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Who Is Michael Ovitz?
- Narrated by: Michael Ovitz - prologue, Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
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Who Is Michael Ovitz?
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Publisher's Summary
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.
What the critics say
"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)
What listeners say about Who Is Michael Ovitz?
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- TwinPines85
- 2019-08-01
Great insight into the entertainment industry.
If you have any interest in the entertainment industry, particularly from the late '70s through to the late '90s, then this is the book for you. The book is a well written and interesting record of how Michael Ovitz and CAA shaped the modern entertainment landscape. I found it interesting and engaging from start to finish. The narration is exceptional, you get to hear Ovitz for the prologue and the rest is handled by Dennis Boutsikaris to near perfection. One of my faviourite reads/listens in the past few years.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2020-08-20
business meets hollywood
This is an excellent business book with an inside look at the entertainment industry. Strong recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- snapmedia
- 2023-02-20
Definitely exceeded my expectations
Just finished reading #WhoIsMichaelOvitz and wow, what an incredible journey! From his early days in the mailroom to co-founding CAA, Ovitz's memoir is a must-read for anyone interested in the entertainment industry. Surprisingly insightful and endlessly fascinating.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- MichaelO
- 2019-07-18
Amazing
I have an extensive library, and this is, easily, the most captivating title to date. I couldn’t put it down, so to speak. Do yourself a favour, and find out who Michael Ovitz is.
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