
EXCLUSIVE: Iconic actor Al Pacino has rejoined CAA. Pacino, who’d been repped at that agency for around 22 years by Rick Nicita, leaves ICM Partners. It would be difficult to bash that agency for the job it did with Pacino, who is in the middle of a precedent-setting salary run starring on Broadway in Glengarry Glen Ross. That now-famous deal paid $125,000 per week to Pacino at the start of its run, against 10% of gross; a deal extension has pushed that up to a potential 36% of gross that positions him to earn as much as $250,000 per week at the end of his run, a remarkable figure for a straight play. The agency also packaged the Phil Spector HBO pic that David Mamet wrote and directed, and which HBO broadcasts March 15 with Helen Mirren also starring. They also attached Pacino to play Penn State coach Joe Paterno in a movie about his rise and fall from grace, a film that is still taking form.
Now, Pacino’s rep team at ICM Partners was fractured recently with the exit of Jeff Berg, the former longtime head of that agency who was very involved in Pacino’s career. Pacino also rejoined Nicita after he left Morgan Creek and became a manager. So it’s a homecoming at CAA for the two of them.


Does this mean he will not be reprising his role in Jack and Jill 2
Pacino could have landed those jobs without ICM, obviously. He’s the greatest actor of our generation. Major coup for CAA. ICM must still be wondering who turned off the lights after all these years. Not a good sign for the “young talent” at ICM either.
Was. WAS one of the greatest actors of our generation.
Unbelievable. Or is it. Pacino ONLY cares about making money. ICM worked their asses off for a 70+ actor who’s career will never be as good as it once was, no matter where he is. He had a bunch of projects in the pipeline due to ICM’s hard work, and all this proves is he’s just another self-conscious actor. I find this disgusting.
There is nothing to “find disgusting” about this. Unfortunately for ICM, no actor wants to have their name or reputation associated with that place. Like it or not, ICM is fading away.
says the CAA assistant….
Uh, not to break up theICM-bashing, but who cares about Al Pacino anymore? He was amazing in the Godfather in 1972, but he hasn’t been relevant in at least a decade. He has a big deal on Broadway, doing a revival of a 30-year-old play, yawn. He’s going to do a couple of HBO biopics if they come together. Whatever. He WAS a great actor, but Hollywood cares about the now and the money he’s bringing in is to quote his nemesis in Godather 2, Hyman Roth, small potatoes.
Whoa…chill out, man.
The guy (like 99% of celebs) is only trying to make money so I find it pointless for you to attack his integrity. *shrug*
99% of celebs??? im talking about ACTORS not celebs. and, that’s just simply not true. but good try.
Whereas you’ve devoted your life to serving others, eh?
He’ll come crawling back once CAA realizes how cold he is in the movie business. ICM worked so hard for this guy.
From the look of his rummy eyes and staggering gait in Stand Up Guys I don’t know that he’ll last long enough to crawl back.
ICM (and Adam Schweitzer in particular) did AMAZING work for Pacino–making record breaking deals for Broadway. And this is how Pacino repays him? WTF????
Agents care about earth-shattering deals. Actors care about earth shattering roles (ideally in close succession — i.e. a career), and then money’s nice too. An agent who wonders how an artist could leave despite a record-breaking deal fundamentally does not understand artists.
I am shocked — shocked — he didn’t go to UTA.
I’m shocked he didn’t go to APA.
If I was a manager in Hollywood, I would start to think twice about allowing my clients to be represented by such a failed company. Is ICM Partners even in the business anymore?
Look at their client list, idiot. Look at what’s on the air because of them the last three years alone (Homeland, Breaking Bad, and Modern Family to name a few, does anyone else get Emmy’s anymore?) I work at a competing agency. Do I think ICM is the best? No. Do I think all the bashing here is by people who know absolutely nothing? Must be the case.
He is a good actor…looking forward to his next performance as that coach but he is not even on the level of Robert DeNiro….
“It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business.”
His movie career has certainly cooled off in the last decade and it seems like ICM Partners did a good job of creating projects for him when the phone stopped ringing as much. Not sure I really understand his leaving. What an ugly business.
Another ungrateful actor. I don’t see what else could be done for him. Good luck at CAA where you won’t be valued nearly as highly. He’ll leave there within a year.
It’s pretty vicious the way a lot of you attack ICM Partners. I really like so many of the agents there. They are smart and really good at their job. It’s tough losing a client like Pacino, especially when it seems they have done an amazing job for him. Not sure why you want to kick them when they are down.
“Not sure why you want to kick them when they are down.”
Schadenfreude. That’s German for Hollywood.
Do you even go here?
If your question is directed to me the answer is I live here and am retired from “the biz”. Do you not think there is a disproportionate amount of schadenfreude in this business?
Bashing ICM or any agency is stupid. I believe that Jack Nicholson has one of the best careers ever, and he’s been with one agent, a solo practitioner, his whole career.
He is so beautiful and so flippin’ good in Godfather I and II. Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon were great too. But I’ve had a hard time watching him in anything after that. Devil’s Advocate was the worst film. Ever. He’s almost become a parody of himself. And where did he get that voice and that hang dog face, what the heck happened? Booze and cigs? Don’t know anything about his personal life.
He was worse in Jack and Jill. Much worse.
Hoo Ha!
hooooooooooooooooooo haaaaaaaaaaa
Unbelievable,
But you are not a manager and I am. This town is not for you, bro. You don’t get it. Get back to the prime rib customers.
Tanks.
Agreed!
everyone bashes icm because of silbermann. most hated guy in town since ovitz.
Please don’t ever put Silbermann and Ovitz in the same sentence. Silbermann should be so lucky.
How many more clients do these guys need to lose before they realize they have a major problem? People walk around that company in a total haze.
Five words: John Burnham is the worst.
Six words: John Burnham is not the worst.
Am I the only one who is seeing the obvious? Forget the ICM bashing, the Pacino bashing, etc.
Two words: Rick Nicita..DUH?! I don’t know, maybe someone(or two) at CAA felt like their former partner owed them one? or he felt he owed them one? Is that so hard to figure out?
Pacino’s “Glengarry” is at over 100% with S.R.O. because he’s a major movie star who, because they possibly lack the appropriate packaging elements, I.C.M. seemingly can not get movies for.
“Angels in America” was an unusual opportunity, property, and situation not a permanent career path or direction. I am really looking forward to seeing the Phil Spector (and Helen Mirren too) and for David Mamet who doesn’t get the credit he deserves as a filmmaker. (I particularly love “The Winslow Boy” which zero people have seen. “Let Right Be Done!” So un-”Mamet” but a beautiful adaptation.) But it definitely did seem as though Pacino was being positioned to be some kind of curiosity method wax figure for cameos and television movies. Compare what’s going on him with what DeNiro is doing. (Who’s so great in “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Being Flynn” – two great performances this year both supporting and lead.) Plus Pacino was with C.A.A. for years before going to I.C.M. so it’s very hard to accuse him of disloyalty. Maybe it has something to do with the way they treated Berg. It’s also pretty obvious with Silbermann in charge that most of the chips will be on television at I.C.M. as that’s Silbermann’s natural strength and a great one. But when is Chuck Lorre going to do a feature that’s what I wanna know. I would like to see that. Get that Kaley Cuoco on the Jennifer Aniston track where she belongs!
PACINO is the man…the actor and serious stuff. Pacino bashers can go to hell. None of you bashers will do the work he’s done and is still capable of doing. So hang in there with your hate and jealousy. Maybe it’ll get ya some guts. Doubt it.
Good move but maybe Z.P.I or even C.B.V would have been a better choice as they are both agency’s that work with the likes of Pacino. Remember, Burt Reynolds moved back over to S.P.P just last year and look what happened – they hit it out the park for him. Remember, Reynolds had been at S.P.P for years before he jumped ship to Z.P.I. Hardly disloyal, as some are saying about Pacino’s move to C.A.A. Good move! Lets just hope Pacino can get in shape and return for the forthcoming sequel to 88 Minutes. I’ve heard the script is hot – U.A.A who rep the screenwriter for that project are holding out for a bigger package than the studio has put on the table. Maybe, just maybe, C.A.A can tip the scales and get that sewn up and shooting soon.
Just as a side note – Christopher Nolan (C.A.P) has been brought on as executive producer on the 88 Minutes sequel. The reason being that Nolan has extensive knowledge of the IMAX format from his Batman films. Big Red Bell Productions, who are putting the sequel together, want to shoot the entire film using the format. I’m told that Nolan’s first job was to quickly shoot this down due to time constraints. Around 30 minutes of the movie will be shot using IMAX cameras, including a big set piece involving Al Pacino and a roof-top action scene above a speeding train.
I had the bad misfortune of being repped by CAA — it was the worst three years of my life. Yuck and double yuck.