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EXCLUSIVE: One of Innovative Artists’ biggest TV clients, Emmy-winning The Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons, has left the agency after 10 years. Parsons has not landed anywhere yet and is expected to take agency meetings at some point. When Parsons’ long-time agent at Innovative Craig Shapiro moved to ICM in April 2010, there was speculation that Parsons will go with him but the actor stayed at Innovative, which handled his Big Bang salary renegotiation last summer that earned Parsons a major salary increase and the agency a big commission bump. Parsons is a leading contender for the best actor in a comedy series Emmy this Sunday after winning the category last year. He continues to be managed by Marsha McManus.
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You neve know what goes on behind the scenes of any client/agency relationship, but on the surface this doesn’t make Parsons look very good. It LOOKS like this agency took him from zero to hero and helped him become super wealthy and successful, and now they’re getting dumped. That being said, I’m not a big fan of Innovative, so I can’t really blame him, lol.
ouch
Innovative sucks. They throw clients against the wall and see what sticks. Parsons is better off with a legit agency not this third tier place
Great deal for Innovative. They get the cash and don’t have to take the manager calls of why J.P. is not getting the “A” movie roles when he is on his hiatus. Or maybe he got mad that he wasn’t in “Entourage”.
Don’t be a dickhole.
That’s the agents JOB! The agency should know when his hiatus is, and which films, that are in prepro 6 months earlier, have roles for him. It’s called tracking, that’s why grids exist. Quit being lazy and greedy, and do your damn job.
Why leave your agency when your on top of the world? Of course you can go anywhere. Of course everyone will promise you the universe. But one can not possibly get a fair perspective of your own career at this height of success. Granted, Innovative is lacking and I am a huge JP fan. I just don’t see the upside here. Someone explain it to me-
That question would be applicable if he were at CAA, WME, ICM or UTA. Unfortunately — and I have nothing against Innovative — the better question would be “Why NOT leave (Innovative) when you’re on top of the world?”
OF COURSE he will be yes’d to death and promised the moon (Or the next Spielberg picture during his CAA signing meeting), but any of those four have better packaging abilities on their days off than Innovative will ever have on its own.
No loyalty has enough money to pay for his own movies. They all think they are movie stars.
He will be paint out all that commission and residuals and that all the money he will make anyhow.
Karma will follow. Always does.
He stayed for over a year after his longtime agent left, during which Innovative got the commissions for his big salary renegotiation, and Innovative now will collect big commissions for years and years without having to do any more work. That’s pretty loyal to Innovative, all things considered. His karma re innovative should be just fine. The interesting karma question is whether he will go back to his long time agent.
Ten bucks says wherever he signs, a deal for lead in a small indie will be announced within weeks. Innovative can’t package anything and it’s the only carrot a big agency can offer someone like him. So, why not leave? Innovative made their money off him, they should be grateful he didn’t leave before the negotiation.
Innovative made their $ and now get to keep it work-free in the future. All good!
Can’t say I was surprised with this one. Its about service and money – and Innovative is horrible with both.
This is good news. Innovative is often know as a difficult place to deal with. They are small scale. Getting calls returned is much more difficult than say at the more seasoned agencies like CAA. There is just a level of professionalism that is not often found at the Innovative and Paradigm’s of the world.
Good luck Jim Parsons. Good times.
Agreed.
Innovative should be — and I hope ARE — grateful that he stuck with them for as long as they did.
People need to realize that agencies like Innovative are what they are — rungs on a ladder. Some climb up that ladder — others tumble down it.
And for all those who accuse JP (or anyone else that leaves for stronger representation) of being “DISLOYAL”, here are two things you need to remember: 1) This is Hollywood. Hell, this is 2011! GROW UP!! 2) For every agency’s “Jim Parsons”, there are DOZENS of quality actors whose calls don’t get returned.
I couldn’t agree more with you. They did a great job helping developing his career, and he did hang around a lot longer than anybody outside of Innovative thought he would. (and most inside.)
And they are a different tier. That’s not a bad thing, but it is obvious at they’re not of the CAA, WME caliber. For every innovative agent that can complain about their client being stolen from WME or CAA, there is an agent at CESD, Coast to Coast, Osbrink, and more that can say the same thing.
Last rant, there are not dozens per Jim, but hundreds, of quality actors who don’t get calls returned. Most agencies are fiscal machines. That’s what they do. Doesn’t necessarily make them wrong, it just doesn’t make it an ideal job.
Jim is a talented guy on a top show and he probably needs to be at a bigger place for movies – -that said, Marsha McManus is a smart and honest manager so he’s in good hands no matter what
Hi Principal Entertainment!
Wake up! Parson’s is a ONE character actor…past this sit-com, where’s his range?…What else can he do?? so far…have seen nothing. For sure, he can’t open a feature…he and his manager need to get over themselves…or on the other hand, this next “Al Pacino” will be leaving her too.So much for loyalty. let’s watch those feature offers just rush in.
Just to address the question of his range, he was really wonderful and charming in a *very* different role in THE NORMAL HEART on Broadway this year. He has a lot of talent.
I just get this feeling that he is very arrogant — just based on his actions — that he didn’t wanted to negotiate his contract with the others, that he didn’t even mention his cast members during his acceptance speech and any interview i see him — i dunno. It’s wrong to judge a book by its cover, but thats the cover i see.
Have you ever met Jim? Have you ever met anyone who knows him? If not, your “feeling” doesn’t count.
So here’s a clue: He’s a real person and there are real people who know him who read this board and hate to see people talking smack about a sweet, down-to-earth guy who’s handling sudden fame about as well as anybody could.
lol have you even watched any of the acceptance speeches? he mentioned his whole cast on both the emmy and the golden globe ones.
It was widely believed that had Parsons’ team bargained in conjunction with Cuoco and Galecki, they would have received an even more favorable deal than they ended up with. Not that the $200K per episode they earned last season is chump change. But the writing was on the wall that someone was going to have to be the fall guy for that. Parsons is a great talent. If he wants to break out into bigger and better things, he would be better serviced at CAA, WME, UTA or even ICM (with his former agent). Once Shapiro left it had to be anticipated that Parsons would not be far behind since his primary relationship at that agency was with him.
All of these comments have missed an important point; it is not the agency that reps the actor, it is the individual agent or “team” of agents. and so, you can be at a smaller agency with great representation- people that know you and your strengths and flaws better than any group of expensive suits (or stilettos,) or at caa or wme, with terrible agents who do not understand or care what you want for your career, but have sold you a bill of goods, and are really there to pimp you to the highest bidder. If you are lucky, and you move to the big agency, your “team” view you as more than their year end bonus. there are some terrific agents at big agencies. But there is no guarantee that being at a “first tier agency” will generate better representation than being at a “third tier agency.” In fact, the client lists at the big agencies are crowded with actors who are wondering what happened to their careers.
I know Jim and he is a great guy, as are most of the folks at Innovative. This board never ceases to amaze. It’s like chum-infested waters here. Every agency sucks, we get it. 10 years shows Jim’s loyalty right there and he stayed for the renegotiation and thanked them at the Emmys. Innovative is good at what they do and they do a lot. I find it hard to believe that anyone really truly has a problem with them. Think of it this way, you know what you’re getting with Innovative, so going to a bigger agency could only mean a possible upside and at worst the same level of service. And Craig was not his only long-time agent, that needs to be corrected.
Well said – where’s Chris Pine repped? Or Ryan Gosling? Or even Kaley Cuoco!
Ryan and Chris/Kaley are repped by absolutely fantastic agents at two agencies that dont have the desire to deal with the politics that come with a “top tier” agency. On top of that, their agents are absolutely wonderful people… that never hurts.
It makes sense for Parsons to do all he can with his career while it’s hot. I’m convinced Sheldon is another character like Urkel – an albatross that will be around Parson’s neck for years after the show goes off the air.
could this payback to Innovative from years of stealing clients from smaller agencies?
He is a one trick pony
Shame on him and Marsha (who is a great manager)
A hot series, a film on hiatus and a Broadway play – directed by an Innovative client btw -but he fires them?
No I dont work for innovative but think they did a great job with this year’s Tony Randall
Well I’ve only ever seen positive comments from people who’ve bumped in to him, served him in restaurants or worked with him backstage etcetera – the kind of people arrogant people are likely to
be the most disrespectful to.
Before the renegotiation was settled he was asked how he felt about an early highly detailed article about their salaries and said he was surprised how much came from nothing.
He seemed at peace with the fact that people will inevitably talk and make assumptions as he put it.
I’ve also seen him mention and give credit to his castmates at least as often as the rest of the cast do when interviewed.
People, people. It’s Jim Parsons, for crying out loud. If you’ve followed his career just half as much as some of us have, you’ll know that he is one of the most grounded people in fickle ol’ Hollyweird. He MUST have an utterly sound reason for leaving Innovative; and whatever that reason is, it’s none of our beeswax. The fact that he stayed with Innovative despite Shapiro’s move to ICM in 2010 is enough proof of the man’s loyalty. And to the ignorant dimwits who are questioning Parsons’ acting chops, I’ve got three words for you: The Normal Heart. Now step away from your fucking gavels.
It’s Jim Parsons career, his choice, and his business. Let him be.