly little troll with a shortman’s complex who will one day real soon find himself out of a job because no one likes him. Oh, and those who defend him are all little people too.