The Enduring Power of the Arts by Jimmy Osborne ’ 86
It was in Mr . Bill Ryan ’ s Fourth Grade class where I was first introduced to ancient Egypt – and I became enamored with its culture , infrastructure , and all its stories . I remember in the Seventh Grade , Mr . Davison ’ s special assignment where we created and built medieval kingdoms replete with royalty and serfs , and we would plot out strategies to enable these civilizations to survive and thrive . Stories and world building just seemed like fun and games . But all these years later , I find myself earning a living with Hollywood royalty and helping them to strategize and build their kingdoms to tell their stories . I couldn ’ t have known it then , but it was the lessons of Saint David ’ s t h a t p u t me on my pat h a nd ser ved a s milestones , guiding me , and preparing me for things to come .
As a talent agent , President and Partner at the Agency for the Performing Arts ( APA ) in Beverly Hills , CA , I represent talent such as Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman , and Grammy-winning recording artist and producer Curtis “ Fifty Cent ” Jackson . An agent is more than the old cigar chomping stereotype or the frenetic Ari Gold from HBO ’ s “ Entourage .” As a talent agent , I support performers in their creative goals , finding , facilitating , and negotiating opportunities within a wide array of artistic endeavors . Not unlike Mr . Davison ’ s class , I helped to build a production company with Fifty Cent - part of his $ 30 million empire – which currently has six TV series on the air . A performer today is much more than what they are known for – many creating a brand and branching out into areas such as fashion , publishing , gaming , and new media . An agent is tasked with navigating all these avenues for their clients . Science plays an important role in the cinematic arts , and the way entertainment is made and consumed changes rapidly with technology . Agents educate and guide their clients through the evolving landscapes . In some ways , we are teachers as much as we are businesspeople .
I spent my college years at George Washington University but transferred to Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles to pursue the arts . I went into advertising and became an account executive , but it lacked a personal touch , as I couldn ’ t form a relationship with the likes of the Energizer Bunny . I wanted to build worlds for real people .
I eventually landed an interview with International Creative Management ( ICM ), a leading talent agency , with my eye on being an agent . Instead , however , I was told I ’ d have to start at the bottom , which meant pushing around a mail cart . It was quite the fall from grace . But what I learned f r o m working i n t h e mailroom was how to get out of the mailroom . I e v e n t u a l l y landed on the desk of legendary talent agent Ed Limato , the last of the old school agents , a Hollywood iconoclast who discovered superstars such as Mel Gibson , Michelle Pfeiffer ,
Denzel Washington , and Richard Gere . Aside from Mr . Limato teaching me agency culture , dealmaking , and industry acumen , he would assign old movies for me to watch and report on . Much of it seemed like an extension of my education at Saint David ’ s .
My lessons on Latin and the classics from Mr . McLaughlin served me well over the years . I can talk about Shakespeare ’ s plays with Gary Oldman , who is something of an expert on the Bard . A lot of our classroom learning revolved around groups and teams . My foundation for collaboration was cemented in those early years . Making film and TV is a collaborative art form . It takes a great deal of teamwork to push these projects uphill and through the Hollywood labyrinth . Teamwork extends into loyalty , community , and family — important values I took with me from Saint David ’ s , and which I learned through sports with Tom Ryan and Joe Kilkeary . I had to take the “ family ” thing more
40 • Saint David ’ s Magazine