Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Camacho, United Talent Agency partner and head of the agency’s alternative department, has resigned from UTA after five years and is leaving agenting. The move comes two weeks after Camacho’s former client, reality television producer Scott Einziger, dropped his $10-million lawsuit against UTA and Camacho as the two sides settled out of court. Camacho did resign on his own accord, though I hear he would’ve been terminated by the agency. His lieutenants Brett Hansen and Joe Labracio will take over day-to-day duties of running UTA’s alternative department under managing partner Jay Sures. Camacho just announced his resignation in a company email:

Dear Colleagues:

I have decided to resign as a Partner at UTA in order to pursue the next phase of my career.  This was a difficult decision.  My time at UTA has been incredible, and I am very proud of the department that we have built.  I feel certain that I am leaving the department much stronger and more vibrant than when I arrived, and that is very gratifying to me.

I will always be grateful for the opportunity that UTA gave to me when I joined.  I believe that there are few places anywhere that embrace and support people and ideas the way this agency does.

As I look forward, I am sure of one thing and that is that we will be working together in a new capacity that will be rewarding and exciting for us all.

Michael

In a phone interview, Camacho called the timing of his resignation following the lawsuit settlement a “total coincidence,” noting that he had been thinking about a career change. “I’ve been in the agency business for 20 years, and now I’ll take a beat to figure what else I can be as passionate about as I was about being agent,” he said. He thanked UTA brass for being “very supportive” during the “tumultuous” past year while the litigation against him was going on before “it got resolved as it should’ve been” in an “above-board, classy and elegant way.” He has yet to sit down with his clients but expects many to stay at UTA. Camacho joined UTA in 2008 after he was let go from CAA where he also was head of alternative TV.

Asked for comment, UTA issued the following statement:

“We are extremely grateful to Michael for the huge contribution he has made to UTA over the past five years.  His intensity and focus have been at the center of building a great business for us in the non-scripted television space.  He has trained a great group of senior executives who, under the guidance of Jay Sures, will continue to build this division both domestically and globally.  Brett Hansen and Joe Labracio will serve as day to day points as we grow the business under Jay’s leadership.”

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