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I'm told that laid off William Morris agent Louise Ward will be announcing this morning that she is joining United Talent agency. She is taking with her such clients as Channing Tatum, Julian McMahon, Cobie Smulders, Alex Frost, and others. "Jim Wiatt thought he could throw her out on her ass and take Channing and Julian from her and not pay her the bonus she was promised after she had an amazing year," a source told me. "This will come out to be one of the stupidest decisions ever by an agency head, particularly in this economic climate." For instance, Julian McMahon is about to make a huge new deal with FX's Nip/Tuck for his final year which WMA can't commission. Channing Tatum (Step Up, the forthcoming G.I. Joe) is considered one of the hottest leads around and is a first dollar gross player and is available starting in January. Cobie Smulders' show, How I Met Your Mother, just sold into syndication for $400 million, and she is about to get a big raise. As my source explained, "Wiatt's timing could not have been stupider. Why would you fire an agent who was so profitable and not expensive and had a huge upside?" One insider tells me that WMA's John Fogelman even offered Ward a bizarre backchannel deal after the agency realized Channing Tatum was going with her: a guaranteed salary + 1/3 of Channing's revenues over a certain threshold in perpetuity if she quit the business. Ward had a contract that didn't end until May. But she was told at the start of October by WMA that she wouldn't be renewed. Morris insiders tell me they would have helped her find another job and honor her contract by paying her through May "to give her time to land somewhere". As the Morris insider chastized me, "That was the reason why it was never announced. No one would have known about it had you not written about it." This is the 2nd Morris agent that UTA has hired this month.
WMA's Louise Ward & Clients Land At UTA (...Who's Sorry Now?)
By Nikki Finke | Category: Agents | Friday October 24, 2008 @ 11:22am
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I love it!!!
All you clowns talking trash about UTA. What’s up now!!??
Doug Johnson, Louise Ward, Theresa Peters – they just added about 25 or 30 stars and great filmmakers to their roster in a matter of weeks.
In the post Nick, Lisa and Sharon era, the company is proving that it is still every bit the major player that it built itself as over the past decade or so. Great job by UTA’s leadership, and I hope people around town take notice.
Wait a minute.
Let me get this straight.
A major agency lays off an agent that makes money and honestly expected her clients to stay with them, and not move with the agent who did so much for them?
Methinks they’re laying off the wrong folks at WMA.
Jesus, these guys are the keystone cops…Wiatt’s an idiot, but I love that Fogelman is starting to get some attention…he is a world class fraud, who thinks he’s a brilliant strategist, but is actually just an arrogant accountant. Why would any client or agent want to be represented by or work for these guys?
bravo to louise, she’s had julian forever and he’s the best. the big guys will survive, it’s the little guys who will suffer, they always do. then they become the big guys to go on to abuse. it’s a cycle that perpetuates itself, isn’t it!
Why doesn’t WMA make the most obvious of all cost cutting decisions and just fire Wiatt?
As I mentioned on one of the previous posts…It would be a cold day in hell before Channing would leave Louise. BIG mistake WMA. Karma is a bitch and G.I. Joe now calls UTA home.
Wiatt is the dumbest person in hollywood. UTA is back in a major way.
Louise Ward is one of the nicest, most professional and hard working people in this business and it makes me happy to hear some good news come out of this town!!
It (almost) makes me want to be an actor instead of a writer so she could be my agent. UTA just won the lottery…
So much for the value of “GroupThink” at WMA.
Time for the foplks at WMA to look at the calendar and realize it’s 2008.
They are bleeding out like a hemopheliac in a pricker bush.
I just heard that UTA had an amazing retreat where they celebrated the departure of their former hated partners. It just shows you the value of getting rid of cancerous individuals. Nick, Lisa, and Sharron were despised and now they can cause an implusion at Endeavor. Lisa Hallerman is a joke with no clients making a $1,000,000/year. Nick Stevens had never shown up to Endeavor. That seems amazing for their culture.
UTA, on the other hand, is on a major roll. Every single person they have hired is a quality, decent, and great agent. I have a feeling you are going to see more people like Louise and Theresa join their shop. They have the best female agents in the biz – bar none.
As for WMA, let them and ICM die a slow death with their disabled and retarted leaders. I think you are going to continue to see the exodus of clients and agents from those agencies.
KARMA KARMA KARMA
Yay! Louis is one of the best people I’ve ever met in this Biz and it’s proven by how her clients stuck with her. WMA should be ASHAMED of itself for treating her this way. U people are numbnuts when it comes to keeping your own talent in the ranks. UTA continues on with a great addition.
Channing is a commanding screen presence but he needs serious media training if he wants to be a bigger star. His interviews are always disastrous, he always comes off so vacant.
Agreed, Louise is a class act and Lisa Hallerman is one of the most unpleasant agents in the biz. And that’s saying a lot.
WMA is the worst run “agency” around. From Wiatt, Wirtschafter and Weintraub to Fogelman, Smoller and Morgerman, the management represents a total and comprehensive lack of strategy and vision. Further, as was mentioned in your column several weeks ago, if WMA was a public company, they would be scrutinized and found to be corrupt. While the TV division (run by Itkin) is great, the rest of the place is a joke. Shanghai, Consulting, Talent, Sports should be looked at both fiscally and strategically. They bleed money and don’t deliver on promises. I feel so sorry for Norman to be witnessing this during his lifetime. Nikki – speak with former agents. The truth needs to be revealed. How can it be that they arbitraly – and without permission – withhold money from every agents paycheck (to invest it and make incremental revenue) and then deduct the invidual agents expenses at the end of the year. Weintraub is the worst of the pack. Karma is a bitch. CAA, Endeavor, UTA, ICM and all those that he’s screwed over will be thrilled when their is a coup and WMA is restored to the once powerful agency that it was (and should be).
MAJOR PROPS TO UTA!! They are going to be the come back kids. It’s actually a very decent group over there and no I do not work at UTA. However, I do a lot of business with them and they are kicking ass.
I have seen it before, and I’m sure I’ll see it again; today. UTA blogging about UTA. Pretty transparent. I’m sure, like those before them, our ex-partners are laughing all the way to the bank. I was at the retreat, and like so many others, it was full of false hope and empty promises. No answers to the changes in th, with TP and Louise, but there is a long way to go before anyone makes any money around here.
I spent many years as an assistant and then agent at WMA. Wiatt, Wirtschafter and Weintraub have destroyed the place. It is a joke. Run by incompetant and selfish individuals who are only out for their own betterment. For a company with such rich history, it is sad to know that it is being run into the ground.
Fogelman – smart move. Do you bosses (and the board) know that you went behind their back and offered Louise a back door deal? This sounds very illegal if not immoral. Louise – smart move and congrats. You will be much, much, much better off in the long run. WMA – another stupid move.
Louise is like Julie Roberts in “Pretty Women” and WMA is that nasty shop girl that kicked her out of the boutique. WMA didn’t know what they had when they had it. I hear Louise is an exceptional agent, and I wish her the best!
Nikki,
How about getting a comment from the labor commissioner?
I bet the labor commission would be very interested to know about WMA splitting fees w/ non agents in order to keep clients at the agency.
Naughty naughty.
Getmeout? something tells me you don’t work at UTA. Something tells me English might not even be your first language. Your posting is completely contradictive. If you do work there (which Im guessing you don’t) you should be fired and escorted from the building.
WMA – how typical! Just shows the lack of vision from management. Another dumb move.
Yes, all those UTA bloggers on here. Give me a break. Endeavor and UTA are the only two good agencies around. UTA is not blogging about UTA.
So many haters out there.
I’ve worked with Louise on several projects and have to say she is one of the most sincere, hands-on, smart and (oh my!) happy agents I’ve had the pleasure of working with. WMA made a huge error in judgement here – Nice does not equal Weak.
If Louise treats her clients with the same degree of respect, integrity and class that she treats development execs and producers around town with, why would any of her clients ever choose the agency over the agent…?
Way to go, Louise!
huh?, don’t you mean contradictory? I suppose “contradictive” is technically a word but if you’re calling someone’s English into question…
Also, since when is Channing Tatum a first dollar gross player. Come on.
GETMEOUT, are you saying you work at UTA? I doubt it. But if that is the case, I hope you catch a good old fashion beating for being such a little bitch. If you don’t like it, go some place else. Make your mark. Honestly, nothing is worst than talking trash about your own people. Man the fuck up.
what’s wrong with what GETMEOUT is saying? i was at the retreat too and from Berkus’ opening remarks it was clear that he was nothing more than a member of the orchestra blindly playing his violin as the titanic slowly sank. Why are my fellow agents only encouraged by the board of directors to write their rah rah comments on this blog? why not the truth? ANONYMOUS up there could be any board member or even chris day – how come they don’t mention that Jeremy Zimmer gets paid 5 million dollars a year and doesn’t have a single client? And to add insult to injury we get to suffer through his atrocious and offensive art collection every day at the office!
Cara Stein Rocks
Irv Weintraub is the most clueless man when it comes to running an agency and dealing with the people who work for them. They remind me a of a perpetually caddish husband who cheats and cheats, and then comes home with a box of chocolates and expects all your bruised feelings to be OK now.
GETMEOUTTHESEQUEL, I will tell you why its wrong what you and that other coward is saying. If you don’t like where you are working than leave. I agree with dumpass. Show some dignity and respect or just bow out. I don’t really care at the end of the day as it does not effect me but its shocking that this is where people come to talk trash and back-stab their colleagues. Grow a set of balls and leave if you are not happy.
Its nice to see that Cara takes time out of her weekend to let everyone know “she rocks”! Cara reinforced the glass ceiling after she broke through to ensure no one else followed. Cara clearly never got the memo to be nice to the assistants as they will one day be your boss. She is a bad person and when Jennifer pushes her out no one will miss her.
and look for the theatre department to be the next on the cutting block…
I have an idea for you GETMEOUT; why don’t you start a company, employ 250 people who can then feed their families, find a building, pay the overhead, make sure the lights work, hire a publicist, a couple of accountants, a CEO, a CFO, a receptionist or two, a couple of lawyers, a book department, a new media division, a marketing division, talent, feature, TV, a phone guy, a few computer folk, etc, etc, etc, and on top of all that, have the pleasure of dealing with douchebags just like you. Well GETMEOUT do you think you’ve got what it takes punk? I didn’t think so!!! Why don’t you stop by Statt’s office for a beating on your way out…I didn’t think so!!!
“Getmeout you’re going”!! WELL SAID!! Little punks who talk trash about their own are what makes this town suck. Most of us aren’t like that but there are a few punks like GETMEOUT, who are frustrated because they either suck at what they do or are jealous about others standing out. This guy should be bitch slapped out of the UTA building. And Zimmer should pee on his head from out his window.
Dumpass, Tellyawhy, Getmeoutyourgoing, Getmeoutyouregoingfan
How should we all schedule our beatings with Darren Statt? Do we need to coordinate through any particular board members office or will there be a sign up sheet that Rene Jones will distribute?
Please don’t threaten your employees over the internet. It makes for an uncomfortable working environment. But isn’t that our UTA legacy.
You’re a sad little thing GETMEOUT. Getting up early to check out the blog and then fire off your response about all the woes YOU face at “your” company…except it isn’t “your” company, yet you still use the word “our” which is an interesting dilemma YOU seem to have found yourself with. I’m going to take a guess that YOU can’t get a job anywhere else, that you’re not very good at what YOU do, so YOU hate, and YOU blame, and YOU don’t look in the mirror because it’s probably not what YOU want to see but it’s who YOU are my friend. How ironic it is that YOU mention an uncomfortable working environment when you’d be the one creating it (read your own words you silly billy). Perhaps YOU should join the “high fivers” across the road where YOU would fit right in with the old “UTA legacy” that YOU seem to long for…seems that you’re just not up for the job. Good luck, we do hope that YOU find some inner happy because right now YOU seem really sad and lost. So hide all YOU like, but YOU do deserve a good old smack upside the head but only because it might knock some common sense loose and then YOU too can actually get on with fulfilling your potential if YOU actually have any. No need to sign up either, just own up to your OWN anger, and that should be suffice. And GETMEOUT don’t forget to let us know when YOU start your OWN company…..oh yeh, YOU didn’t quite get around to answering that question did YOU punk!! Statt’s office Monday morning for YOU douchebag…oh yeh, I didn’t think so!!!
I don’t work at UTA. Never did.
Funny email though.
If the comment by “getmeout you are quite the silly billy” is an indication of a UTA employee’s general temperment, thank G0d I don’t work there!
Phew read the comments from Getmeout….why would anyone tolerate a miserable individual like that at their company. I’m sure you wouldn’t at your work place. It’s a tough world out there, and anyone who speaks that way is clearly mentally weak and not able to work on bettering themselves. Thumbs up to those that care about where they work and who they work with everyday. UTA has done an amazing job of removing the poison that used to work there, and Getmeout sounds like they’ll be the next to go. Why let a few bad apples spoil the barrel. From what I hear UTA is clearly the most together and fun agency to be working at because they did exactly what “silly billy” suggested. Terrorists must be dealt with and that means that sometimes they’ve just got to be taken out of the game. It’s a tough life but someone’s got to do it.
It appears that jeremy zimmer had a lot of free time to post this weekend! Hollywood’s least favorite terrorist typing furiously from his glass house! Easy to do when you don’t have any clients!
The only thing that you’ve convinced me is that it sounds like uta is a frightening place to work
Phew I can only hope that you don’t work in the business because if you do you’re going to have a very hard go of it. All agencies are rough, all studios are rough, the entire business is rough but you seem like you have a rather obvious agenda against UTA. If you’re in the business then you know the drill but you’re showing your bias. It’s clearly looking very good for UTA, Endeavor, and CAA. ICM and WM not good at all. As for frightening, try keeping a job at CAA once you hit 45 years of age. Endeavor’s still the Ari/Patrick show and lets charge the partners for everything but maybe they’ll not figure it out before we fire them, and yes Zimmer makes pee pee out of windows. Maybe WM will work better for you since they seem really together right now, or maybe you’ll start a company with Getmeoutofhere, and you’ll have an agency where everyone gets to be sweet and friendly to each other while humming John Lennon harmonies and sharing fine candies. You don’t need to accept the new UTA but it’s a fact that they are making smart moves having taken out the trash that stunk that joint up something terrible. If you want to attack their agents for defending their turf then you just don’t get the business at all, or you’re just another hater who doesn’t want to give them their due respect.
Louise was doomed from the start. She is such a sweetheart, but was only brought in so Michael Cooper could get his claws into Channing. It was perfect timing too because she was brought in just before she had a baby and while out on maturnity, Michael was able to get his claws into Channing, but I guess not enough to have Channing stay with him after letting Louise go. Good for Channing remaining loyal to his real agent and shame on John Fogelman, Jim Wiatt and Michael Cooper for trying to screw over Louise.
John Fogelman should be next to go. They need to buy out his board seat like they did Sam Haskell. Fogelman is bad news and has gone behind Wiatt’s, Lonner’s, and Morgerman’s back so many times it could make you vomit. However, Morgerman may be worse, but she isn’t on the board and will never be so they need to figure out a way to get rid of Fogelman before he destory’s WMA even further. He is such a nightmare and to be running the mopic dept. is such a joke. He has no leadership skills. He has Esther Chang do all his reading and only has her back and might even have more than her back…
UTA and Endeavor are the best agencies around now. The plain truth.
I love Louise!
She helped my ass out a grip after I moved to LA. I recently met Wiatt as well, now I see why he wasn’t to thrilled when I mentioned that I knew her.
Anyway, looks like WMA needs to make some serious changes to their executive staff, glad to see everything blew up in Wiatt’s face. ; )