United Talent Agency

Last week, we hosted several hundred interns for an entertainment industry Intern Night at our Beverly Hills campus. Local young professionals spent the time networking and learning from peers, and represented what our industry can look forward to in our future workforce. We were proud to provide the opportunity to help the next generation celebrate the start of their career journeys.

We’re thrilled to welcome Shelley Lewis as UTA’s new Vice President of Communications. She joins us from Caruso, where she served as communications head. Before that, she spent a decade heading communications at Wasserman. Read more here:

Variety’s annual, special edition Comedy Issue spotlights 2024’s most impactful performers and writers, and it includes a dozen of our clients and agents. The Comedy Impact Report highlights Jim Gaffigan (who last year graced the cover of this same issue), Tracee Ellis Ross, Julio Torres, Paul W. Downs, Meg Stalter, Paul Rudd, Nikki Glaser and Mark Proksch, as well as UTA’s Douglas Edley and Heidi Feigin (Partners and Agents, Comedy Touring). Up-and-comers Ralph Barbosa and Leslie Liao are among Variety’s “10 Comics to Watch”; both have made names for themselves in the stand-up circuit with no plans to slow down. Barbosa is currently on tour, mastering his stand-up performance, with plans to wrap up in Vancouver at the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival. Liao is touring the United States on her “Nighttime Routine” tour. See the full report at the link in our bio.

Congratulations to Paul Rudd, Nikki Glaser, Eugene Levy, Eric André, Ken Jennings and Kevin O'Leary on receiving Emmy nominations for their performances on a nonfiction/documentary, variety, short-form, game or reality show!

We congratulate our clients who received a 2024 Emmy nomination in an Outstanding Actress category for their performances in a comedy, drama, limited or anthology series!

We congratulate our clients who received a 2024 Emmy nomination in an Outstanding Actor category for their performances in a comedy, drama, limited or anthology series!

Last night, we celebrated our client Titus Kaphar and his film "Exhibiting Forgiveness" with an intimate gathering at the iconic Whitby Hotel in New York. Co-hosted by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, the event honored the visual artist’s debut feature film, which premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival and will be released by Roadside Attractions this fall. Attendees were treated to an advance screening of the movie, followed by a conversation between Kaphar, Trotter, and cast members Andra Day, André Holland, and John Earl Jelks. GMA3's DeMarco Morgan moderated. During the Q&A, Kaphar, whom Variety named one of its 10 directors to watch in 2024, shared that the idea for the film came about because he “wanted to find a way to communicate with my two sons about how different my life is from theirs.” Among those in attendance were UTA's Julian Jacobs (Partner, Co-Head of Entertainment & Culture Marketing, and Head of UTA NY), Nancy Gates (Partner & Agent, TV Talent), Albert Lee (Partner & Agent, Publishing), Michele James (Partner & Co-Head, UTA Executive Search), Roysi Erbes (Partner & Co-Head, UTA Executive Search), rebecca gradinger (Agent, Publishing), Yasmine Pearl (Agent, Talent), and Harrison Tenzer (Senior Director, UTA Fine Arts and Artist Space). 📷: Dave Alloca / Starpix Photography

Taylor Tomlinson is this year’s recipient of Variety’s Creative Impact in Comedy Award! As the sole woman of late night TV in the U.S. with “After Midnight” (which has been renewed for a second season), she’s made a name for herself in the mainstream, bridging the worlds of digital, live stand-up and network television. In Variety’s special edition Comedy Issue, for which Tomlinson graces the cover, Stephen Colbert says he knew she was the perfect fit for the CBS show, which he executive produces. But, he says, he “didn’t expect how someone so young can be so confident in the role and adaptable to changes so fluidly.“ Read about the comedy class that jump started her career — she was 16 when her father enrolled them together in one — and why stand-up will always be her first love at the link in our bio. And stay tuned for more highlights of our clients featured in Variety’s Comedy Issue. 📷: Dan Doperalski for Variety

“Brands are understanding how creators have unique relationships with their audiences. What you say, and how you say it, is such a crucial component to people seeing content as authentic versus being simply an ad,” UTA’s Damon Lau (Partner & Co-Head, UTA Creators) tells Digiday. Alexander Lee writes that “brands’ romance with gaming influencers and creators has blossomed in 2024” — and as they become more comfortable in gaming, they’re more willing to hand over the reins over to creators. Lee interviewed Lau about how brands are partnering with gaming creators to develop more relevant integrations versus the standard in-game ad. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g9FeK7ZZ

Co-Head of UTA Sports Andrew Thau and our client Rich Eisen headlined a panel at Variety and Sportico’s Sports & Entertainment Summit in Los Angeles. The event brought together execs, agents, broadcasters, content creators and athletes to discuss the most consequential issues facing the sector. In a talk moderated by Variety’s co-EIC Cynthia Littleton, the duo discussed Eisen’s success as an entrepreneur who has transcended sports broadcasting, the landscape of college sports (including trends in NIL), and the impact of sports betting on the industry. 📷: Variety via Getty Images