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David Senra: Michael Ovitz, Co-founder of CAA

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Michael Ovitz⁠ is the co-founder of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of the most powerful and influential talent agencies in Hollywood history, built on a revolutionary approach to representation that fundamentally transformed the entertainment industry. He is an entertainment executive and dealmaker widely regarded as one of the most formidable operators in Hollywood. During his time leading CAA, Ovitz represented virtually every major star, including Tom Cruise, Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, David Letterman, Barbra Streisand and many more. Starting as a mailroom trainee in the 1960s and reshaping the power dynamics of the entire industry by the 1980s, he became known for his relentless strategic thinking, his creation of the "packaging" model that bundled talent for studios, and his ability to orchestrate deals of unprecedented scale and complexity. He built a reputation in entertainment circles through his fierce intelligence, relentless work ethic and his ability to build CAA into what many called "the most powerful company in Hollywood." His major accomplishments include co-founding CAA in 1975 in an audacious break from the establishment, pioneering the

David Senra: It's good to see you again. Thanks for doing this again. Michael Ovitz: Yeah. Michael Ovitz: I swear I haven't seen you since yesterday. David Senra: Well, we'll start there. Why did you tell me yesterday that you're busier today at this point in your life than you've ever been? Michael Ovitz: Great question. As I said to you yesterday, and you know I'm busy because you saw, you got a look at it. First of all, let me apologize for being horrible company to you. David Senra: You weren't. It was amazing. I guess we should tell the people watching and listening to this that I flew…

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