
Who Is Michael Ovitz?
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Narrated by:
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Michael Ovitz - prologue
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Dennis Boutsikaris
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By:
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Michael Ovitz
About this listen
If you're going to listen to one book about Hollywood, this is the one.
As the cofounder of Creative Artists Agency, Michael Ovitz earned a reputation for ruthless negotiation, brilliant strategy, and fierce loyalty to his clients. He reinvented the role of the agent and helped shape the careers of hundreds of A-list entertainers, directors, and writers, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Sean Connery, Bill Murray, Robin Williams, and David Letterman.
But this personal history is much more than a fascinating account of celebrity friendships and bare-knuckled deal making. It's also an underdog's story: How did a middle-class kid from Encino work his way into the William Morris mailroom and eventually become the most powerful person in Hollywood? How did an agent (even a superagent) also become a power in producing, advertising, mergers & acquisitions, and modern art? And what were the personal consequences of all those deals?
After decades of near-silence in the face of controversy, Ovitz is finally telling his whole story, with remarkable candor and insight.
©2018 Michael Ovitz (P)2018 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"When the history of Hollywood is written, few people will have played a larger role than Michael Ovitz.... It is impossible to read such a chronicle and not see Mr. Ovitz as the Steve Jobs of agenting, possessing a version of Jobs’s fanatical drive and a similar desire to remake an industry." (The Wall Street Journal)
"A revealing retelling of his Hollywood career.... A study in the unusual personality traits required to pull this off, Who Is Michael Ovitz? represents a master class of sorts." (The New York Times)
"Michael is a legend and I don't use that term lightly. Learning from his journey is something that every entrepreneur and executive should do." (Gary Vaynerchuk)
Great insight into a relatable person.
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A Brilliant Account of the Hero Behind the Mask
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The King Maker told in his voice
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A fascinating mind
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Incredible read
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Captivating!
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It fascinates me.
Easily Five Stars
Captivating Stories About Movie Making
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Michael Ovitz should have narrated.
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Excellent Memoir
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Ovitz is a big thinker.
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