OUTSTANDINGLIMITEDSERIES
What’s inside
THE CONTENDERS
“Wonder Man’s” Ben Kingsley (p 12) explains how he shaped his character and recalls his unconventional audition for “Gandhi.” Six showrunners share notes on tackling controversial topics, AI and mentoring young writers (p 16)
For the Record:
The June 11 story about TV mom costumes said Dakota Johnson plays Jenny on “All Her Fault.”
The actor is Dakota Fanning.
COVER STORY
The stars and creators of high-finance drama “Industry” explain why the HBO show’s stock keeps rising and tease the satisfying payoff in store for its fifth and final season. p22
THE SPOTLIGHT
Breaking down the music of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” (p 35) With Emmy nominations voting underway, our awards columnist shares his personal favorites (p 36). How “Spider-Noir” achieved two distinctive looks (p 37)
THE INDUSTRY
Audio erotica app Quinn is looking to normalize sexual content by enlisting actors from shows like “Heated Rivalry” and “The Pitt” (p 41) Television Academy chief Maury McIntyre (p 42) explains the Emmys’ new Legacy Award.
Cover photo by Jason Armond Los Angeles Times
EDITOR IN CHIEF
MATT BRENNAN
EDITORIAL
Columnist
GLENN WHIPP
Writers
MARK OLSEN
YVONNE VILLARREAL
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AVERY FOX TATE RUDISILL
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EDITION PLANNING ANDOPERATIONS
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THEENVELOPE
VIDEO PODCAST
Executive Producer MATT BRENNAN
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PARTNERSHIPS
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Executive Editor TERRY TANG
Creative Director &Deputy Managing Editor AMYKING Entertainment and Features Editor BRITTANYLEVINE BECKMAN
”AMASTERCLASS“
Front-runners:
T1. Carey Mulligan, “Beef”
T1 Sarah Pidgeon, “Love Story”
3. Sarah Snook, “All Her Fault”
4. Claire Danes, “The Beast in Me”
5. Sally Field, “Remarkably Bright Creatures”
6. Kerry Washington, “Imperfect Women”
BuzzMeter
Our Emmy experts share their picks
LIMITED/MOVIE ACTRESS
IT’S A TIE ATOP THIS CATEGORY, WITH SARAH PIDGEON AND CAREY MULLIGAN sharing the spotlight. And not far behind is “Succession” winner Sarah Snook. ¶ Matt Roush says Pidgeon “made the most of a star-making role as Carolyn Bessette in ‘Love Story.’” ¶ Count Glenn Whipp in Camp Mulligan: Her “dry put-downs mask a fury that she eventually unleashes with seismic force. Mulligan has been consistently great, but I don’t remember her being this ferocious or funny.” ¶ A couple of panelists rue the seeming lack of attention paid to “Murdaugh: Death in the Family,” touting Oscar and two-time Emmy winner Patricia Arquette. ¶ Perhaps the shocking news of Alex Murdaugh’s convictions beingoverturnedwillsparkvoterinterestintheHulutrue-crimeminiseries.
GLENN WHIPP Los Angeles Times
CAREY MULLIGAN, (‘BEEF’)
SARAH PIDGEON, (‘LOVE STORY’)
SARAH SNOOK, (‘ALL HER FAULT’)
CLAIRE DANES, (‘THE BEAST IN ME’)
SALLY FIELD, (‘REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES’)
You can find all our picks at latimes.com/ buzzmeter
“As Lindsay, Carey Mulligan’s dry put-downs mask a fury that she eventually unleashes with seismic force. Mulligan has been consistently great, but I don’t remember her being this ferocious or funny.”
MATT ROUSH TV Insider
SARAH PIDGEON, (‘LOVE STORY’)
SARAH SNOOK, (‘ALL HER FAULT’)
CAREY MULLIGAN, (‘BEEF’)
SALLY FIELD, (‘REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES’)
CLAIRE DANES, (‘THE BEAST IN ME’)
“Sarah Pidgeon made the most of a star-making role as Carolyn Bessette in ‘Love Story,’ and Sarah Snook ran the emotional gamut as a distraught mom They’re the ones to beat, unless Sally Field warms voters’ hearts.”
LORRAINE ALI Los Angeles Times
CAREY MULLIGAN, (‘BEEF’)
SARAH PIDGEON, (‘LOVE STORY’)
SARAH SNOOK, (‘ALL HER FAULT’)
CLAIRE DANES, (‘THE BEAST IN ME’)
SALLY FIELD, (‘REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES’)
“I’m rooting for long shot Patricia Arquette, who was unforgettable as the matriarch of ‘Murdaugh: Death in the Family,’ a Hulu true-crime series that dramatized the downfall of South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh.”
KRISTEN BALDWIN Freelance Critic
SARAH PIDGEON, (‘LOVE STORY’)
CAREY MULLIGAN, (‘BEEF’)
SARAH SNOOK, (‘ALL HER FAULT’)
CLAIRE DANES, (‘THE BEAST IN ME’)
KERRY WASHINGTON, (‘IMPERFECT WOMEN’)
“It’s a shame that Hulu’s chilling true-crime series ‘Murdaugh: Death in the Family’ isn’t getting much attention this awards season. I hope voters check out at least one episode to see Patricia Arquette.”
TREY MANGUM Blavity
SARAH PIDGEON, (‘LOVE STORY’)
CAREY MULLIGAN, (‘BEEF’)
SARAH SNOOK, (‘ALL HER FAULT’)
CLAIRE DANES, (‘THE BEAST IN ME’) KERRY WASHINGTON, (‘IMPERFECT WOMEN’)
“Though the series may have gotten less acclaim the longer it went on, I do think that Sarah Pidgeon’s fantastic Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in ‘Love Story’ could be powerful enough to fend off ‘Beef’s’ Carey Mulligan.”
TRACY BROWN Los Angeles Times
CAREY MULLIGAN, (‘BEEF’)
SARAH PIDGEON, (‘LOVE STORY’)
SARAH SNOOK, (‘ALL HER FAULT’)
CLAIRE DANES, (‘THE BEAST IN ME’) KERRY WASHINGTON, (‘IMPERFECT WOMEN’)
“Carey Mulligan is as much a lock for a nomination as ‘Beef’ is for the series category. Sarah Pidgeon carried ‘Love Story,’ and Sarah Snook and Claire Danes are both Emmy winners who were on very watchable thrillers.”
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
“LEANNE
IS AHEAPING PLATEOF SOUTHERN CHARM.”
VARIETY
In The Studio
with RACHEL SENNOTT
AFTER BREAKTHROUGH ROLES IN FILMS SUCH AS “SHIVA Baby,” “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and “Bottoms,” actor RachelSennottaddsanumberofoccupationstoher CV with “I Love L.A.” As aspiring talent manager MaiaSimsbury,theseriescreatorandstarnavigates the world of social media stardom alongside influencerfriendTallulah(OdessaA’zion)andmany more zillennial strivers trying to make it on the internet. Sennott recently stopped by The Envelope podcast to discuss juggling new roles on set, embracing imperfect characters and more. Read on for excerpts from our conversation
... Four podcast highlights
“I Love L.A.” explores the challenges people have leading these very online lives. Is that something you grapple with yourself?
Basically, I created a sort of persona on the internet that was based in truth of a time when I was in my early 20s in New York and it was a lot more messy and a little chaotic, and I was just going through things in my life at that time [that inspired] the tweets, the jokes, the videos, that were coming out of me. And then I felt I changed, but I still wanted to project that character. And so I actually ended up putting that character into Tallulah. And I think Maia was a little bit more the version of myself when I first moved to L.A. and I felt isolated, and it was during COVID, and I felt I was kind of gripping onto my friends in a codependent way. Whether or not you’re an influencer, anyone who’s grown up on the internet is projecting some version of themselves.
3
What was it like learning how to switch hats, especially during production? I would imagine you have a producer brain, an actor brain, a director brain. I had to take it day by day. There are days where it’s a lighter scene for me and I can be on the side approving locations, taking meetings during lunch. There was a day where I had two sex scenes, for Episodes 6 and 7. So we shot the end of 7, the fight scene with me and Josh [Hutcherson], and the sex scene where it’s Maia and Dylan but she’s fantasizing about Ben. It was a lot. And so I was like “Let’s not do any other meetings today in the middle of the day.”
The characters on the show, they kind of skirt this line between being endearing and annoying. What is it that you like about that?
Because that’s how people are. I am not interested in seeing perfect people or people who are flawed in a way that’s not actually real. I think Alani [played by True Whitaker], for example, is someone where you could really easily be like, “Oh, a nepo baby, she’s so privileged, whatever.” I think she’s the character with the biggest heart. She’s the best friend out of the whole group. She cares for everyone. She’s so deeply sensitive. And she’s actually been through a lot of s—, and she drops these little things, these clues where you’re like, “Gee, she went through something crazy but is choosing to look at life halffull,” and I think that’s fun. I like the characters who make you feel or expect something of them and then show you another side.
4
Can you talk a little about deciding to end the first season of “I Love L.A.” in New York? It was sort of addressing the fact that these girls went to school in New York together. They lived in New York and they chose to move to L.A., and I think when you do that, there’s always going to be the push and pull of the two cities. Going back to New York, it was almost like getting a chance to get back together with your ex and being like, “You know what, there’s a reason it didn’t work out.” And they end the episode with, “I miss L.A.”
Mark Olsen Host ...
Photograph by Evan Mulling For The Times
Photographof Myha’la and MarisaAbela by Jason Armond
Ben Kingsley’s sense of ‘Wonder’
The actor breaks down how he developed abackstory for his Marvel character by drawing on his relationship with his mother
WOULD YOU BE NERVOUS IF YOU needed to call Sir Ben Kingsley —always “Sir Ben,” you don’t trifle with the title and convince him to be in your movie? ¶ You should benervous. Destin Daniel Cretton would be the first to tell you that he was anxious when he dialed Kingsley at his London home to ask him if he might reprise the role of the washed-up, drug-addled actor Trevor Slattery, first seen in 2013’s “Iron Man 3.” Kingsley portrayed Slattery again the following year in a fun 14-minute short titled “All Hail the King,” which explored the character’s Shakespearean training and devoted relationship with his mother. ¶ Cretton wanted Kingsley to play Slattery again in the 2021 Marvel movie, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” He had an elaborate pitch, which he painstakingly rehearsed and refined. But once Kingsley answered the phone, Cretton went off script and started gushing, telling Kingsley what an honor it was to even be talking with him. ¶ Kingsley cut him off. ¶ “Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty,” Kingsley told him. And before Cretton could come back to his notes, Kingsley turned the tables and began grilling him. “What do you know about Liverpool?” he asked, testing Cretton’s knowledge of Slattery’s hometown. “How far back do you go with British comedy?” Cretton started to answer the queries, but was then interrupted by another voice. ¶ It was Trevor Slattery More precisely, it was Kingsley performing Slattery, sounding like he was shouting from another room. And he was angry, beratingKingsleyforgivingCrettonahardtimeand proclaiming how much he wanted to be in this new movie. ¶ “Very quickly, I realized how much he loves this character,” Cretton says, by way of telling me thatthenexttimeheaskedKingsleytoplaySlattery, for the new Marvel TV series “Wonder Man,” the call was short and, of course, the answer was yes.
The Contenders Actor Story by Glenn Whipp ■
Photographs by Larsen & Talbert
For The Times
I met Kingsley on the Disney lot shortly before a recent Emmy FYC event for “Wonder Man.” We sat together on opposite ends of a ratty sofa in an empty writer’s office. Offered a bottle of water, Kingsley asks for a glass, explaining he doesn’t want to dribble on the sharp suit he’s wearing for the upcoming event. I can’t picture Sir Ben Kingsley dribbling. At 82, he sits with perfect posture, possessing an elegance that transcends our threadbare surroundings.
Like Cretton, I come with notes. And like Cretton,Ipartakeinsomethingthatismore ofaperformancethanaconversation.
“Wonder Man” follows a struggling actor, Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), trying to land a big break in Hollywood while keeping his superpowers hidden. Trevor befriends Simon. Initially he has ulterior motives, but soon becomes Simon’s mentor, turning the series into a look at the indignities that actors face while pursuingtheirprofession.Toppingthelist:the cruelty of auditions.
Were you good at reading for roles? I ask Kingsley.
“That’s a tough question to answer because I haven’t auditioned for many decades,”Kingsleyreplies.“Frommyfirstjob,I havebeenhandedmynextjobbymentors and very affectionate hands.”
No auditions since joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1967? Not even forthetitlerolein“Gandhi”?Iknowthatdirector Richard Attenborough cast Kingsley aftertryingtomakethemoviefor20years, withAlecGuinness,RichardBurton,Dustin Hoffman and John Hurt being considered forthepart.HowdidKingsley,withonlyone moviecredit,prevail?
Kingsley launches into the story, first taking me to the pandemonium of performingintheRoyalShakespeareCompany’s production of “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby,” where on opening night, in between costume changes from Wackford Squeers to Wagstaff, a voice rang out in the tunnel of
‘VERY QUICKLY, I REALIZED HOW MUCH HE LOVES THIS CHARACTER’
Destin Daniel Cretton on Ben Kingsley
his dressing room: “Ben Kingsley wanted at the stage door now.”
Kingsley pantomimes resisting repeated entreatiesamidthecacophony.Hecan’tbe distracted by a call. It’s his “oxygen time.” Heneedstofocus.Butit’simpossible.
“Finally, I go up the stairs, pick up the phone,” Kingsley remembers. “‘Ben, it’s Richard Attenborough.’ Stand to attention. ‘Listen, I have the money for “Gandhi,” and my son Michael tells me I must see you.’ ‘Yes, sir.’ ‘Can I see you tomorrow?’ ‘Yes, sir.’ ”
Kingsley went to Attenborough’s home in Richmond the next day. And Attenborough (“What a gracious man,” Kingsley says) had a big book of photos of Gandhi on a table. “Have a look at those, darling,” the filmmaker told him. Kingsley put the book on his lap and turned the pages. As Kingsleytellsthestory,hemimesmethodically making his way through the enormous volume.
“And all he did was watch me,” Kingsley says, holding my gaze, pausing for effect. Nearly half a century later, the day remains fresh in his mind and he relishes conveying it in all of its detail.
So, no, Kingsley doesn’t have much experience auditioning.
Cretton and Andrew Guest, the “Wonder Man” showrunners, note Kingsley’s thorough attention to detail in creating Trevor’s backstory, which was anchored by his relationship with his mother, Dorothy, a Liverpool nurse who had “unwavering faith” in his talent.
“It was important to me because I feel that if there is an indifference toward a child’s development and an indifference towardachild’sblossoming,it’satragedy,” Kingsley says.
Over the years, Kingsley has expressed hurt over how his own mother, actor Anna Lyna Mary Goodman, never acknowledged his acting talent or childhood achievements “Part of what was interesting to him about Trevor Slattery was how different he felt Trevor was in so many ways,” Guest says.
Was the childhood that Kingsley created for Trevor the one he wished he had?
“Dorothy was in fact a nurse that I did
↓Ben Kingsley, left, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Marvel’s “Wonder Man.”
/ MARVE L
know in Yorkshire. She workedwithsurvivors of WorldWar II and obviously saw some terrible things.Iremember heras being,”Kingsley pauses,his voice turning warm, “solid and kind.”Anotherbeat. “ThenIextrapolatedthatshewasthatkind of down-to-earth, NorthofEngland mum whowas supportive and encouraging. So that was Trevor’s debttothat generation, and to hismom, and Ienjoyedplaying it very immensely. Ienjoyedthe possibility of passing that sentimentontothe audience, that if one doeshave aparentlike that, one is fortunate.And if one doesn’t, one is challenged.”Anotherpause. “And yourisetothe challenge.”
Andyou rosetothe challenge?
“I did,” Kingsleyanswers
TwoofKingsley’s four children, his younger sons,Ferdinandand Edmund, became actors, adecision theirfather endorsedwithhiswholeheart.Kingsleyloves to tell thestory of seeing them perform in Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Part1” andafterward, bursting with pride, hugging them so hard that he “fractured theirribs.”
Butthatsameday he sawsomething that stillhaunts him, ascene Kingsleyrelates with gravity and astonishment
“I was waiting at thedressing room doors,” Kingsley says, “andI saw this lovely, what Shakespeare calls a‘shining morning face’in‘TheSevenAgesofMan,’thislovely little apple of achildleaving the dressing room, having played Shakespeareonstage, andwalking towardhis mother,and his mothersaid,‘Getyourcoat.’ ” Kingsleylooks at me, gauging if I’ve grasped the heartbreak of themoment. He doesn’t speak again for15seconds. It feelslonger.
“You don’t do that,” he finally says, his voice hushed. “You’ve stopped something growing. You’ve nipped it in the bud. You’ll nevergetitback,thatmoment,thatshining morningfacecomingthroughthedoor.”
Kingsley’sfirst job as an actor was performing Shakespeareinschools. He was 20 and remembers hisstint as a“miracle.” He hadnever uttered Shakespeare’s words onstage, and there was awoman with thetheater company,“very pregnant, very beautiful,”Kingsley remembers,who told himhewould someday become a “great classical actor.”
“OfcourseItookitasanenormouscompliment,but as theyearshave gone by,I understand that she was saying you’ve got something in youand you’re going to have to work so hard,”Kingsley says. “To be a greatclassicalactorisbackbreakinglyhard workbecauseyoucanonlydothatthrough classical theater,and youcan only do that through thegovernor, Shakespeare. But bless her, she was wonderful.” Kingsley smilesandcirclesbacktohisGandhistory. “Shesawthepagesturning.”
Story by YVONNE VILLARREAL
Photographs by CHRISTINA HOUSE
BRUCE MILLER
SONJA WARFIELD
MEGAN GALLAGHER
ANDREW GUEST
MOST TELEVISION LOVERS HAVE ONE: AN episode that left an indelible imprint long after the creditsrolled.Butwhichmadethecutforthesixcreative minds on The Envelope’s 2026 Emmy Writers Roundtable? ¶ ForMeganGallagher(“AllHerFault”), it’s the series finale of “The Americans.” Jonathan Glatzer(“TheAudacity”)selectedthepilotof“BreakingBad”:“Whenthosepantsflyupintheairinthebeginning, I was just like, ‘What in the hell?’ And I was completely sucked in.” ¶ Others went further back. Andrew Guest (“Wonder Man”) named “Seinfeld’s” “The Marine Biologist.” Bruce Miller (“The Testaments”) praised the pilot of “My So-Called Life.” And Sonja Warfield (“The Gilded Age”) is still thinking about an episode from the third season of “thirtysomething,” which featured the corporate-buyout storylineinvolvingMichaelSteadman(KenOlin)and the spy posing as an office painter to listen in on his plan:“ThepainterwasaBlackwoman,”Warfieldsaid. “What struck me about that was that she was invisibletohim.Andintheend,she’swearingasuit,andhe canseethatshehadalloftheinformation.” ¶ Michael PatrickKing(“TheComeback”)dugevendeeperinto the vault with “Lucy Does a TV Commercial” from “I Love Lucy.” The memory of a tipsy Lucy trying to sell a health tonic known as Vitameatavegamin left such a lasting impression that, while working on “Murphy Brown,” King got his hands on a copy of the script page with Lucy’s slurred spiel: “Lucy didn’t improvise anything,” King said. “The writing on the side is ‘bats eyes,winks,slips’ it’sallonthesideinstagedirections.” ¶ Of course, these writers are getting viewers talking with their own work too. Here, they discuss their series, the threat artificial intelligence poses to theentertainmentindustry,whyproducingTVshows in L.A. matters and much more. Read on for excerpts from our conversation.
Between the six of you, you’re touching on some powerful and risky themes in the series that you’re working on, whether it’s sexism, classism, delusional power, grief. Bruce, with something like “The Testaments,” what made you nervous about the themes you were exploring with teenage characters?
MILLER What really happens is so much harsher and worse and just unimaginably terrible that you can’t show it on television. You can’t candy-coatit,but on the other hand, what do you show so that the audience gets the idea without not being abletowatchthetelevisionshow?
Thereweresomescenesofmolestation inthefirstcoupleofepisodes,andtheactors worked on it quite a long time. But in editing, we ended up cutting most of it out. The hard part on the show is that if you’regoingtodealwiththeseissues,you havetodealwiththem.Youhavetodoitin a waythatyou’renotgoingto because I’mverysquidgytoo—lookawayandjust turnoffthetelevision,becausethat’show wegotintheseproblemsinthefirstplace.
Michael, you’ve worked on shows like “Murphy Brown,” “Will & Grace,” “Sex and the City” and “The Comeback.” Was there ever something you were nervous about pitching or seeing how you would tackle a subject matter?
KING It’s always the thing is, how are you goingtofindyourwall,whereyoustopand think, “That’s too far”? “The Comeback” thisseason,thescarythoughtwas,“We’re going to tackle [artificial intelligence], which is great because it’s rich and it’s fear-based and it’s comic.” But [in] the middle of the writing room, somebody said to [star] Lisa [Kudrow] and I, “So what’s the moral of the storyfor writers?” Anditstoppedmefortwodays.I waslike, “AmIsupposedtodivineanideathatgets everybody happy at the end?” And so we talked about it, and finally we realized we’rejustreportingfromthefrontlines.
How are you feeling about this moment and the debate about AI? What are your fears about this,and what was it like working through some of that in the show?
KING Lisaisaverysmart,almostscientific mind, and we didn’t want to go out there pretending something was going to happen, so we got a lot of information. And what we learned was it’s very far advanced,pastwhat we eventhink.Thejoke is ChatGPT, but it’s further. But I always think: We thought reality TV was the end of narrative television when we did the first season of “The Comeback.” Then we went on to have what they’re calling the secondgoldenageoftelevision,andreality TV just became this weird, tacky wing
on the house. I’m guessing maybe that could happen again where there’s a weird, tacky AI wing that is just that kind of content, but people will still maybe be looking for well-made, handmade things.
MILLER If it solves climate change, it can have my job.
GUEST If AI could do our jobs as writers, it would be doing it. Believe me, there’s plentyofpeoplewhoaretryingtogetAIto do our jobs and it’s not working. People look to storytelling for something very specific. And AI is collective information You don’t go to a story for a collective point of view on the world, you want your point of view. And the thing that’s magical about storytelling is the more specific you make your point of view, the more I connect with it. And that’s something that collective information can’t do.
GALLAGHER Iheardsomebodysaysomething that made me feel a little bit better, which is that no matter how much AI learns, AI doesn’t have any experience.
WARFIELD It’s never had lived experience. GALLAGHER Exactly. That’s never going to happen. And if you don’t have any lived experience,andI’mnotsayingitwon’tbea threat to our jobs in some level, in some ways, but If you haven’t lived through something,howonearthcanyoutellthat?
WARFIELD But also, I just have to say, AI is not always right. In fact, it’s very, very wrong. And working on a historical drama, we’ve had people Google things, and in fact they Googled something about Frederick Douglass being at this very important American event. And AI said he was there. Guess what? He wasn’t. In fact, he was literally in Europe. And it’s provable that he was in Europe. So on our show, which is a historical drama, we have a real historian who checks the database, who checks newspapers from the 1800s, and we have PhD candidates who also do that. So AI is not always correct.
KING Ihave one interesting story that we learned from the researchers, which is that AI only gives you stuff that you’re going to react to favorably.
GUEST It wants you to like it. And to keep using it.
KING It’sonlythehumansthatwillkillababy forastory.It’sonlythehumansthatwillsay, “Thisissopainful,youwon’tlikeit.”TheAIat this point will only give you affirmations of yourownpowerorthingsyoulike.
GLATZER: My own kid is 17 years old, he hates AI and finds it deeply uncool, and I think that is great. AI should find its place intheworldandhelpwhatitcanhelp.And stay out of what we do because what we do is the business of humanity, of chronicling it, of commenting upon it. And that’s not where it ought to be.
Intuitively, audiences, like my son, are just feeling that. Like, “No, I don’t want to
hear about my life or hold up a mirror to my world by a machine that slices and dices and juliennes all of our experiences into some slop.” There’s a real always will be genuine desire for authenticity, and that is the opposite of what AI provides. It would be great if it can solve climate change, that would be really, really f— great. Unfortunately, it’s going to make it a lot worse first But in terms of the long game, I don’t see it as being a primary storyteller of the human experience. That’s our job.
Jonathan, you watched “Silicon Valley,” which was much more of a comedyforward satire on this world. And you didn’t necessarily want that tone for “The Audacity” because we’re at a different point with tech. Tell me about what you wanted this show to be and what you wanted it to have us thinking about.
GLATZER There is an inherent question in our show in terms of, “Do we want these peoplewhoaredictatingtoushowwecommunicate with each other and how we engageashumanbeings,howweshop political beliefs and our religion and everything, all the way to sex and masturbation?” And by the way, they’re watching it all. All of the thingsthatwedointeractwith,it’sallbeing recorded. And that’s part of why data centers are so big, is that they will not erase anything None of that is great for banter between two characters. These are just these things that, when you’re researching and telling stories about tech, can really weighonyou.Andyoudon’twanttobefrivolous about it, you don’t want to be glib about it. So I guess the way forward was to try to remind us of our own humanity, all 7billion tech users, remind us that we need to hang onto that because otherwise we’re going to lose it. We’re losing it already, the way that we communicate with each other. Andofcourse,theironyisthatthesepeople who are notoriously bad at communicating themselves are the ones who are dictating howweinfactcommunicatetoeachother.
Sonja, many have said that the Gilded Age is back, with the robber barons of this era being the tech billionaires. In your show, George Russell engages in business practices that are unethical or potentially illegal.
WARFIELD That’s not any different than what’s happening right now.
Yet he’s not necessarily portrayed as a villain; he’s very much a family man. What has fascinated you about exploring a man like George Russell?
WARFIELD WewereverycarefulinSeason 2 when there was a standoff with the union. We drew from history. Because there were robber barons who did engage
‘IFAICOULDDOOUR
IT WOULD BE DOING IT.’
JOBSASWRITERS,
AndrewGuest
the militia and have them shoot the workers. [Creator] Julian [Fellowes] said he did not want to do that. And so I said, “Well, let’s humanize these people.” Because that’s the difference. And what George originally tried to do was bring their “union leader” to his house in New York on 61st Street and impress him. And so I said, “Let’s have George go to the worker’s house, the steelworker’s house, and humanize him and see his family and his children and see how he lives.” In that moment in Season 2, when George is supposedtogivetheordertoshoot,heseesthesonof the worker and decides he’s not going to. So I think bringinghumanitytohim whichIdon’tknowexists in some of the oligarchs/billionaires today; they don’t necessarily see the humanity in their workers [to] see that humanity is what helps me write for George.
GLATZER That’salotofwhatwe’redealingwithtoo,is just humanizing the people who are villainized otherwiseandremindingthemoftheirownhumanity.Also, their fallibility is something that, at least in the Silicon Valley realm, they have lost touch with the idea that they could make mistakes.
WARFIELD Because they live in this bubble where everyoneistellingthemhowfantasticandamazingthey are, and they’re all just together and they’re insulated.
Megan, even with the title “All Her Fault,” you’re challenging viewers to think about our own gender bias and how we view things. What were the conversations like in the room about the gender expectations and the way you wanted to subvert them?
GALLAGHER God,thegenderthemesin“AllHerFault” are massively important. And we had a small, intimate writers’ room where pretty much everyone was parents. And so after a few days of getting to know each other,itveryquicklydevolvedinto,“G—it,myhusband does that all the time,” or whatever, that kind of thing. We also had a lot of men in the room who were really goodsportsandweregreat.Prettymucheverywoman Iknow between the ages of about 35 to 55 who has kids and is married, every single one of them that I know has dropped their kid off at school and sobbed in theparkinglotbeforegoingtowork Andthesentence Ialways hear when we catch up is, “I literally don’t understand how this is supposed to get done.” And it’s just this idea that women who are now firmly in the workplace,andmoreorlessexpectedtobeandwantto be I was raised wanting to be into the work world, I wasn’traisedwantingtobeamotheronly butwe’re still the default parent. Generally speaking, we’re still the ones that know the names of the teachers and names of the doctors, and [responsible] if someone needs to go to the dentist and the soccer uniform has tobecleanforSaturday’sgame EverysinglewomanI knew,prettymuch,wasinthisposition.Ithasn’tbeena front-and-center theme that really has been tackled
pi[onaTVseries].Andofcourse,thekidnapbrngasagenremotorwasagreatexcuseto eakallthatwideopen
Michael, in addition to “The Come- back,” you made “And Just Like That...,” which was revisiting the “Sex and the City” characters at a different stage in life. It was interesting to see the conversations happening about these characters because viewers felt like they had a better sense of where the characters would be at this stage than maybe you did or what you gave us. What was that like for you?
KING Theresultwasinadirectcontrastto my interest; my interest is evolution. That’s the only thing I’m interested in. I want to see where they are, what is hap- pening. And what happened was, it was reallywellmade,butitwasn’t their Carrie. ...Thegreatnewsisthatyoucreatedcharacters that people love, so much so that they want to see them again. And then if they behave [differently], they would say, “That’s not my Miranda.” And I was like, “But it’s my Miranda because I wrote her, but I understandit’s not what you want to see.” It’s an interesting trick, because inorderforustodoanything,youdon’twant to repeat or freeze-dryanything;why botherifyou’renotgoingtoshakeitup?But thenyouhavetobeprettyawarethatyou could be shaken up too by the reaction, which is not exactly what you expected. Even though you stand behind it, you go, “Wow,that’sasurprise.Ithoughtthatthey wouldbeinterestedin57-year-oldwomen who still hadn’t figured everything out. And instead they wanted them to be 35 andstillallowedtobelost.”
Andrew, how about fan expectations from the Marvel universe — what were you nervous about?
GUEST Working for Marvel comes with alotofbaggage.Andyoucan’treallywinno matter what you do. One of the nice thingswasthischaracter,SimonWilliams, waslesserknown.SoIdidn’tfeellikethere wasatonoffeelingsaboutit.Butcertainly iwhenitcametothetoneoftheshow,bebngconcernedthatthefansweregoingto e like, “What is this show? Why are theydoingmonologuesaboutShakespeare for 10minutesin thisepisode?”Andthetruth wasthefanswerethrilled.TheywantMarvel to try otherthings.They’re so excited. And I feel like it shared some DNA with whatmakesaMarvelshowaMarvelshow. And allowed us to really just do our own thing,whichwasreallynice.
An issue that’s generating a lot of dis- cussion in the industry is production in L.A. How important is it to you? What are we losing by not having it as a
training ground in the same way as maybe when you came up?
MILLER I’ve been on shows that have shot inLosAngelesandI’vebeenonshowsthat have shot outside of Los Angeles. I just thinkyouovershootaplace[asalocation]. Growing up, every single show, no matter where it was set, was in Southern California. And the quality of the light and the qualityofthehillsandallthatstuff,it’sjust shot out. I don’t think it has anything to do with the crews. I think when you work on set, they’re astonishing. I think as a location,though,it’sprettyshotout.Asaplace togoonstage,there’snoplacebetter.You can’t get Bastard Amber [lighting] gel at 4 in the morning in Toronto.
Is there something a mayoral or gubernatorial candidate should say about this moment that would make you vote for them?
KING Hollywoodworkswhenyouletit.Ishot “The Comeback” on [the] Warner Brothers [lot].ItwasashowaboutHollywoodinHollywood.Andifyoucouldseethecrewcoming to work amile from their house, it was just thehappiestcrewintheworld. It’sabigindustry. And entertainment is almost America’s gross national product So you better startguardingitbetter.
GUEST Having just shot in Los Angeles on two different projects, I can tell you that the crews are unmatched. And getting to see them be thrilled to continue to do the jobs they do is just fabulous. And “Wonder Man” is about this town. It’s about people who come here with dreams of doing this job.Andforeverycrewmember,everydepartment head, it was personal. It was their story And they imbued all that into making that show. We got to set a whole episode in Pacoima When was the last time a Marvel show did that? The other thingaboutthiscityisthere’salsosomany people who may not be working in entertainment who are affected by the loss of work in entertainment. And to me, it’s really sad to see. Because the writing advice I used to give 15 years ago was move to L.A. first and then figure it out. And I don’t say that anymore.
What do you say?
GUEST God. I don’t know.
KING Move to Pacoima
MILLER When I entered the business was so long ago, it’s meaningless, my advice. How to get into the business? I took a Conestoga wagon out here.
Michael, what advice do you give?
KING That there’s no one who’s going to have your journey, so try to just believe your own unfounded drive and see where it gets you. Because if you look around, everybody’s journeys are completely dif-
ferent. I think it’s tough that there’s no pipeline right now. ... There’s no 23 shows on that need16 writers.
GUEST That go10 months out of the year.
KING That go for 25 episodes where you alwaysareintheroomwith “Oh,there’s 12 people.” Three will survive. It’s like “The Hunger Games.”
WARFIELD Ijust gave someone advice, which was, “Just be open to wherever it’s going to take you.” I know a young woman who is an aspiring writer and she’s graduatingthismonth.Andsheplansonmoving to L.A. And I said, “But be open if there’s a job in New York or they’re building studios inNewJersey.”Becauseagain,15,20years ago, I would have said, “Come to L.A., make relationships,” all of that. But there’s so many different ways that this younger generation can be connected where we couldn’t. We had to be here Anything’s possible, and you just have to be courageous and see where it takes you.
GLATZER Ithink courageous is probably it. Because [it’s] also a little insane to come here alittledelusional.Figureoutwhatyour voice is, and that’s the thing that you got to ride. There will always be a thirst for originality and something that hasn’t been done before.Andtostaytruetoyourselfalongthe way.Youdon’tloseyoursouldoingthat.
GALLAGHER If you’re talking about giving advice, you’re usually talking to somebody who’s in their mid-20s or early 20s who’s getting started. I just remember being that age and thinking that Hollywood was this thingthatwasaboutwhoyouknew And25 years out from that everyone I know who has sustained a career in this industry wasn’t connected to anybody and didn’t get into some magical party They just put their head down and worked really hard. Now, the industry is so rough these days, and working really hard is not a guarantee of anything But of everybody that I know who has managed to sustain a career, it reallyisjustabouthardwork.AndIfindthat acomfortbecauseitmakesmefeellikeI’m moreincontrolofmysituation.
MILLER But the most fun part of it, I think, iswork.Yousitdownwithawriter,yousay, “I know it’s hard, but every single person you work with, someone said to them at some point in their life, ‘You’re not going to make any money out of this, you should do something else.’ ” You’ve got a whole business full of people, someone said to them,“Iknowyou’rereallygood,butyou’re never ever going to make a living doing that.”Andtheysaid,“Eh,I’lldoitanyway.”I mean, that’s an incredible community of people. You may be nervous about getting into it, but it is the community of people who were nervous to get into it. I love that about our business. It’s just a bunch of people who just decided not to listen to their parents.
MICHAEL PATRICK KING
JONATHAN GLATZER
These days, TV series are expected to premiere with their voice, and their audience, fully formed. How HBO’ s sexy, seamy ‘Industry’ bucked the trend.
STORY BY MATT BRENNAN PHOTOGRAPHS BY JASON ARMOND
MICKEY DOWN AND KONRAD KAY
ONE DAY, WHEN PEOPLE SAY “THEY DON’T make ’em like they used to,” they will be saying it about “Industry.” ¶ First filmed before the pandemicandlaunchedinitsthroes,asurvivor of the era of streaming wars, corporate consolidation and Hollywood strikes, HBO’s addictivelydissoluteworkplacedramaremains as ambitious and authoritative as ever. Indeed, despite being divided from predecessors like “Mad Men,” “Succession” and “The Leftovers” by a series of epochal crises, it more closely resembles a vestigial tail of the medium’s past than most of its current counterparts: Out of place and out of time, “Industry” can best be understood as the last great drama of TV’s golden age. ¶ Cast member and “Game of Thrones”alumKitHarington,residentexperton series that reshaped the medium, agrees that “Industry”isabitofathrowbackinthisrespect.
“If you scroll back to ‘Game of Thrones’ inthefirsttwoseasons,itwasn’tamassive Goliath success, and it exploded after Season 3 with the Red Wedding. I think there’s a similar story going on here,” he says.“SoofteninTVatthemoment,you’re given one season and everyone needs to pack in f— everything to get people hooked. But they’re burning through too much story. Season 2 is then done; the characters haven’t got anywhere to go. I think this is where this show has been successful, is that it was given that time to breathe.”
Earlier this spring, I convened “Industry’s” creators and cast in a conference room at The Times to walk me through its evolution into one of the best shows on television, and what to expect from its impending end.
‘WHAT THE F— ARE YOU THINKING, GUYS?’
A trading-floor knife fight of hot, young strivers, or “grads,” competing for a permanent place at the fictional Pierpoint investment bank, the first season of “Industry,” filmed in 2019, premiered in the waning months of 2020 as a warped love letter to office culture. But for Konrad Kay and Mickey Down, the emerging writers at the helm, the voice of the series didn’t fully take shape until they’d found their main cast, including Myha’la, as hard-charging American Harper Stern, and Marisa Abela, as privileged publishing heiress Yasmin Kara-Hanani.
KAY Season 1, me and Mickey were really green.
DOWN We actually pitched HBO on the idea that it was going to be eight
episodes, it was going to be in different months, and the big-bang dramatics were going to happen between the episodes. A bit like “Boyhood.” Huge things would happen in between episodes, and the episode would be about the reaction to those huge things And they were like, “What the f— are you thinking, guys?” It was so antidramatic.
ABELA Ihad a lot of rounds of auditioning for Yasmin They weren’t sure about me at all I think part of it was because they were quite hellbent on her being vulnerable, on her being soft, and that was what I was playinginthosefirsttwo,threeepisodes. And what happens in any functional collaboration is you start to see what they reallywantfromyou whatitisthatthey need from your character. And in those moments of conflict, the moments of change,Yasminhastostandupforherself at some point, otherwise it’s too wet
DOWN Yasmin was all vulnerability masked by Prada in script, and then you came in and you were very hard. [Laughs.]
ABELA There is one scene with [Yasmin’s abusive supervisor] Kenny [played by ConorMacNeill]inSeason2where Yasmin turns around to him and tells him to f— off, basically: “You don’t have a disease,you’reanarcissist,withanewexcuse to lord it over people. You’re weak.” I think that’s the first time that Yasmin became a gangster. I was watching “Real Housewives of New Jersey” at the time, being completely honest. She can go really mob wife really quick.
MYHA’LA Ihad almost the exact opposite experience in terms of finding or deciding who Harper was. When I read the scripts initially, I just thought, “There’s no way in hellthatHarpercan’tbesteelyand[onoffense],becauseshe’sclearlyfeelingoutof her depth, and as a young woman of color going into a new space like this, you can’t show up like you’re vulnerable. You’re already expected to do poorly.” On the page, Harper was an anxious person when Ifirstmetherinthepilotepisode.Shewas sweaty and clammy and stammering. And I just thought, “Hell no!”
DOWN Sometimes when we write the character,wefocusononething,andthen theactorcomesinandthenthatonething we thought the character was becomes the artifice that they have to play.
HARINGTON Great TV writers genuinely learn their actors as well as their characters, and they tie those things in as it goes through.
ABELA As much as they know how we speak now, we know how they speak. If Yasmin has a “F— off,” I know what they want with that. If she says “F— off,” it’s very different to “F— you.”
DOWN It’s like playing the piano with the foot pedal, blindfolded.
MARISA ABELA
KAY When you get super-talented actors doing your writing, you sort of fall in love with them doing everything There’s no story we can’t tell with them
‘AM I BEING FIRED?’
The series’ second season, which opens with Pierpoint’s post-COVID return to office, found the grads established enough to become “active characters,” and the creators confident enough to begin breaking the mold they’d set for themselves in Season 1. From the nail-biting trade sequence with which Harper wins over hedge fund manager Jesse Bloom (Jay Duplass) to her firing from Pierpoint in the Season 2 finale, it marked the arrival of “Industry’s” distinctive, go-for-broke aesthetic
KAY [In] Season 2 we were still figuring out what the show was, and we had Jami O’Brien as our co-showrunner, who really professionalized me and Mickey towards the American system, towards how to be producers,curbedsomeofourmorebombastic instincts, made us more professional in terms of some of the style of the writing we were doing, found a cleaner version of the show and a cleaner version of the story.
DOWN [The Bloom trade] was one of the first times in the show where we were like, “Wow, we’ve actually created something kind of singular,” in that we were able to createscenesofpeopletrading,[using]financialjargonthatnooneunderstands,and make it feel like a car chase. The contrast between the Harper that’s on the trading floor being able to be in command of that withallthepeoplelookingather,andthen the Harper that’s in the loo afterwards in floodsoftears,thatformewaskindofthe moment where we thought that we had a completely 3D, rounded character.
MYHA’LA If you asked me to do the Jesse Bloom trade scene again, I’d piss myself Because at least when I did it two seasons ago, I could have anxiety and fear percolating inside me. If I had to do it today, I’d have to do it confidently, and I would have to try really hard because so much of the language is truly blind memorization and being able to juggle particularly the f— phones. ... You have to get the choreo[graphy] so good and you have to know the words so well so that you can do the important part, and that’s the subtext communicating the feelings of the thing, which are not in the words. Which I love. It is so hard
HARINGTON When you first read the scripts, you can’t understand a lot of what’sonthepage. Youlookatit,yougo, “This is f— impossible.”
MYHA’LA This is not spoon-feeding the audience “I’m sorry that you’re hurting because I know last summer your mom died in a car crash.” Theydon’tdothat.
KAY Do you know who hates that about us? Network executives. [Laughs]
DOWN Wehadakindofmantrathefirstseasonespecially, and then going into the second, that we would never have a scene that didn’t have one of our four main leads in it And then, just for the necessity of the storytelling, we said, “We have to pop out of that perspective.” I don’t think HBO realized what a big decision that was, because I don’t think they’d actually realizedwe’dkeptthismantrathatwewerenevergoing to go away from the perspective of the grads.
KAY It’salsowherewebroketheruleof,“We’renotgoingtojusttellthebottom-upstory;we’regoingtogoto thetop.”Whenwesoldtheshow,wewerelike,“Thisisa bottom-up story,” and then by that point we were like,
“Actually, we have these older characters whomighthavethesereallyrichinnerlives thatweshouldalsoexplore.”
MYHA’LA We blew the s— up. [Harper’s firing] forced us all outside the bank, which was dangerous and scary for me and really exciting and was how we got to see all the other things that Mickey and Konrad are capable of doing. I think they didn’t tell me before, so I was like, “Am I being fired?” [Laughs.]
DOWN We thought we were all being fired. The reason the show evolves so much is because we basically never know whether we’re coming back, so we just blowupeverything.Wetrytoleavetheaudience with a satisfying conclusion. And then we get renewed, and then we have to basically write ourselves out of a corner. So Harper getting fired could have ended the whole show.
KIT HARINGTON
‘OH, POOR HENRY’
Given time to develop itscharacters, refineits style and growits audience, “Industry” returned for Season 3with all the trappings of aseriesthat hadfinally arrived: effusivecritical acclaim,proliferating fanaccountsand buzzy arcs by Sarah Goldberg and Harington, as playboyand erstwhile green-energy executive Henry Muck.Had it premiered just afew years later, “Industry”may have endeduponthe choppingblock before finding its footing; instead,itwas allowed to achieve“terminal velocity.”
KAY What happenedbetweenSeasons2 and 3was, we got renewed. We didn’t think we weregoing toget renewed. We operated from the principle of,“We might never get to do this again.” And that was incredibly freeing formeand Mickeybecause it was just like,“We’re gonna get eight hours, let’s just do everything we possibly can within that eight hours.Let’s indulge every creativeimpulsewe’ve ever had. Let’s take the stabilizers off thestory Let’s notnecessarily keepitwithinPierpoint.” What we felt like was aperfect marriage of creativelatitude, trustinourselves andthe rightpoint in our arc of writing the show and directing andproducing.Wereachedterminal velocity, where we could actually do all of thestuff thatwewere pretending we could do in the firsttwo seasons.
HARINGTON When Ijoined up in Season 3, Ihad agoodhandful of friends who watched the show. Itmay bebigger than youthink it was fromthe inside. It’s been fascinating for me, joining whenI did and seeing it growagain We all wantto do stuff thatpeople actually watch. We’dbe lying if we said we didn’t. We’veall done jobs that we really love and no one’s f— seen. When there’s afocus in on somethingthatyou know is goodand youlove, that’smorerarethanyouthink.Istartedin this job in “GameofThrones”and just assumed, “That’s, like,how jobs go. Youget invitedtothe Emmys every year andeveryonefrigging watches it.”
KAY Thesoftness in Henry wasa function of Kit playing the character and us writing to that vulnerability. There’s atotally
different version of that character which never unlocksthatkind of thinking in me and [Mickey]
HARINGTON Youknow that moment where it’s all going to s— withLumi and he just gets up and he’s like, “None of this is real”and he f— off?For me, that was it. Because it was like, “Wait aminute, he can’t just leave thef—room” —and he does.Ithinkthatkindofsumshimup.Igot ahandle of him properly then, and that wasquite an earlyone we shot.
DOWN He hasa senseofentitlement most of theother characters don’thave. MYHA’LA Butyou still managetomake me feel bad for you. I’m like, “Oh, poor Henry.” Do you know what Imean? Isn’t that psychotic?
DOWN Isaid it to himinanemail recently. Somehow he managed to make an exTory minister whobankrupted his companytwiceand needed bailouts from the Britishpublic —[a] junkie, adulterer— themost vulnerableand probablymost empathetic character on the show,in some respects.
HARINGTON He’s one of thefew characters who is actually trying to do good. Even if it’s about himbeing perceived as doing good It’s also very smartlydone in how youdemarcate addiction and drug-taking. You’vegotmostofthecharacters,whocan kind of put it down,but then you’ve got Rishi [a Pierpoint trader played by Sagar Radia]andHenry,whoareadifferentkettle offish.Andalsohowitcreepsup.
KAY As asober person playing that stuff, isthereapsychictriggerinyourbrainthat sort of feelslike it’s happening?
HARINGTON Iwas very worried about cominginanddoingsomeofthisstuff,but quite quicklyrealized Iwas A) sober enough for long enough to go backthere safely;andB)itwasasortofmusclememory, alot of it. Iget to exorcise this stuff in my job. How many ex-addicts gettodo that? It was akind of cathartic thing.
ABELA There’s areal freedom that comes with drugs, alcohol,whatever it is, for the character. Those are themoments when youcan really open the lid on something.
MYHA’LA When you’re f— up, you’re uninhibited, so you candoyour own thing, but Ithink you’re also taking theother person at facevalue. Ifeel like it sort of
takes the judgment away. It createsakindofchildlike innocence.
DOWN Ifyou’reinasituationlikethat,youcanskiplike five stages of relationshipifthere’sa bigbag of drugs in front of you. That’ssomethingwetry to capture.
‘WHERE WE LEAVE THE CHARACTERS FEELS SO PERFECT’
Earlier this year, HBO announced that “Industry” had been renewed fora fifth and finalseason. But it was Season 4—which finds Harperand Yasmin’s friendship in tatters, Yasmin and Henry’s marriage at an end, and thestructureofthe show evolving yet againtodrawonnew characters andgenre influences —that led Downand Kaytodetermine that the series’ time had come.
KAY We did think to ourselves, “OK, so we’re going to doaSeason4,whichmeanstheshowisakindofsuccessinandofitself,whichmeanswecanstarttothink about ending. If you get four seasons, you’re probably going to get five.Sowefeltthat it created latitude there. What we thought to ourselves was, “We meet these two women in the pilot. If you’re going to spend fiveseasonsofTVwiththem,whatisthestarkestcontrast you can do between how you meet them and wheretheyendup?”. Whenwestarted,theshowwas about not havingpower.Fiveseasonsin, they haveit. Thenwhatdoyoudowithit?ThephrasemeandMickey have been talkingabout is this idea of “arrival fallacy.” Youclimbandclimb,you’reatthetopofthemountain. Isthereanotherpeak?DoIsithereandenjoytheview?
DOWN We’rewritingSeason5rightnow,andwithout giving too muchaway,we’re approaching that season very differently in terms of how information’s parceled out.
KAY It’s very dense,though, isn’t it? Honestly,it mightbethedensestseason.There’salotoftheology in it, actually
DOWN We talked about doing asixth [season], and then quite honestlywethought that was going to be diminishingreturns Wewouldhavebeenpullingour punches constantly. This has been one of the most creatively fulfillingversions of the show, because we arewriting towards aconclusion that we know is the conclusion. We’re thinking of images for the last 10 minutesthatweknowaregoingtobewhattheaudienceisleftwith, andthat’sreally, really thrilling for us as writers. I’ve never once thought, “God, Iwish we weredoing a sixthone,”asmuchasIlovewritingand making the show. Whereweleave the characters feelssoperfect.
MYHA'LA
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Illustration by Ben Kothe For The Times
These adult animated series color outside the lines
Cartoons aren’t always silly. The creators behind ‘Primal,’ ‘Kevin,’ ‘Mating Season,’ ‘Long Story Short’ and ‘Strip Law’ share how they incorporated heavy themes this season.
IF YOU WANT PERSONAL STOries of survival, family trauma or just how to get over a breakup, look no further than adult animation.Evenbetter:Sometimes these shows do all that and are still funny. We’ve rounded up some of this season’s best examples in the genre.
‘GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY’S PRIMAL’ (Adult Swim)
Set in an anachronistic world where prehumans and dinosaurs fight for survival, “Primal” is told sans dialogue and focuses onaNeanderthalnamedSpear(whosevocalgruntsareprovidedbyactorAaronLaPlante) and a female Tyrannosaurus rex knownasFang It’sraw,bloodyand,somehow, tear-jerking
“There’s drama, there’s violence, certainly there’s a bit of lightheartedness … we’re not trying to do it like a live-action thing, but we’re trying to get cinematic,” says creator Genndy Tartakovsky. “And because it’s dramatic and there’s no dialogue, we’re leaning into the visual storytelling of it all. This makes it seem a little bit more sophisticated.”
Tartakovsky says he even tries to make “the blood spurts look beautiful and designed”: “We’re not doing it for shock value.” The show also added the escaped female slave Mira (voiced by Laëtitia Eïdo) attheendofSeason1becausethecreator felt it worked for the story.
‘KEVIN’ (Prime Video)
Talking cats are not new to animation But this one is going through the very human roller coaster of a relationship rebound and self-discovery.
Joe Wengert co-created “Kevin” with ex-girlfriend/series voice actor Aubrey Plaza as a cathartic thought experiment about their actual pet cat, Kevin. (Jason Schwartzman voices him in the show.)
“It’s more fun to write for the animals,”
says Wengert, whose credits include Netflix’s animated “Big Mouth” and Fox’s liveaction“NewGirl.”“Theyhaveanotherlevel of crazy.”
The show also doubles as therapy
“I’ve always been too into my relationship and I sort of neglect my friends,” he says, adding that “I’ve always wanted to writesomethingaboutthat,butit’skindof sad when it’s a human man It’s less sad when it’s a cat.”
‘LONG STORY SHORT’ (Netflix)
Raphael Bob-Waksberg, who also created Netflix’s “BoJack Horseman,” knows his beat is animated shows that are both funnyandthought-provoking Hesaysthe difference with “Long Story Short,” in additiontoitbeingabouthumansandnotan anthropomorphichorse,isthatithas“sadness we can relate to.”
“Here,weseecharacterssadintheway thatwearesadandwego,‘Oh,thisisnota cartoonexaggerationofoursadness.’This is exactly the same as our sadness,” BobWaksberg says.
In order to keep the show from being a total buzzkill, the writers will craft scenes like an intense conversation between adult siblings about fertility treatments in themidstofthechaosandthebizarrecostuming of a child’s dance concert.
He says you can do this in live-action, but it would have to be something in the Tina Fey-Robert Carlock style like NBC’s “30 Rock” or Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” which are known for rapid-fire bits
“Usually in live-action, when you think about dramedy, your head goes to like, well, not too funny and not too dramatic. And my shows are kind of the opposite,” he laughs.
‘MATING SEASON’ (Netflix)
Like another show Andrew Goldberg cocreated, Netflix’s “Big Mouth,” “Mating Season” is about sex and relationships.
But, because it’s not about kids, it can be less metaphoric. And, because it’s about a group of Gen Z-ish forest animals, it can almost seem cute?
“It feels less voyeuristic than with people,”Goldbergexplainsof“MatingSeason.” Goldberg, who loves nature documentaries like Netflix’s “Life on Our Planet,” says they opened the second episode of “Mating Season” with a parody documentary because “we wanted to remind peopleasmuchaspossiblethat,yes,these are cartoon characters. But these animals are real, and they’re out there, and they’re going about their lives.”
Hesaysthewriterswerealsoinspiredby dating shows about humans such as Netflix’s“LoveIsBlind”andPeacock’s“LoveIsland,” because “we really discovered, as we werewritingthefirstseason,howmuchthe showwasaromanticcomedy.”
‘STRIP LAW’ (Netflix)
“Strip Law,” about a Las Vegas lawyer attempting to live up to his late mother’s legacy, is a David and Goliath story, in which Adam Scott’s Lincoln Gumb and a ragtag crew attempt to defeat the powerful and nefarious attorney Steve Nichols (Keith David).
It’s also a send-up of legal procedurals, with Lincoln’s cases including a fight over who’s the real Santa Claus and a custody battle that devolves into a theological debate. Even the season finale is a meta masterpiece that’s told from the points of view of Lincoln’s rival attorneys.
“It would be disingenuous to say we weren’tatleastalittletryingtoweirdpeople out,” creator Cullen Crawford laughs.
Crawford cut some of his teeth on CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” but says he switched formats when he got burned out writing jokes about President Trump. He says that, at least in thecomedyworld,“agoodanimationwriter will be a good live-action writer and the other way around, to an extent, as long as you understand the mediums.”
Story by Whitney Friedlander
Illustration by Ben Kothe For The Times
An essay by Connor Hines on making ‘Love Story,’ the Kennedys and how he won over producer Ryan Murphy
GROWING UP, MY GRANDPARENTS VIRTUallyhadashrinetoPresidentKennedyand Jackie. For many descendants of Irish immigrants, especially from the Boston area, the Kennedys were the realization of the American dream: a family that overcame anti-Irish prejudice and built an empire that would propel one son to the White House, two others to the Senate, and generations of public servants after them. Needless to say, the lore of the family was embedded in me from a young age.
Around 2020, I descended into a Kennedy rabbit hole, starting with the tycoon and patriarch Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and working my way through the generations.
When I reached John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s story, a switch went off within me that jolt of adrenaline and inspiration you pray to stumble upon as a writer. Yes, their courtship was singular, sweeping and at times volatile, but I was mostly struck by the acute disconnect between the way they were posthumously characterized by friends and family and the often misogynistic,reductivenarrativethatsurrounded them at the time. The more I read about them, the more convinced I became that there was an entirely new story to be told throughafreshlensthatcouldhumanize and dimensionalize two people who
had been so widely mythologized. But obsession does not a show make. I wasn’t at a place in my career where a network or streaming service would likely entrust me with a story of that magnitude until a few months later, when it was announcedinDeadlinethatRyanMurphywas launching a new anthology series, “American Love Story.” The first season: John F. KennedyJr.andCarolynBessetteKennedy. Fortunately for me, the heads of Color Force, Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobson the producers behind acclaimed series such as “The People v. O.J. Simpson” and “Say Nothing” read a sample of mine and agreed to meet with me. After extensive discussion, they suggested I meet with Ryan to walk him through my take on the story. While this might seem like the logicalnextstepinthehiringprocessfora Ryan Murphy show, the suggestion felt anything but. Ryan Murphy was a name that entered my psyche circa1999, at age 11, when I would sneak out of my room to watch Ryan’s first series, “Popular”: a clever, biting, provocative show that, like so many of his later works, upended the status quo of the genre and showcased characters and talented, overlooked actors found nowhere else on TV.
I spent roughly three months in the trenches with Brad and Nina, deepening and refining my presentation one that I’d recite in the shower, on runs, at Trader Joe’s,whileIdrove.Itwasacrashcoursein storytelling, producing, and understanding the alchemy that propelled so many of Ryan’s shows into the zeitgeist.
Most mega-producers likely would have balked at my less-than-robust résumé,butRyanissomeonewhomovesinstinctively and decisively, and after our meeting, he offered me the chance to write the show. In the spirit of full transparency, I immediately experienced almost debilitating impostor syndrome, but after several frantic phone calls to my agents,managerandtherapist,Iaccepted.
I’mnotsureI’veeverobsessedoveranythingthewayIdidtheworldof“LoveStory.” Iknew it was a tremendous responsibility, and a story that had to be handled with care, but I was also exhilarated by the privilegeofwritingaboutasubjectthatnotonly Iloved deeply, but one that my grandparentshadloveddeeplyaswell.Sadly,they passedawaybeforethisallcametofruition, but I can only imagine how happy and, knowing my grandfather, how responsible —they would feel seeing my dreams materializeinsuchafortuitousway
Unlike many Hollywood experiences, working on “Love Story” turned out to be everything I had hoped for and more, and despite nearly a decade of watching projectswitheronthedevelopmentvine,itfelt exactly like where I was supposed to be.
Photograph by Evan Mulling For The Times
Westeros shifts into a different key
How the music of ‘Seven Kingdoms’ heralds a new era for ‘Game of Thrones’
GAME OF THRONES” WAS known as the fantasy show for people who don’t like fantasy, thanksto languageandgraphiccontent akin to HBO’s contemporary dramas. But italsoendeavoredtosounddifferentfrom previous fantasy media, replacing twee flutes with composer Ramin Djawadi’s deep strings, rhythmic drumming and a themesongthatsoughttoinspireitsaudience to battle.
Spinoff series “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is not trying to be “Game of Thrones.” Nor is it trying to emulate the high court drama and mysticism of “House of the Dragon,” also scored by Djawadi Instead, the story of a lone knight and his young companion forges a new tonal path. Andithasthemusictomatch
“Wehadmashedupthismedievalwestern cowboy feeling,” says series creator Ira Parker and after bringing in composer Dan Romer, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”possessed“thatlittlebitofsparklein there that gives you coming-of-age childlikehope…It’sanadventurestory.”
The first season takes place during a tournament in which lonely knight Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) finds an apprentice in the young Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). Their journey highlights the smallfolk of Westeros more than the previous installments.
Music supervisor Alex Stacey says Parker knew from the beginning that songs wouldbecentraltotheshow.“Hewaslike,‘I justwannahearmusicatalltimesbecausea festivalishappening.AnytimeDunkiswalkingthroughthevillage,weshouldhearafiddleplayerplayingsomewhere,’ ”hesays.
Stacey and fellow music supervisor Evyen Klean came on board in the script phase to help plan out the multitude of songs that are heard as the characters travelthroughthetournament.
“Your brain starts forgetting if it’s part of the score or if it’s actually happening in therealityoftheshow,”Romersays
The series’ musical landscape also includes a myriad of folk songs, developed with the help of research into medieval songs and kids’ rhymes Djawadi returned towritethemelodies,withlyricsbyParker.
“It’s my secret favorite part of the writing process,” says Parker. “If anyone needs
afunny songwriter on a show, I’m very happytodothat.”
To craft the score, Romer went back to researchhehaddoneforthe2017medieval comedy“TheLittleHours”aboutthetonalityofstringinstrumentsfromthattimeperiod. The score took roughly six months to craftandinvolvedthecreationofnewtools to build the earthy and whimsical sounds, includingacellobasedonMongolianstring instruments.
“I wanted to have a feeling of a lonely cowboy out in the West but there are instruments that we associate with that [genre] that wouldn’t feel like Westeros,” says Romer, who substitutes electric guitars and slide whistles with fiddles and realwhistling.
The music in “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” toes the line between indulgence and realism. Many of the show’s most intense moments, like Dunk burying hismentorortheclimactictrialbycombat, have no score at all. Parker says of the sound design, “Everything should feel tactile.Itshouldbefocusedontherainandthe trudge of your footsteps and the mud, the thingsthatyouhoneinonwhenyou’rehavinganout-of-bodyexperience.”
Other sequences allow the bombastic possibilities of the series to take over. A pivotal reveal at the end of Episode 3 was edited using the UK version of “The Apprentice” theme song as temp music during postproduction. This guided Romer to build a song around the heightened tempo and emotions of the scene, including the useofanoperaticchoir
The show also features two references to the original “Game of Thrones” theme.
The first moment is played for comedy: As Dunkreadieshimselffor adventure, the theme begins to swell before cutting to him in a bout ofsickness.
“We needed something else that sounded like the call to greatness that wasn’t part of him yet.Andthere’snogreater call to greatness than the ‘Game of Thrones’ theme,”saysParker.
The second instance comes at the end of Episode 4 when Dunk recruits Prince Baelor Targaryen to join his side in his trial by combat. Romer says it wasplannedfrombeforehejoinedtheproduction that Dunk’s theme would blend into the “Game of Thrones” theme in the moment he has a chance to be a hero. “That four-note riff, the ‘Da da dada da da,’ being able to put that underneath something that I was writing was such an enthralling experience because it immediately makes it so recognizable and so memorable.”
But the series’ most bold musical decision comes at the end of the last episode. As Dunk and Egg embark on their next journey,theopeningbarsof“SixteenTons,” a1947 song by Tennessee Ernie Ford, close out the season. It’s the first use of anachronistic existing music in the franchise’shistory.
The song was proposed early in development by Parker, but it was the reaction from “Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin that cemented the tune’s presence.
“He said, ‘You know, this was the ringtone for a very dear friend of mine on my phone who had just recently passed away,’ ” says Parker. “When he told me that story I just sort of felt like, ‘Maybe this is right.Maybethisissupposedtobethere.’”
AccordingtoParker,Season1isjustthe first test of how his series can transform what an installment in the franchise can be. “I like that we’re inching it forward just a little bit. ‘Game of Thrones’ in 2026,” he says. “Every now and then, when somethingisright,we’regoingtotryitandseeif we feel like it works.”
The Spotlight Music
Story by Leila Jordan
↖Peter Claffey, left, and Dexter Sol Ansell in “Seven Kingdoms.”
Nominations arecoming.
Here are my picks
TV has left alot to be desired this year, but these are theshows andstars that deservesome attention
Glenn Whipp Columnist
THERE AREMORE THAN100 EMMY CATEGORIES, AND IF YOUSCROLL THROUGH each and every one of them on the Television Academy’s website, you’reprobablyoneofthosepeoplewhoreadthetermsandconditions onadocumentbeforesigningyourname. ¶ Thishasn’tbeenthegreatest year fortelevision,which hashad theconverse effect of prompting me to samplemore showsthaneverinaquest to unearth thatone hiddengemthatmeritsaplaceonmymockEmmyballot.Truthbetold,I’m still looking.I’m sureI’ve missed something. And I’m sure you’lllet me know. ¶ Inthemeantime,herearemypicksforthetop15categories fiveeachforcomedy,dramaandlimitedseries—alongwithabriefline of reasoningfor each.And if it’spredictionsyou’re after,you can find ourfullBuzzMeterpanel’schoicesonline.EmmynominationswillbeannouncedJuly8.
COMEDY SERIES
“Abbott Elementary” “The Bear” “The Comeback” “Hacks” “The Lowdown” “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” “TheFall andRiseof Reggie Dinkins” “Shrinking”
Sterlin Harjo’s“The Lowdown” feels like it’s on thesame trajectory as his last series, “ReservationDogs,” an under-the-radar charmer that grows in estimation as its audience builds. Noir crime storiesdon’t come more delightful.
COMEDY ACTRESS
Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary” Rose Byrne,“Platonic” AyoEdebiri, “The Bear” Elle Fanning, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” Lisa Kudrow, “TheComeback” Jean Smart, “Hacks”
“Platonic” heightenedthe chaos and conflict in itssecond season, affording the giftedByrne additional room to flex her comic chops. How do you sleep on ashow starring anewlyminted Oscar nominee?
COMEDY ACTOR
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, “Wonder Man” Ethan Hawke, “The Lowdown” Tracy Morgan, “The Fall and RiseofReggieDinkins” JasonSegel,“Shrinking” Martin Short, “OnlyMurders in the Building” JeremyAllenWhite, “The Bear”
Morgan acting oblivious is one of the funniest things ever.
COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks” Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary”
DRAMA SERIES
“Industry” “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” “TheNight Manager” “Paradise” “ThePitt” “Pluribus” “Slow Horses” “Task”
Howmany Emmy voters finallycaught up on “Industry,”the fast-paced drama about agroupofcutthroat Gen Zers? Four seasonsin, it’s more addictive than ever
DRAMA ACTRESS
CaitrionaBalfe, “Outlander” Myha’la,“Industry” ChaseInfiniti, “TheTestaments” Michelle Pfeiffer, “TheMadison” Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus” Zendaya, “Euphoria”
Ashley Padilla, “Saturday Night Live” Michelle Pfeiffer, “Margo’s GotMoney Troubles” Sheryl Lee Ralph, “AbbottElementary” Jeanne Tripplehorn, “The Lowdown” Jessica Williams, “Shrinking”
ThePadillaPause is onereason I’mwatching “Saturday NightLive” again.
COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR
Harrison Ford,“Shrinking” Marcello Hernández, “Saturday Night Live” Ben Kingsley, “Wonder Man” Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Bear” NickOfferman, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” Stephen Root, “Widow’sBay” TylerJames Williams, “Abbott Elementary”
Hernández’s charisma and physicalcomedy is another
Nowthat“Outlander” is over, it’s timetopour one out for Balfe. Over the course of eight seasons, shehopscotched through time, enduringand overcomingnumerousassaults andkidnappings,dealing with griefand traumaand enjoying lots of emotionally grounded sex.Balfe has earned afinal reward.
DRAMA ACTOR
Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” Peter Claffey, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” Tom Hiddleston, “The Night Manager” GaryOldman,“Slow Horses” Mark Ruffalo, “Task” NoahWyle, “The Pitt” Claffey turned bumbling into art.
DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Isa Briones, “The Pitt” Taylor Dearden, “The Pitt” FionaDourif, “The Pitt” Supriya Ganesh, “The Pitt” Katherine LaNasa, “The Pitt” Sepideh Moafi,“The Pitt” KarolinaWydra,“Pluribus” LaNasa should have bumped herself up to lead. As Whitaker explains to Langdon in Season2’s penultimate episode, Robby’s the Professorofthe ER andLaNasa’sDana is the Skipper. And the Skipper should be lead.
Illustration by Tate Rudisill
DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR
Patrick Ball, “The Pitt” Diego Calva, “The Night Manager”
Shawn Hatosy, “The Pitt”
Gerran Howell, “The Pitt”
Ken Leung, “Industry”
Tom Pelphrey, “Task” Carlos-Manuel Vesga, “Pluribus”
Pelphrey has called his desperate single dad on “Task” the role of a lifetime. No argument here.
LIMITED SERIES
“Bait”
“Beef”
“DTF St. Louis”
“Death by Lightning”
“Half Man”
I put off watching the finale of the punishing “Half Man” for weeks Does that mean the show worked?
LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE ACTRESS
Sally Field, “Remarkably Bright Creatures”
Camila Morrone, “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen”
Carey Mulligan, “Beef”
Sarah Pidgeon, “Love Story”
Robin Wright, “The Girlfriend”
I like her! Right now (and always), I like her!
LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE ACTOR
Riz Ahmed, “Bait”
Charlie Hunnam, “Monster:
The Ed Gein Story”
Matthew Macfadyen, “Death by Lightning”
Mitchell Robertson, “Half Man” Michael Shannon, “Death by Lightning”
The young actors on “Half Man” Robertson and Stuart Campbell outshone their well-known counterparts.
LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Linda Cardellini, “DTF St. Louis”
Grace Gummer, “Love Story”
Laurie Metcalf, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”
Cailee Spaeny, “Beef”
Joy Sunday, “DTF St Louis”
Constance Zimmer, “Love Story”
←A shley Padilla (“ SNL”), left, Rhea Seehorn (P luribus”), Ethan Haw ke (“ The Lowdown ”), Trac y Mo rgan (“ The Fa ll an d Rise of Reggie Dinkins”), Ni ck Offerman (“ Death by Lightnin g”) an d Lin da Ca rdellin i (“ DTF St. Louis”).
Both Cardellini and Sunday for “DTF St. Louis”? No way, José, you say? Yes way, I say. All the way!
LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jason Bateman, “DTF St. Louis”
Stuart Campbell, “Half Man”
Richard Gadd, “Half Man”
David Harbour, “DTF St. Louis”
Charles Melton, “Beef” Nick Offerman, “Death by Lightning”
The mutton-chopped Chester A. Arthur joins Ron Swanson’s ’stache in television’s facial hair hall of fame.
Story by Bill Desowitz
Making ‘Spider-Noir’s’ distinct visual languages
The team from the MGM+/Prime Video series explains how they filmed in black and white and in color simultaneously
WITH “SPIDER-NOIR,”
starring Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly, the webslinging, crime-fighting private eye in ’30s New York, we get two vintage-looking options: a high-contrast, shadowy, black-andwhiteversion,andaTechnicolor-esquealternative (“True-Hue”) that pops in primary colors.
Which you’re watching definitely shapesyourviewofthestrangeworldthat the hard-boiled Reilly inhabits, where noir and sci-fi converge with gangsters and other mutant “Supers” (including Jack Huston’s Flint Marko/Sandman).
MGM+/Prime Video’s eight-episode series was inspired by both the Marvel comic “Spider-ManNoir”andthemonochromatic version of the character voiced by Cage in Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s animated “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” (They executiveproduced“Spider-Noir.”)
“This was enormously challenging, but once the task was laid out in front of us, everybodyrosetotheoccasionoftryingto figure out just how to do this, because it hadn’tbeendonebefore.Thingshavebeen convertedafterthefact,”saidco-showrunner Oren Uziel, a noir specialist who previouslyservedasawriteronLordandMiller’s “22 Jump Street.” He developed the series
with superhero expert Steve Lightfoot of Marvel’s“ThePunisher.”
Theinitialplanwastoshootonlyinblack andwhitetocapturetheiconicExpressionistic look. But when the additional request for color came during prep, a new visual strategy and workflow were devised to accommodatebothformatssimultaneously.
“The question of whether or not the technology allowed us to do that was unknown when we first started,” Uziel explained. “There’s lots of programs for steering the information for what it’s going to look like, but it was challenging to find the right palette that would make the color of the lipstick or the walls look good in both formats. But I didn’t want a color palette that was standard. It had to have itsownvalueandtellaversionofthestory that would be just as interesting.”
While they shot in black and white on set with a digital camera and customized image mapping, the conversion was done in parallel: colorizing the monochrome footage with different mapping and finetuning.
Final corrections were done in post by cinematographer Darran Tiernan (“The Penguin” ) and senior digital intermediate colorist Pankaj Bajpai. Tiernan shot six of the eight episodes, and cinematographer Peter Deming a longtime David Lynch collaborator (“Mulholland Drive”) pitched in for the trippier Episodes 5 and 6, which reveal Reilly’s Spidey backstory
Tiernansaid.“Oneofthethingsthatitdid, which was kind of new, was how Premingermovedthecamera.Itfeltcontemporary. He’d move the camera eight or nine times in the diner to give you a beautiful new frame of two or three characters speaking.”
For color, Tiernan referenced early hand-tinting of black and white, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s Technicolor masterpiece “The Red Shoes” and Alfred Hitchcock’s dreamlike “Vertigo,” which was his touchstone.
“We just wanted to have as much wow as the black and white [aided by vintage lenses and period lighting],” Tiernan added. But he found each experience different:Themonochromewasmysteriousand dangerous, while the color was glamorous and romantic.
“In contemporary cinematography hard light isn’t used as much, and we found that this was all part of the process of getting the recipe together,” Tiernan explained. But one of the hardest adjustments was embracing unmotivated light, whichwasastapleofnoir’sheightenedatmospherics.
Among the most striking sequences is an interlude in Episode 1 where nightclub singer/femmefataleCatHardy(LiJunLi) performs “Dream a Little Dream of Me.” She’s seductive in both formats, especially with the moving lights, but her gold spike headband and gold dress are eyeopening in color.
“The whole point is Ben Reilly gets captivated by her, and this is the lock in,” suggested Tiernan. “Also, in the second part of the song, she floats away from the stage and the camera brings her over all the tables. This is meant to psychologically tell you how he’s feeling.”
Deming,whoarrivedaftershootingbegan, swung into action quickly to get up to speed for his two episodes. “The black and white was especially aggressive, which you really needed to pull off this vintage look,” he said. “But even the color was not ordinary.”
For Tiernan, the blackand-white prep showed offtheversatilityofnoirin John Huston’s “The Maltese Falcon,” Stanley Kubrick’s “The Killing” and Orson Welles’ “The Lady From Shanghai,” which served as a model for replicating the look of the film stock.
However, Otto Preminger’s “Fallen Angel,” a cultish detour, was a surprise revelation.“That had a deep impact on me,”
For Episode 6, Deming made great use of a small lab set, where Reilly wrestles with emotional demons after being drugged. This is where the monochromatic lighting turns especially atmospheric. Deming goes old school to distort Reilly’s focus and bombard him with harsh spotlights. “These were tricks that I was very familiar with,” he added.
Uziel hopes this will stop modern viewers in their tracks. “If you’re coming to the showbywayof‘Spider-Man’andthecomics,blackandwhitemightopenyouuptoa new aesthetic,” he said. “And if you’re a noir fan who pops on the color, you might enjoy a comic book aesthetic that you’re not familiar with.”
↓Lamorne Morris as Robbie Robertson in “SpiderNoir.”
Back for a follow-up?
“The Pitt” has put “ER” veteran Noah Wyle back where he excels: a fictional emergency room But this time, Wyle has assumed far more control over the Emmy chaos by producing and directing as well as acting. It promises to keep paying off with Season 2.
2
In 2025, Wyle won the lead drama actor Emmy for playing complicated miracle worker Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, plus a producing prize for drama series.
5
Wyle was nominated five times (1995-1999) without winning for his supporting performance as Dr. John Carter on “ER,” his first hospital-set collaboration with producer John Wells
29
Nominations that “ER” actors Wyle, Julianna Margulies, Anthony Edwards, Sherry Stringfield, Eriq La Salle, George Clooney, Laura Innes, Gloria Reuben, CCH Pounder and Maura Tierney amassed in supporting and lead categories.
1
Emmy wins that resulted from those acting nominations: Margulies’ supporting triumph in 1995
200%
“The Pitt” doubled that haul in one season, with Wyle’s lead and Katherine LaNasa’s supporting wins. (And added a guest actor Emmy for Shawn Hatosy, who moves up to supporting in Season 2.)
3
Wyle could grab three more nominations this time around, including for his “Pitt” directing debut (Season 2, Episode 6).
8
He also no longer competes against his co-stars, as he did with La Salle, and as at least eight “Pitt” performers (LaNasa, Taylor Dearden, Fiona Dourif, Sepideh Moafi, Isa Briones, Patrick Ball, Gerran Howell and Hatosy) could this year.
Story by
Carla Meyer
Illustration
Illustration by Tate Rudisill
Celebrities talking dirty to you? Sounds great
Audio erotica app Quinn hopes to normalize sexual content by teaming up with big stars
HOLLYWOOD RARELY misses the opportunity to sellsex.Andonebuzzyapp is capitalizing on that by combining smut and celebrity bringing famous actors’ steamy voices directly into their listeners’ ears. Move over, coffee and tequila endorsements, there’s a new actor side hustle in town.
Caroline Spiegel founded audio eroticaappQuinnwhen,asaseniorincollege, she experienced a “total loss of libido” while recovering from an eating disorder. After scouring the internet for solutions and bemoaning how many sexualdysfunctiondrugstherewereavailable to men in comparison to women she was left disappointed.
“There was a dearth of options for erotic content for women,” Spiegel tells me, adding that she had to go deeper into internet community spaces to find erotica she appreciated. “I started thinking, ‘How can I bring erotica that women would enjoyintothemainstream?’AndIdiscovered audio erotica on Reddit and Tumblr and was like, ‘This is the ideal way to consume erotica. It’s so immersive.’ ” Spiegel says she became so obsessed with the idea of audio romances that she wasn’t doing any homework, so she droppedoutofcollegetocreateherstartup, Quinn, which was launched as an app in 2021.
In 2022, Spiegel released her first Quinn Original, a premium series often voiced by actors and celebrities like Shawn Hatosy (“The Pitt”), Sam Heughan (“Outlander”), Andrew Scott (“Fleabag”) and Jesse Williams (“Grey’s Anatomy”). The company has released approximately 15 celebrity-narrated series thus far a
vealsthatsomeactorswanttobeinonthe detailsofeverylineinthescript,whileotherswanttobeinchargeofchoosingastory’s message, and some just want to speak to the director beforehand. For example, when Spiegel chatted with “Atlanta’s” TyriqWithersaboutQuinn,sherecalls,the actor expressed passion about how attractive consent is, so they worked it into his project, called “The Bodyguard,” about a special agent assigned to keep a U.S. diplomat safe while in Paris.
“From the first call when we talked to him,hewaslike‘Ithinkit’sreallyimportant to teach people about enthusiastic consent and how consent is sexy,’ ” says Spiegel “That became the theme of his series and we worked with him on that.”
Spiegel says that a big impetus for starting Quinn Originals in the first place wastonormalizeeroticaandmakeitmore accessible for people to share and talk about it.
Story by Lorena O’Neil
gambit that’s proved so successful it aims to do one a month going forward. Traditionally, the original series have featured one celebrity narrator as a protagonist speaking to the listener in an immersive story.Thischangedwhen“HeatedRivalry” actors Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams broke the formula, starring as two rival fae princes in “Ember & Ice,” Quinn’s most popular series to date.
“We definitely heard our users that they really liked being more of a fly on the wall, rather than a person in the story,” says Spiegel, so the next few projects will contain multiple voices.
Quinn’s audience is more than 80% women and subscriptions cost $7.99 a month or $59.99 a year. The company currently has 12 full-time employees. Spiegel says they brainstorm ideas for actors and themes based on what’s in the zeitgeist, tying the stories to specific moments in pop culture, then sprinkling in some evergreen stories throughout the year. Spiegel reached out to Storrie’s and Wiliams’ teams after seeing a trailer for their hockey romance series before HBO Max had even made its distribution deal with Canada’s Crave. Spiegel teased that this summer Quinn would also be introducing written projects. She says lately they’ve also been thinking about doing nostalgia-fueled projects, with fan-favorite voices from the early 2000s.
Pedro Pascal is the actor at the top of Quinn’s listeners’ wish list, and Spiegel says the company also gets a lot of requests from those hoping to hear Idris Elba and Matthew Gray Gubler whisper in theirear.Sheaddsthatoneofthemostinteresting parts of the job has been pitching Quinn to talent and learning each person’s boundaries and questions. She re-
“It’s so much easier and more comfortable for people to say, ‘Did you see the “Heated Rivalry” guys are doing a Quinn audio?’ versus saying, ‘Hey, check out this audio erotica,’ ” Spiegel explains. She thinksit’spartofabiggermovetowardinvesting in romantic storylines in general.
“Amazon has a whole slate of romance shows like ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ and ‘Off Campus,’ which was a very explicit book; there’s been ‘Bridgerton,’ ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ ” she says. “I think we’re seeingtheincreasedvisibilityandnormalization of explicit romantic content, and it’s definitely helping remove stigma and shame from consuming it.”
Her hope is that this can translate into shifting real-world dynamics as well. “Oncewegivepeoplethewordstobeable to talk about what they want and what they like, sex becomes more safe and more enjoyable for people.”
And, as a bonus, listeners get their favorite actors whispering dirty talk into theirearbudsastheywaitforthenextseason of their favorite TV series to drop.
↓“Fleabag”
Andrew Scott is one of the many stars who has given voice to a Quinn Original series.
actor
Story by Jim Halterman
Why the Emmys are revisting the classics
The TV Academy chief explains the new award honoring shows that have had a ‘lasting impact’
FINE-TUNING EMMY AWARDS categories isn’t unusual for the Television Academy in any given year. Case in point, the upcoming 78th edition will feature changes to category names (Outstanding TV Movie is now OutstandingMovie)andruleclarifications(forOutstanding Main Theme Title Music, both the main and main-on-end of a program will be eligible).
But creating a new award altogether is more of a rarity the last time the academy did it was 2007, when it inaugurated the Honors Award to recognize programming that drives positive social change. Well, until now: This year marks the firstever Legacy Award, “presented to television programs that have made a ‘profound and lasting impact’ on audiences and remain relevant to society, culture and the industry.”
Tofindoutwhyittooktheacademythis long to create the award, who actually receivestheEmmystatueandwhenitwillbe given, The Envelope spoke with Television Academy President and Chief Executive Maury McIntyre.
Was the name always the Legacy Award?
It has been the Legacy Award ever since it got presented and once that happens, how couldyoucallitsomethingelse?Wehavea Hall of Fame for professionals who work in theindustryandweneedaHallofFamefor showsthatreallystoodthetestoftimeand that’salittlebitwhattheLegacyAwardis
Since the award goes to a show, who receives a statue?
Thewayit’sworded,it’ssupposedtogoto thetopcreativeindividualswhomadethe show and its legacy If you give a Governors Award to a program, it usually goes to the main distribution partner but then up to four or five executive producers thathadthemosttodowiththelongevity of the show.
This is the first year we’re giving it, but we may find that there could be a director whoactuallydirectedmostoftheepisodes and they deserve some of the award. For us, again, it’s really about who in that core creative team helped give this its long life.
Per the release, show nominations come from board of governors and special committees but also “individuals who may suggest recipients in a letter to the Television Academy.” Can anyone nominate a show?
↗The stars of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in 1976.
How early did the talks start about creating the Legacy Award?
In general, we’re talking about awards throughout the year. We have an awards
committee that meets almost every other month to talk about changes just in terms ofeitherthingswehaveseenattheacademy or things that other peer groups or the governors themselves have brought up
But the Legacy Award came about because of a conversation with Pearlena Igbokwe [chairman, Television Studios, NBC Entertainment and Peacock Scripted]. She asked, “Why don’t we do an award that celebrates shows that have had a longlasting impact?” And we were all like, “That’s a really great idea. We should have done this years ago.” It was just one of those things that when people ask, “Why now?”I’mlike,“Becausewewereidiotsand didn’t think about it until now.”
What was the process for getting it approved and making it a reality?
Once Pearlena gave me the idea, I worked withourawardsdepartmenttofleshitout. Itook it back to our executive committee to say, “Here is what we would propose it maybe [should] look like.” We got some feedback from them, so once that happened, we [took] it to the awards committee. Since the Legacy Award is going to be an Emmy, it goes to them for their consideration. They made some changes and then once they review it, if they approve it, it then goes to the board for official approval to move forward.
Absolutely. Submit a letter! Part of this award is it has made a lasting impact on the audience, so we want to hear from the audience. What touched you and what still means something to you?
The rules also state shows must have a minimum of 60 episodes over at least five seasons to be eligible, which excludes big shows like “Ted Lasso” or “Succession,”for example. Wewentbackandforthonwhat’stheright number and how many years. We may get into it in 10 years and realize we are losing out on some of the most impactful shows because we’re not allowing it to be three seasons or whatever We think that right now we’ve got a large cohort that we can get to with what we’ve got.
And how’s the conversation going about when and where the award will be given?
It will probably continue to be a conversation until we know who the award is going to Once we know the [recipient of the] Governors Award or the Bob Hope Award, thenwecanhaveaconversation Doesthe network want to showcase that? Does it make more sense to put in the Creative Arts Emmys? Or Televerse, our new festivalthatoccursinAugust?Wehaveanumber of places to do it and I think it’s just a matter of “Where does it fit the best?”
One Shot
At the 1880 Republican Convention, James Garfield made a speech to support the nomination of fellow Ohioan John Sherman for president. When he asked the crowd “What do we want?” though, a voice unexpectedly yelled: “We want Garfield!” Mike Makowsky’s “Death by Lightning” faithfully preserves the stirring rhetoric of the man who would become America’s 20th commander in chief. But words alone could not carry the moment. It was up to production designer Gemma Jackson to recreate the energetic pulse of Chicago’s Exposition Building: “We had to find a way to present it to be believable but also so that you as the audience will have your breath taken away.” Referencing original black-and-white photos, Jackson designed a massive120-foot-long set, complete with a stage, seating, bleachers and mahogany flooring, to be filled with up to 500 extras. With the help of set decorator Hannah Gawthorpe, no detail went unnoticed, including the 38-star U.S. flag, delegate banners and the same fresh flowers that decorated the hall “It was really important that you feel the set was powerful,” says Jackson “It had to be in order to set the whole series up.”
Story by
Daron James
ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS
VI SI ON AR IE S
WhoKeeps theLightsOnand theCameras Rolling?
Inanindustryfueledby creativity andstarpower,itcan be easy to overlook theaccomplishedprofessionals working tirelessly behind thecurtain to keep entertainment moving forward. Yetthe lawyers, accountants, financial experts, lenders,bankers, strategists, consultants, business managers/advisorsand industry executives featured in this sectionare amongthe entertainmentworld’s most valuable architects –the individualswhose guidance helps productionslaunch, companiesexpand, dealsclose and careersflourish
As theentertainment sector continuestonavigaterapid change in 2026,thesebehind-the-scenes leadershave become moreindispensable than ever.Fromevolving global markets andeconomicuncertainty to shifting labor dynamics, artificialintelligenceintegration,cybersecurity concerns andnew business models across streaming andlivemedia,the challenges facing theindustryare increasinglycomplex.The professionalshighlighted here helpstudios,networks, production companies, agencies, musiclabels, gaming firms anddigital platformsadapt to thesechanges whileremaining competitiveand resilient.
Theirworkoften happensoutside thespotlight, butits impact is felt throughoutevery corner of thebusiness. They negotiatetransformativeagreements,structure major investments, protectintellectualproperty, guidemergers
andacquisitions, navigatelegal andregulatoryhurdles, anddevelopthe financial andoperational strategies that allowcreativeenterprises to grow.Inmanycases,they arethe steady handshelping entertainmentcompanies manage uncertaintywhile positioningthemselvesfor future opportunity.
This year’s editionrecognizesa distinguishedgroup of advisors andexecutiveswhose expertisecontinues to shapethe directionofthe entertainmentindustry. Representing awiderange of disciplines andspecialties, theseprofessionals exemplify innovation,leadershipand adeepcommitmenttothe success of theirclients and organizations.
Arranged alphabetically,the individualsprofiledin thefollowing pageshaveearnedthe respectofpeers throughoutthe Southern California entertainment communityand beyond.Their contributionsmay notalways play outonscreenoronstage,but theirinfluenceiswoven into thebusinessdecisions andstrategic thinking that powerthe industry everyday
Simplyput,while audiencessee thefinishedproduct,these visionarieshelpmakeitall possible
Addie ALLISON EVP &Chief Operating Officer
FirstEntertainment Credit Union
Addie Allison is theexecut iv ev ic e presidentand chiefoperating officer at FirstEntertainmentCreditUnion Shespearheadsthe operationaltrajectoryofthe entertainmentindustry’s primary financial partnerbymanagingthe infrastructure fora diverse member base of creative professionals. Leveraging over threedecades of financial sector expertise, Allison catalyzeda comprehensivedigital transformation that integrated automatedplatforms to optimize member efficiency and long-terminstitutional agility. Herexecution became criticalduringthe 2023 Hollywoodlabor disputes whereshe directed over $1 millioninmonthly financial relief to affectedmembers. This commitment to thecreativecommunity persists throughher philanthropicleadership as she orchestrated $75,000in wildfirerecoverydonations
Entertainmentbusinessmanager at Abacus Financial Business ManagementBelva Anakwenzedrivesaggressive revenuegrowthand operationalexpansion fora premierclientroster, includingJay Ellisand KevinFrazier Shecommandsa25-year record of successinthe financial sector whereshe translates complexeconomicconcepts into actionable guidance forglobalcreativeentrepreneurs This expertiseextends to mediaproductionthrough her financial showThe Earn Up whichshe executiveproduces in partnershipwithPatreon to deliverfinancialliteracyto thecreativeclass.Leveragingher background as aformer Disney financial analystand SECauditor,Anakwenze implementsrigorousaccountingpractices that have historically savedinternalteams 10 man-hoursper accountreconciliation.She championsfinancialeducation foryouth as aboard member forJuniorAchievementSouthernCaliforniaand a mentor forthe UCLA BlackBusinessStudent Association.
Maribeth ANNAGUEY
Managing Partner
Annaguey McCann LLP
RMecipient of widespread acclaimfor pioneering aliquiditymarketplace forentertainmentroyalties,Steven E. Blumeisthe co-founder,COO andCFO of Content Partners.Hemanages aglobalinvestmentfirm that has deployed nearly $2 billionincapital to acquiremorethan 600filmsand 3,000hours of television programming. This financial stewardshipextends to theacquisition of theSaw horror franchiseand co-ownership of theCSI television library, representing acollectiveglobalbox office of more than $33billion.Leveraginghis previous experience as CFO forBrillstein-Grey Management,Blume provides financial certaintytomajor estatesand institutions by assuming longterm performance risk on landmark intellectual property He contributestothe academic communitybyteaching filmfinanceatthe USCSchoolofCinemaArtsand UCLA
Loren BOUCHARD
Showrunner, Animator andWriter
LBelva ANAKWENZE
Jill BASINGER
Partner& Chair,Media, Entertainment &Sports LitigationPractice Stris& Maher LLP
JillBasingeris
anagingpartner of Annaguey McCann LLP Maribeth Annaguey advocatesfor high-profileentertainers andreal estate entities facing significant reputational threatsand high-stakes partnership disputes.She utilizes twodecades of litigation strength to resolvecomplex breach of contract claims and defamation allegationsfor creative entrepreneurs. This expertiseindispute resolution extendstoAnnaguey’sdeep involvementinthe SouthernCalifornialegal communitywhere sheprovidesdiscreetcounseltopublicfigures. Leveraging a record of professional excellence,she served as theeditorin-chief of theSouthernCaliforniaLaw Review andearned recognitionasaLawdragon 500Leading Lawyer in America. Shefosters Latina leadership throughher serviceonthe board of directorsfor Hispanas Organizedfor PoliticalEqualityand as afoundingboard member of thenonprofitExteraPublicSchools.
Steven E. BLUME
Co-Founder,COO &CFO Content Partners
oren Bouchard is thecreator andexecutive producer of Fox’sEmmyAward-winning“Bob’sBurgers,” currentlyairing its16thseasonand renewedthrough season 19.A cornerstoneofmodernanimatedcomedy, theserieshas earned twoEmmys forOutstanding Animated Programand received nominations for14consecutive years. Sinceits 2011 debut, “Bob’s Burgers” hasbuilt adevoted worldwidefanbase and become aculturaltouchstone, praisedfor itssignature blend of offbeat humor, emotionalstorytellingand authenticfamily dynamics.Bouchardalsoco-wrote“TheBob’s BurgersMovie” with longtime collaborator Nora Smithand is theco-creator ofthe Emmy-nominated animated musicalcomedy“Central Park”for AppleTV+,aswellasthe executiveproducerofFox’s “The GreatNorth.” He beganhis career in Boston,where he served as an editor,writerand producer on thegroundbreaking animated series “Dr. Katz,ProfessionalTherapist.”
PLee BRENNER
Partner Venable LLP
apartner andchair of theEntertainment,Media,and Sports Litigation Practice at Stris& Maher LLP. Shecommandsareputationas ago-to litigatorfor Hollywood’smost consequentialdisputes. Drawingon herdecade-long tenure at Glaser Weil andsubsequentroleasChief LegalOfficer forDiscovery Land Company, sherepresentsagencies, studios, production companies, talent, executives,investors,media organizations, andother prominentindustry participants in high-stakes disputes. Herpracticeextends to mattersthat play outbehindcloseddoorsand in front-page news alike. Sheiscurrently servingasthe public face of KathyIreland’s $100 millionlawsuit against the former managers of herinternational businessempire, whereBasingerhas become aregular presence in national mediacoverageofthe dispute.
ar tn er at VenableLLP LeeBrenner leadsthe firm’s Entertainmentand MediaLitigation Groupwhile servingonthe boardof directors. He commands ahigh-stakes docketfocused on defamation,copyrightlaw andintellectualproperty forleading broadcastentitiesand moviestudios.Thisexpertise extends to securedvictories forParamount Global andShowtimeina $100-million disputeinvolving finder’sfee claims forthe Pacquiao-Mayweather fight whichconcluded in a2025settlement. Leveraging this record of success, Brennerorchestrated a$4.7-million damage awardfor 53 plaintiffsina landmark internationaldefamation campaign.Hesustainshis commitment to communityservice by starting SharingTablestoprovide food and necessitiestofamiliesinneed and servingonthe advisory boardfor GriefHaven.
PMatthew BURKE Partner, Business Management Singer Burke, proudly part of Mercer Advisors
artner of Business Managementat
Singer BurkeMatthew Burkespearheadsthe financial stewardshipfor theindustry’selite showrunners,actors andmedia executives.Hefacilitated theOctober 2025 acquisitionofhis firm by Mercer Global Advisors,where he nowservesasthe cornerstoneofa specializednationalpracticemanagingover$80 billioninclientassets.
This transition extendshis interdisciplinarymodel of wealth management, tax, andbusiness management to an enterprise scalewhile maintaining the high-touch relationshipsthatearned himrecognition as avisionary financier Leveraging over 42 yearsof industry experience, Burkenavigates clients throughcomplexmarkettransformations, includingthe rise of streaming to syndicationand franchiseeras. He maintainsdeepcommunity ties by partneringwithnonprofits,helping build homesfor families andserving on the boardofTOArts.
Primary architectofthe legalframework forthe 2025 Berlin Film Festival winner “BlueMoon,”LisaCallifis apartner at DonaldsonCallifPerez LLP. Shedirects rights acquisitionand clearancestrategiesfor high-stakes projects,including theSundanceAward-winner“Didi”and John Early’s“Maddie’s Secret.” This expertiseextends to theintersectionofartificial intelligenceand personal rights whereshe advisesleading studios, like Asteriaand XTR, on developmentand distribution deals. Leveraging her reputation as thenation’sprimary fair useauthority,Callif provides production counselfor theEmmy-winning“Pee WeeasHimself.” Shesupportsthe creative infrastructure by providingpro bono legalguidancetoindustryorganizations, including Film Independentand theUniversityFilm andVideo Association.
Lisa CALLIF Partner Donaldson CallifPerez LLP
PChristina CHANG Partner Barnes& ThornburgLLP
Leif CERVANTES DE REINSTEIN
Partner,Entertainment, Sports &MediaGroup Co-Chair O’Melveny &Myers LLP
LeifCervantes de Reinsteinisapartner andco-chairof theEntertainment,Sports&Media GroupatO’Melveny &Myers LLP. He acts as aprimary deal strategist for majorstudios andstreamers by negotiatinghigh-stakes equity andlicensing deals. This expertiseextends to the Taylor Sheridan franchisewhere he managesfinanceand production operations forParamount Pictures titles,including “Landman”and “The Madison.”Leveragingnearly30years of M&Aexperience, Reinsteinnavigated agroundbreaking multimedia deal for101 StudioswithNBCUniversal. He counsels LegendaryPicturesonintellectualpropertymatters for the“Street Fighter” filmand theMonarch series at AppleTV+ He facilitatesinternational contentacquisitions forEuropean and Asian institutions entering thedomesticmarketplace during an eraofglobalconsolidation.
ar tn er at Ba rn es & Thornburg LLPChristina Changdirects the expansiveinternational portfolioof filmmaker TimBurtonbymanaging theLabyrinth blockbusterexhibition, whichhas drawnover600,000 global attendees.She provided end-to-end counseltothe TampaBay Buccaneers forthe Amazon PrimeVideo documentary “Raise theFlags.” This expertise extendstothe creatoreconomy where shenegotiatedbreakoutagreements forNetflix star HarryJowseyand beauty advocate Aditya Madiraju Leveraging herreputationasa trusted advisortomarquee talent,Chang structures investment opportunities forMaggieQ andmanages complex trademarkstrategiesacrossdomestic andAsian markets. Sheservesasa member of theSportsLaw Association andprovideslegal oversightfor the national cultural eventFreelyFest.
Chris CHATHAM
Partner
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Par tn er of Manatt,Phelps &Phillips, LLP
Chris Chathamactsasthe primary legalarchitect forglobalentertainment powerhouseswhere he has facilitateddeals amountingtoover $10billion in totalvalue.Heorchestrates thecreator economystrategy forLogan Paul,including alandmark $32.5-million real estate acquisition andthe $1.2-billion annual sales launchofthe energy drink brand PRIME. This expertiseextends to thedevelopment of scripted content throughthe HYBEAmerica partnership forAlanChikin Chow.Leveraging hisreputationasa topcontent creator lawyer,Chatham managesthe legal affairs forthe VinceZampellaEstate andoverseesthe 40-seasonbroadcast monetization forthe series COPS He maintainsindustrialleadership as amemberofthe Law360 Media& EntertainmentEditorial Board.
PaulChenisapartner at EY andleads strategicadvisory services forglobaltechnology andmedia giants where he navigateshigh-stakes mergersand acquisitions within theCaliforniabusinessecosystem.Thisexpertise extends to hisroleasthe lead partneroverseeingthe ballot process forrecentEmmyAwardsceremonieswhich underscoresthe trustplacedinhis financial precisionbythe entertainment elite. Leveraging this record of success,Chendirects complex strategictransformations that fuel industrial growth across theSouthernCaliforniatechcorridor. He advocatesfor child welfareasamemberofthe boardofdirectors forChildren’s Bureau andsupportsregionalacademicexcellenceonthe boardoftrusteesfor Chadwick School.Hemaintains a massiveprofessionalfootprint by servingonthe SECand FinancialReporting InstituteAdvisoryCouncil at USC.
Shaun CLARK
Partner
Sheppard
PPaul CHEN
Partner
EY
artner at Sheppard Shaun Clarkorchestrates high-profile intellectual property acquisitions andcomplex financingrelationships formajor studiosand global brands He recently representedAnthemSports&Entertainment in theApril 2025 sale of Gravitas Ventures to Shout! Studios to optimize cross-channelcontent monetization.This expertiseextends to public interest journalism through hisleadership of Hillspire’smajorityinterestacquisition in Jigsaw Productions. Leveraging this record of success, Clarkfacilitated amulti-yearsponsorship and exclusive broadcastdealbetween QVCand USAPickleball. He has also successfully negotiated complexbankruptcyfilings forThrillIntermediatetoprotect assets,including theseries Ridiculousness in September2025. He fostersthe growth of national sports infrastructure as afoundingmemberof theSouthernCaliforniaU.S.SoccerDevelopment Council.
PCharlie COLLIER
President Roku
resident of Roku CharlieCollier directsthe operational strategy forthe top-ranked TV streamingplatforminthe United States,Canadaand Mexico.Hehas cemented TheRokuChannel as the premierfreead-supportedservice in Americawhereitrepresentsnearly 3% of alldomestictelevisionviewing This leadership extendstotechnicalintegration througha milestone partnership with Amazon DSPwhich allows advertiserstoreach amassive footprintof80million authenticated CTVhouseholds. Leveraging this record of success, Colliertransformed Roku City into aprogrammablestage forglobalevents, includinglivecontent celebratingthe theatrical release of Wicked.Hedrivesmassive viewer engagementthrough record-breaking Roku Originals, like “SoloTraveling with Tracee EllisRoss,”which secured an immediateseriesrenewal
DISN EY CO NGR AT ULATE S
RITA FERRO
forher recognition as a 2026EntertainmentVisionary by LA Times Studios
Jacqueline COMBS
Partner, Matrimonial & Family Law
Blank Rome LLP
Jacqueline Combs is a partner in the matrimonial and family law practice at Blank Rome LLP. She manages a sophisticated docket involving high-profile actors with complex corporate and intellectual property matters, as well as high-net-worth tech executives and professional athletes in matrimonial and paternity actions. This expertise extends to sensitive matrimonial matters where she successfully negotiated a five-year permanent restraining order to protect high-profile clients from volatile domestic environments. Leveraging this record of advocacy, Combs serves as a thought leader in The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and the National Law Journal regarding evolving matrimonial trends. She contributes significant pro bono hours to Bet Tzedek by assisting transgender individuals with legal name and gender changes and volunteers as a VAST mediator for the LA Family Law Court.
Recipient of three Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards, R.J. Cutler is the founder of This Machine. He directs a premier production entity specializing in high-impact documentary content, including “Elton John: Never Too Late” and the Academy Award-nominated “The War Room.” This creative dominance extends to the executive production of premium scripted and unscripted television programs for major networks, such as “Nashville” and “Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul.” Leveraging a 30-year record of cinematic success, Cutler pioneered new storytelling models through his partnership with Sony Non-Fiction Television to develop a diverse global content slate.
R.J. CUTLER
Founder This Machine
Robert DARWELL
Head of Global Media Sheppard
Robert Darwell is the head of global media at Sheppard. He oversees an elite team of 28 attorneys managing complex production and rights agreements for global powerhouses, such as Amazon MGM Studios and Disney. This leadership extends to orchestrating landmark corporate transactions, including the $8.5-billion acquisition of MGM and Comcast’s historic acquisition of NBCUniversal. Leveraging a 38-year record of legal innovation, Darwell currently manages multi-year film partnerships for industry titans and first-look deals for Phoebe Waller-Bridge. He fosters global media literacy through his service on the Harvard Law School Film Society Board of Advisors and as a judge for the 2026 GI Film Festival. He maintains a massive influence on the international circuit and is often invited to speak at multiple film festivals, including ones located in Toronto, Zurich, Havana, Beijing, Shanghai and Rome.
Ian
EDDLESTON
Partner EY
Partner at EY
Ian Eddleston leads the firm’s media and entertainment practice while spearheading the audit operations for two of the world’s largest streaming services. He pioneered the industry’s inaugural accounting processes for streaming revenue models and content valuation during the sector's infancy. This expertise extends to the coordination of multi-billion dollar cross-border acquisitions as the former global media and entertainment assurance leader. Leveraging a 38-year career that includes tenures at major studios and independent film entities, Eddleston ensures financial transparency for organizations navigating massive industrial consolidation. He sustains a 15-year commitment to regional environmental preservation by serving on the executive committee and chairing the finance committee for Heal the Bay. He maintains influence on financial leadership as a long-standing member of the Loyola Marymount University accounting advisory board.
Congratulationstoour partners
ArashK halili, ScottEdel and IvyK agan Bierman on being named2026Enter tainment Visionariesby LA TimesStudios.
We applaudyour leadership, innovation and impactacross theenter tainmentindustry and be yond.
Wherefinancialpower
We’reheretohelpyou elevateyourcreativity andbeyourpartner in avisionyou believein. CONNECT WITH US
Scott EDEL Chair, Entertainment Loeb& LoebLLP
Scott Edel is thechair of entertainment at Loeb &Loeb. He acts as theprimary deal architect forAlcon Entertainmentwhere hemanages thedevelopment and distributionofflagship properties, including thetelevisionseries“Blade Runner2099”and theanimated Garfield feature. This expertisein high-stakesstructuring extendsto adistributionagreementfor BBC StudioswithDisneyfor an animated feature-length motion picturebased on therecord-settingBluey franchise andmobilegamingnegotiations for SupercellOywithNetflixregarding ClashofClans.Leveragingnearly four decadesofindustryexperience, Edel managesa premierrosteroffilm composers, includingBrian Tylerand Bear McCreary to navigate complex musicpublishingtransactions. He successfullyconcluded the$400-million assetpurchaseofVillage Roadshow througha contestedChapter 11 bankruptcy
Leading lawyer in hisfieldHardy Ehlers is of counselat Covington& BurlingLLP.Hecurrently directsthe defense forTikTokagainst high-stakeslawsuitsfiledbymultiplestate attorneysgeneral regardingplatformdisclosures andmaturecontent.Thisexpertise in intellectual property enforcementextends to hissuccessfulrepresentationof Netflix in acontractdispute with Evil Genius Gamesinvolving theRebel Moon franchise. Leveraging arecordofcreative advocacy,Ehlersco-ledthe litigation team that secureda global settlement forUniversal,Warnerand Sony in oneof thelargest copyrightcases in historyagainst majorISPs. He contributestothe legalcommunity by developing First Amendmentstrategiesand mentorship programs foremerginglitigatorswithinthe California Bar.
David C. EISMAN Partner Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher &Flom LLP
DHardy EHLERS Of Counsel Covington & BurlingLLP
Rita FERRO
President,Global
Advertising
TheWalt Disney Company
Aavid C. Eisman is apartner at Skadden, Arps,Slate,Meagher &FlomLLP.Heservesasthe head of theglobal Mediaand EntertainmentGroup wherehedirects massive industrial consolidations,including the$775-million sale of Downtown MusicGroup to Virgin MusicGroup.This expertiseextends to thesportssectorwhere he facilitated the$112.7-million acquisitionofBig 5SportingGoods Corporation andthe technicalpartnership betweenKiroRace Co andPorsche.Leveragingthisrecordofsuccess,Eisman managedthe high-profilejoint venturebetween Parkwood Ventures andMoëtHennessytolaunchthe ultra-premium SirDavis Whiskeybrand.Hemaintains hisstatusasan industry leader throughhis role on theUCLAEntertainment SymposiumAdvisoryBoard andasa probonocoordinator forthe firm’sLos Angelesoffice.
st he president of Global AdvertisingatThe Walt Disney Company, Rita Ferroleads amultibillion-dollar global business at the intersection of storytelling anddata innovation.She commands astreaminginfrastructureofover164 million global ad-supported userswhile delivering more than 200,000 hours of premiumcontent to advertisers. This expertiseextends to thehigh-stakes sports market whereFerro secured nearly $4 billioninvolumeand 69 multiyeardeals formarquee properties,including Monday NightFootball. Leveraging this record of performance, shedirectedthe complete selloutof the98thOscarswhile achievingdouble-digitgrowthinadrates year over year.She championsthe next generation of industry standardsasthe chair of theAdCouncil BoardofDirectors andaboard member forthe Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Jonathan FITZGARRALD Managing Partner Equinox Strategy Partners
Man ag in g partnerof Eq ui no x Strategy Partners Jonathan Fitzgarraldempowersundervalued professionalstodrive revenuegrowth andenhance market visibility across theentertainmentlandscape.He utilizes aproprietary Moneyball-inspired strategy to coachtalentagents andproducers in building resilient networksand securing high-value creative opportunities. This expertise extendstothe mediasector whereheservesasafrequentcommentator forThe Wall Street Journal andCBS EveningNewsonbusiness developmenttrends. Leveraging his record of coaching success, Fitzgarrald facilitatesspecialized guidance forbusinessmanagerstooptimize client portfolios andscale production ventures.Hesustainshis commitment to communityadvocacyasa former boardmemberfor RaiseA Childwhere he worked to identify foreverfamilies forat-risk youthinfostercare.
Partner at Miller Barondess, LLPAlexander(Sasha) Frid leadsthe firm’sentertainment practice as aprimary trial attorney forhigh-profile musicindustrylitigation. He recently secureda complete defensevictory forMötleyCrüe in athree-yeararbitration wherehesuccessfullyupheldthe termination of former guitaristMickMarsasanofficer anda director forlegal cause. This expertiseextends to criminal contempt proceedingswhere he obtained a689-day prison sentencefor astalker of NikkiSixxinalandmarkdigital conduct case.Leveragingthisrecordofsuccess,Fridvacated an $11.2-millionjudgmentfor Trey Songzand currentlyrepresentsRSM Publishing LLCand UniversalMusic Groupin copyrightdefense againstclaimsinvolving BadBunny’s hit track"Enséñame aBailar."Headvocates forunderprivileged youththrough hispreviousboard servicewiththe TupacAmaru Shakur Foundation andraisesfunds forcancerresearch. Alexander (Sasha) FRID Partner Miller Barondess, LLP
Jonathan GLICKMAN
Chief
Executive Officer
Miramax
OPatricia L. GLASER
Partner &Chair of the Litigation Department Glaser Weil
Partner andchair of theLitigationDepartmentatGlaser Weil Patricia L. Glaser directsapowerhousepracticeof over 60 attorneysspecializinginhigh-stakes commercial disputes forglobalentertainment icons. Shesucceeded in ahigh-profile maritalcontractlawsuit againstDavid Geffen wherethe plaintiff droppedthe lawsuitand currentlyrepresentsveteran producer KarynMcCarthyinabreachof contract action against Lucasfilm.Thisexpertise extendsto themusic sector whereGlasersuccessfullysettled amultipartydispute forrecordproducerJoshuaColeman following adeniedsummaryjudgmentmotion. Leveraging a53-year tenure in theindustry, shecounselsprominent philanthropistsoncomplex fiduciarybreachesand intentionalfinancial misconductcases involvingmultimillion-dollarassets. She holdsthe distinctionofbeing thesolerecipient of the2026 VarietyPower of LawAward
rchestrating thestrategic evolutionof an iconic independentstudio, Jonathan Glickman is thechief executiveofficer at Miramax. He directsthe developmentof amassive contentslate including theToronto International Film FestivalpremiereofRoofman andthe upcomingsixth installmentofthe “Scary Movie” franchise. This expertise extendstoglobalfranchise managementwhere he facilitatedthe sequel to TheBeekeeper followingits $162-million worldwidebox office success.Leveraginga25-year career as apremier producer,Glickmanrecently securedEnglish-languageremake rights to thehit HowtoMakeMillions Before GrandmaDiesand formed a landmark partnershipwiththe Doha Film Institutetosupport premiumArabic-language scripted content. He supports global cultural preservation throughhis serviceonthe boardofthe National Archives Foundation
ATamerlin (Tammy) GODLEY
Partner,Chair of Entertainment LitigationPractice WillkieFarr& Gallagher LLP
sone of theindustry'sforemost litigators,TamerlinGodleyisa partnerand chairofthe entertainment litigation practice at Willkie Farr &Gallagher LLP. Sheexcelsat managing complexbusiness disputesand sensitiveinvestigations formajor studiosand networksas well as Fortune500 companies. This expertiseextends to federalcopyright defensefor Pacsun againstWarner MusicGroup andcopyright litigation forcryptocurrencygamingsite Mobland. Leveraging this record of success,Godleynavigates thehighstakes HsiehEstatelitigationand leadsexecutive misconduct investigationsoverseas. Sheadvocates for educationalequityasa co-founder of Public FundsPublicSchools and chairs theUSC Intellectual Property Institute. Shemaintains acommitment to regional communitydevelopment as thesecretary of theboard forthe LosAngelesReviewofBooks.
ReggieGoodenisthe founderand CEOof360 Business Management.Hedirects aspecialized firmheadquarteredinWoodlandHills that services thebusinessand accounting needsofelite entertainers andhigh-net-worth individuals. This expertiseextends to investment strategy wherehis Series 65 securities licenseenables theexecution of sophisticatedwealth-building maneuversfor aglobal client base.Leveragingthisrecordoffinancialstewardship,Goodenexpandedthe firm’soperationsin2025by integratinga high-profilerosterofprofessionalathletes into thecorporate portfolio. Hisstrategic leadership has secured recurringrecognition forthe firmacrosspremier industry publications,including “Billboard”and “The Hollywood Reporter.”
Sarah L. GRAHAM
Partner Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
PReggie GOODEN Founder &CEO
360Business Management
artner at Gibson,Dunn&CrutcherLLP SarahL.Graham serves as aprimary advisortoglobalgiantsinthe media, entertainmentand technology sectors. She orchestrates complextransactionsfor high-profileclients, includingPeter Chernin’sNorth Road Companyand Irving Azoff’s Iconic ArtistsGroup.Thisexpertise extendstothe consumer brandsectorwhere shenavigated thestrategic jointventure betweenLobos 1707 andDiageo. Leveraging this record of success, Graham managedthe high-stakes merger betweenThe SpringHillCompany andFulwell 73 to form aglobalproductionpowerhouse. Shedemonstrates civicleadershipbyadvisingthe FriendsofMalibuUrgent Care Center andserving on theMalibuElementarySchool PTA. Shemaintains professional dominanceasa recurring honoreeonthe Lawdragon500 LeadingDealmakersin Americalist.
IIlan HAIMOFF Partner, Entertainment Practice Leader GHJ
lanHaimoff is thepartner an de nt ertainment practice leader at GHJ. He commands over threedecades of expertiseinprofit participationand forensic accounting to ensure financial transparency formajor and mini studios.Thisspecialized scrutiny extends to themedia landscapethrough his MediaClips podcastwhere he has produced over 70 episodes featuring high-level conversationswithindustry titans.Leveragingthisrecordofsuccess,Haimoffanchors hisleadership in theGHJ mentorship programto trainthe next generation of forensic accountantsinnavigatingcomplex royaltylicensing.Hesustainshis commitment to thecreativeeconomy as amemberofthe USCInstitute on EntertainmentLaw andBusinessPlanning Committee. He also maintains an active influence on theCalifornia StateUniversityChancellor’sAdvisory Council to align academicprograms with industrial needs.
Claire J. HALL Partner &Co-Head, Structured Finance
DLA Piper
Par tner and co -headof St ru ct ur ed FinanceatDLA PiperClaireJ.Hallspearheadsa global musicrightsfinancepractice that hasorchestratedover$5billion in transactions forelite institutional clients. Shepioneered themarket formusic asset-backed securities by representing Concordina landmark $1.765-billion securitization involving copyrights from MichaelJackson and Taylor Swift. This financial engineeringextends to theindependent sector whereshe managedan$80-million debutABS forDuettitodemocratize catalogmonetizationfor emerging artists. Leveraging this record of performance,Hallsecured a$600-million revolvingwarehouse facility to fuel expanded assetacquisitionsacross diversecreativegenres.
Founderand chiefresearchscientist of theUSC Race andEquityCenterDr. ShaunHarperprovidesstrategic cultureassessments forglobalentertainmentgiants, including NBCUniversal andAmazonMusic.Hecommandsa reputation as theprimary expert fororganizationalrecovery efforts followinghigh-profile racial crises at majormedia outletsand production houses.The center he foundedat USCisthe diversity, equity andinclusion strategy architect andimplementationpartner forthe 2028 Olympics and Paralympic games. Leveraging arecordofacademicand corporateinfluence, he deliveredcomprehensive professional learning training to eliteLos Angelesentertainment lawfirmstomodernize industrialleadershipstandards. He maintainsmassive institutionalinfluencebyprocuring over $51million in grants andinvestments to fund large-scale equity implementation projects
Dr.Shaun HARPER
Provost Professor;USC Race andEquityCenter's Founder andChiefResearch Scientist University of SouthernCalifornia
Randy HUA SVP &Head of theEntertainment IndustriesGroup Bank of America
OCarolyn HUNT
Partner Barnes& ThornburgLLP
Rec og ni ze d as aleading authorityon contentdistributionand corporate financings, CarolynHuntisa partneratBarnes& ThornburgLLP.She hashandled nearly $1.5 billionin production loansand taxcreditincentive monetizations, including clients Lionsgateand IMAX.Thisexpertise extendstothe internationalsector whereshe facilitatedproductionloans formajor European features,including “Day Drinker” andNetflix’s“French Lover.”Leveragingthree decadesof experience,Huntorchestratedcorporate facilities forFallbrook Filmsand secureddistributiondeals for“World Breaker” throughPeachtree Media Capital. Shemaintains an active civic presence on theboard of theHeartland Film Festival andthe boardof governorsfor Cedars-Sinai.She holds thedistinction of closingmultiple entertainmentcorporate facilities for Lionsgatethroughout2025tofuelits ongoingproductionslate
Ellie HEISLER Partner Manatt,Phelps
& Phillips,LLP
Partner of Manatt,Phelps& Phillips,LLP EllieHeisler serves as aprimary architectfor commercially sophisticatedcreatorsand digital-first mediacompanies within themodernentertainmentlandscape.She managesthe lifecycleofcompany formationand commercializationfor elitetalent, including Alan Chikin Chow andMatty Matheson. This expertiseextends to thehigh-stakes crossover of digitallynativetalentintotraditional platformswhere shenegotiatedmajor dealswithNetflixand orchestrated thesuccessfulsaleofthe social commerce platform Orca. Leveraging this record of strategicbrand counsel, Heisler protects thelong-termvalue of enterprisesthatcollectively commandhundredsofmillionsofglobalsubscribers.She provides probonointellectualpropertycounsel to If You HeardWhatI Heardtopreservethe storiesofHolocaust survivorsand combat antisemitism througheducation.
Steve Hurdle is apartner in thecorporate andfinancial services departmentand theentertainmenttransactions practice at WillkieFarr&Gallagher LLP. He advises investorsand companiesonmergers and transformative joint ventures across themedia andtechnology sectors. Hurdle recently orchestrated theMarch 2026 sale of BenAffleck’s filmmakingtechnologycompany InterPositivetoNetflixand managedthe $165-million minority investmentinCreate MusicGroup.Thisexpertise extendstohis representation of Shadow Lion,the entertainmentand marketingstudio co-founded by TomBrady,inits strategicinvestmentfrom FoxSports. Leveraging this record of success,hestructures capitalraisesfor independent production companies, such as ArtistsEquityand 101Studios
verseeing theaddition of over $800 millioninloancommitments within asingleyear, RandyHua is theseniorvicepresident andheadof theentertainment industries group at Bank of America. He directsclient relationships andcredittransactions forpremier filmproductioncompanies, talent agencies andmusic publishingfirms. Huaoverseesco-financing transactions forstudiofilmsexceeding $100 million andthe developmentof novelfacilitiesallowingborrowing againstdigital musicroyalties.With 28 yearsofindustryexperience, Hua navigatedthe firmthrough historic laborstrikes andglobalmarketdisruptionswhile maintainingdouble-digit growth andstability in market and personnel. He supports theGreater LosAngeles ZooAssociation as a formerboard member andchampions regional youthathletics throughthe CrescentaValleyHighSchoolcross countryprogram
Steve HURDLE Partner, Corporate & FinancialServices
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Nina JACOBSON CEO &Founder Color Force
CAlan IOSUE
Manager Withum
Manager in theLos AngelesofficeofWithumAlanIosue managescomplex target capitalstructuresand special allocationsfor thetheatre and arts sectors. He developsforward-looking taxstrategiestomaximizedeductions and operationalefficienciesfor production companiesand professional athletes.Iosue recently performedacomprehensivereviewofanentertainment client’s taxreturnto uncover $65,000 in savingsthrough previously overlooked R&Dand PTEtax credits. This expertiseextends to theglobal workforceasheleads training initiativesfor thefirm’s staff in both theUnitedStatesand India. Leveraging this record of technicalexcellence, he provides strategicguidanceon wealth protection throughpublished insights forthe Withum professional audience.Iosue serves as theCFO of theStrong CommunityFoundationand organizescarepackage donationsfor theFosterChildren’sResourceCenter.
EO an d founderof ColorForce Nina Jacobson produces some of themostcommerciallysuccessfulfranchisesin cinematic history. Shelaunched herindependent production entity followinga distinguishedtenureas presidentofthe Walt Disney Motion PictureGroup whereshe oversaw15 projects that grossedover$100million domestically.Jacobson manages aglobalfilm andtelevisionslate that includes the$3.3-billion“Hunger Games” franchiseand thecritically acclaimedseries“ThePeoplev.O.J Simpson:AmericanCrime Story.”This artistic dominanceextends to current collaborations with Ryan Murphy on theFXadaptationof“TheShards” andthe upcoming theatrical prequel “Sunrise on theReaping.” Leveraging this record of producingexcellence, shetransitionedthe companyintoa leadingdeveloper of premium limited series formajor streamingplatforms.
Dallas JENKINS Chairman &Chief Creative Officer, Executive Producer 5&2 Studios
DallasJenkins, chairman and chief creative
officerat5&2 Studios, oversees the global production of “The Chosen” andits top-10 animated spin-off“The ChosenAdventures” on PrimeVideo.In 2026,the first season of “The Chosen” wasawarded theGuinness World Record forthe most translatedseason of astreaming series beingavailable in 125languages (58dubbed, 86 subbed). Hisexpertise also extendstotheatrical distribution throughthe $60-million boxofficesuccess of “The Chosen: Last Supper”and thecriticalacclaim of Lionsgate's“TheBestChristmas PageantEver.”Leveragingthisrecord of performance, Jenkinsmanages a 25-yearcareerdirecting faith-based entertainmentthathas reached270 millionviewers worldwide. He maintainsmassive industrial influence by expandinghis 80,000 square foot studio facility to supportoriginal unscripted andscriptedprogramming
Variety500honoree Carlos Jimenezisthe global head of media, sports andentertainment at Moelis &Company.Heorchestratedover$125billion in totaldeal volume over thepasttwo years, includingthe $28.1-billion merger betweenSkydanceand Paramount. This expertise extendstothe professional sports landscapethrough the record-setting minority stakesaleofthe NewYorkGiants andTKO Group’s$3.3-billionacquisition of Professional Bull Riders andIMG from Endeavor Group. Leveraging this record of success,Jimenez guides institutionalinvestors throughhigh-profile leveraged buyoutsand transformative restructuringswithinthe digitalmedia sector.Hechampions diversityinfinanceasthe senior sponsorofthe Latino and Hispanic &AlliesEmployeeNetwork wherehementors early-career professionalsenteringseniorleadershiproles
ICarlos JIMENEZ
Global Head of Media,Sports & Entertainment Moelis &Company
vy KaganBierman is thechair of entertainmentlabor at Loeb &LoebLLP.She facilitatesethical AI integrationand high-stakeslabor negotiations forproductioncompanies, such as Flawless AI andStorylinerAI. This expertiseextends to industrial policy throughher work with MayorKaren Bass on theEntertainment Industry CounselWorkplaceDevelopment Subcommittee to expand jobopportunities for marginalized communitiesinLos Angeles. Leveraging this record of advocacy,Bierman conducts Respectinthe Workplaceand PGASet Etiquettetrainings fortalentagencies andproductioncompanies andworkswithfilm producers regardingtheir PGAProducers Mark applications,which createseligibility foranAcademy Award. Shealsofosters professional developmentasthe co-founder of GreenLight Womenand serves on theregionalboard of theAnti-DefamationLeague.
MichaelDavid KARLIN
Founding
Partner NKSFB,LLC
Mic hae l Da vi d Ka rl in , founding partner at NKSFB, LLC, hasspent 50 years in thebusiness management industry, including45years with thefirm He managesthe financial andbusinessaffairs of high-net-worthclients spanning entertainment, real estate andexecutive leadership,withexpertise in financial planning,cashflow management,tax planning,contract review andgenerationalplanning. Karlin graduatedfromthe University of Southern California andwas chosen as theCommencementspeaker for USCLeventhal’s School of Accounting in both 2010 and2025. He also serves as amemberofthe BoardofDirectors of theMotionPicture andTelevision Fund,aswellasWestcoast Sports Associates,SYDAFoundationand MatthewSilverman Memorial Foundation,and theBoard of Advisors of theUniversityofSouthernCalifornia Leventhal School of Accounting
BIERMAN
AArash KHALILI
Firmwide Co-Chair &Current Co-Chair of the Corporate &CapitalMarkets Department Loeb&Loeb
rash Khaliliisthe firmwide co-chair andco-chairofthe corporateand capitalmarkets department at Loeb &Loeb. He orchestrates high-stakesmergers andstrategic brandpartnershipsfor iconic figures,including Lionel Richie andCarrieUnderwood. This expertise extendstothe professional sports sector wherehemanaged Dwyane Wade’s ownershipacquisitionsinthe Utah Jazz andChicago Sky. Leveragingthisrecordof success, Khalili representedBig Loud Recordsinthe sale of aminoritystake in Morgan Wallen’s master existing recording catalog(pre-2025)toChord Music Partners,anindependent musicrights portfoliofund. He directscomplex cross-border mediarightsnegotiationsfor professional athletes,such as Chet Holmgren,Dylan Harper,and NaomiOsaka
Founder andCEO of ReservoirMedia Golnar Khosrowshahileads thefirstfemale-foundedindependent music companytogopublicinthe United States.She manages adiverse portfolioofmasterrecordingsand copyrights rangingfromJoniMitchelltothe catalogofMiles Davis. This expertiseextends to emerging global marketsthrough the launch of PopIndia andstrategic jointventureswithmajor Jamaican publishers.Leveraginga record of industrial disruption, Khosrowshahi orchestrated alandmarkpublishing deal with Snoop Dogg and DeathRow Recordscovering domestic rights forhis entire creative output.She advocates forequitable songwriter compensation as vice chairofthe National MusicPublishers’ Associationand adirectorfor theS.O.N.G.S.Foundation. Shemaintains adominantposition in thesectorafter beingnamed to theBillboard 2026 PowerList.
Nary KIM
Partner
KendallBrill &Kelly LLP
PGolnar KHOSROWSHAHI
Founder& CEO
Reservoir Media
artner at KendallBrill &Kelly LLP Nary Kimdevelops winningcasestrategiesfor majorfilm studiosand recordinglabelsinhigh-stakes litigation.She commandedthe defensefor Paramountand Skydance in a$500-million lawsuitallegingbreachoflicensing agreements forthe SouthParkfranchise.Thisexpertise extendstosignificant copyrightvictories,including thedismissal of thechild pornography case involvingthe Nirvana“Nevermind” album cover. Leveraging this record of success,Kim securedconsecutive anti-SLAPP dismissals forNetflixand Condé Nast involvingthe docuseries “LastChanceU.” Shementors first-generationprofessionals and womenofcolor while servingonthe boardofdirectors forPublicCounsel. She maintainsindustrialinfluenceasamemberofthe benchand barcommittee forthe LosAngelesSuperiorCourt
Yongsoo KIM President WEBTOON Entertainment
Leading the global digital storytelling revolution,Yongsoo Kimisthe presidentofWEBTOON Entertainment. He directsa massiveecosystem of 160million monthlyreaders and27 millioncreatorswhile servingonthe firm'sboard of directors. This leadership extendstothe executionofa successful 2024 IPOand alandmark collaborationwithThe Walt Disney Companytodevelop adigital comics platform for35,000titles. Leveraging this record of industrial growth,Kim pioneeredVideo Episodes to integrate motion animationand voiceactinginto thewebcomicexperience. He facilitates theintegration of creatorIP into Hollywoodthrough high-profile production partnerships with Netflix andLuckyChap Entertainment. He maintainsadominantmarketpresencebyoverseeinga creator-driven pipeline that paid out$2.7billion to global talent between2021and 2025
Peter KLASS
Partner, Profit Participation Services Practice Leader GHJ
Peter Klassis apartner and prof it pa rticipation services practice leader at GHJ. He directsanelite team of forensic accountantsspecializingin complexprofit-sharing arrangements and contract compliance forLos Angeles’ primarystudios andtalent. This expertiseextends to thestrategic expansionofthe firmthrough Klass’ instrumental role in theacquisition of Hacker,Douglas and Company to deepen GHJ’slitigationsupport capabilities.He provides technical guidanceonstudioaccountingasa co-authorofthe definitiveindustry text MovieMoney.Hecontributes to theregionaleducation system as a guestlecturerfor theStrauss Institute forDispute Resolution andPepperdine University.Klass sustains acommitment to localcommunity welfareby organizing donation drives forthe Los AngelesRegionalFoodBankand theBoysand GirlsClubofGreater LosAngeles.
Leading transactionalattorneyRobbKlein is apartner at Sheppard whereheorchestrates high-profile financingand licensingdeals forinternational powerhouses, including Toho Co.Ltd andCTS Eventim. This expertise extendstoglobaldistributionthrough hisrepresentation of ITVStudios in theFebruary2025acquisition of rights to 2,000 hoursofViceMedia content. Leveraging a34-year career as asolicitor in Englandand Wales, Kleinfacilitated Toho’s $225-million acquisitionofa significant stakeinFifth Season to expand itspremium production slate. He provides strategiccounsel to independentfinanciers,suchasAshland Hill MediaFinance by negotiatingnine-figure credit facilities formajor featurefilm packages.Hesupportsthe Southern California legalecosystem by servingonthe organizing committee of theUCLAEntertainmentSymposium
Robb KLEIN
Partner Sheppard
Steven KRAM
Co-Founder &CEO Content Partners
CElaina KOGAN
Partner, TaxServices Singer Burke, proudly part of Mercer Advisors
Partner of TaxServicesatSingerBurke,ElainaKogan leadstax compliance and strategy forhigh-net-worthclients in theentertainmentindustry. Herfirm wasacquired in October2025byMercerGlobalAdvisors, anationalRegisteredInvestmentAdviserwithmorethan$80 billionin client assets,withSingerBurke servingasthe cornerstone of Mercer’s media, entertainmentand creative professionals specialtypracticenationwide. This expertiseextends to the developmentofin-housetechnologicalsolutions that provide precisionfor ultra-high-net-worth families.Leveraging arecordofsuccess dating back to 1999,Kogan navigates clientsthrough complexwealthmilestonesfromscriptsales to collegesavings accounts forgrandchildren.She supports outreach forJewishteens throughher localsynagogue and provides hands-on communityservice forHopethe Mission andImagine LA
o-Founder an dC EO of Content PartnersSteven Kram managesone of thelargest independententertainment intellectual property portfolios in theworld. He oversees aglobalcontent library representing acollectivebox office valueofmorethan$33 billion, includingtitles, like “Black Hawk Down”and the“CSI” television franchise. This leadership extendstothe strategic acquisitionofthe “Saw”horrorfranchiseinJune2025tobroaden the firm'spresenceinthe genremarket. Leveraging hispreviousexperienceas theCOO of theWilliam Morris Agency, Kram transformedcontent libraryownership into ascalableasset class. He oversees theinternational expansion of legacy IP throughprojects, like theworld premiere of “13Going on 30 TheMusical”atthe Manchester OperaHouse
Andrew KRAMER Chair,Motion Picture, Television & Entertainment Finance
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Orchestrating thesaleof filmmaking technology companyInterPositive to Netflix, Andrew Kramer is thechair of motion picture, television and entertainmentfinanceatWillkie Farr &Gallagher LLP. He structures complex transactions formajor studiosand lenders whilemanagingthe firm’scontent finance platform.Thisexpertise extendstothe high-stakesfaith-based market whereherepresented 5&2Studios in securing theatrical andU.S streamingrightsfor “The Chosen”in connection with Amazon MGMStudios Leveraging hisprevioustenureasthe COOofinternational distribution at Lionsgate, Kramer navigatescross-borderlicensing dealsfor independent production hubs such as ArtistsEquity and101 Studios. He previously served as GeneralViceChairperson of the ExecutiveCommittee of theIndependent Film &TelevisionAlliance(IFTA).
Melanie Krinskyisthe senior managing director and head of theentertainmentand mediagroup at Western Alliance Bank.She foundedthisstrategic division in 2021 to providecriticalcapital forglobalproductionpowerhouses, including A24and Neon.Thisfinancialstewardship facilitatedthe production anddistributionofAcademy Award Best Picturewinners“Anora” and“Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Leveraging four decadesofindustryleadership, Krinskyexpandedthe group’sfocus in 2025 to integrate musicindustryclients,including some of thehighest-profile artistswhile increasing netloans outstandingbyapproximately $400 million. Shechampions womenand diversityin theentertainmentindustryand supports creative economic stabilityacrossCalifornia. Shemaintains areputationasa primaryarchitect forcomplex revolvingcreditfacilitiesand libraryacquisition deals.
Marisa LAKE ExecutiveDirector
J.P. Morgan PrivateBank
EGRSM IS PROUDTOCONGRATULATE DebraEllwood Meppen forbeingrecognizedas a 2026 Entertainment Visionary
Thisrecognitionisatestamenttoherdecadesof legalexcellence,commitmenttomentorship, andtheconfidencesheinspires inclientsandcolleaguesalike.
Astheonlylawfirmwithoffices andattorneysinall50states, weprovidefull-service representationseamlessly acrosstheU.S
Melanie KRINSKY Senior Managing Director,Head of Entertainment & MediaGroup WesternAlliance
Philippe LEBEL Partner Proskauer Rose LLP
Pxecutive director on J.P. Morgan’s Global CorporateBankingMedia &Communicationsteam, Marisa Lake leads highly structuredfinancings and advisory assignments forintellectualpropertycontent production anddistribution companiesglobally. Shespecializes in providinginvestment bankingsolutions andinternational capabilities to industry leaders, such as LegendaryEntertainment andSkydance Paramount. This financial engineeringwas instrumental in raisingthe capitalnecessary to facilitate theseparationof LionsgateEntertainment andStarz into twoseparatepublicly traded companiesinMay 2025.Lakefosters professional connectivitythrough theFemaleExecutivesinMedia and Entertainmentorganizationbyhosting events that provide access to thebreadth of J.P. Morgan’s resources.
artner in the Employment Li ti ga ti on and Counseling GroupofProskauer Rose LLPPhilippe Lebeladvises mediagiants, including NBCUniversal andFox Corporation on legaland reputational risk.He manageshigh-stakes PrivateAttorneyGeneral Actclaimsand sensitive harassment defensefor employers operatingunder significantpublic scrutiny.Thisexpertise in complex litigation extendstohis currentrepresentationofthe National Academy of RecordingArtsand Sciences in a sexual harassmentlawsuit involving legacy executiveconduct.Healso sustains acommitmenttocivil rights throughhis previous boardservice forthe AIDS LegalReferralPanel and hisongoing work with theLGBTBar Association.
David P. LEFEBVRE Special Counsel Covington & Burling LLP
AsS pe ci al counselat
Co vi ng to n &Burling LLPDavid P. Lefebvre advisesglobalmedia andtechnology companiesoncomplex distribution frameworks anddirect-to-consumer platform integrations.Heservedas lead counseltothe U.S. Olympic& ParalympicCommittee forthe development and multi-platform distribution of thedocumentary series “Onthe Edge:World CupSki Racing.” This expertiseextends to transformational mergersasheco-ledthe licensing aspectsofDisney’s$8.5-billionjoint venturewithRelianceIndustriesin India. Leveraging this record of success,LefebvreassistedRokuinits $185-million acquisitionofthe streamingservice Frndly TV to expand its domesticcontent platform.Hesupportsthe regional communityby representing families in adoption proceedings within theLos Angeles County foster care system andassistingdomesticviolencesurvivors with humanitarian visa petitions
Chair of West CoastLitigationatMunck Wilson Mandala, LLP, BrentLehmanleads high-stakesdisputesinvolving intellectual property andcommerciallaw.Herepresents adiverse roster of venturecapital investors, majorrecord labels and video game developers in multimillion-dollar courtroombattles.Lehmanrecentlysecured asignificant federalpreliminary injunction forCoreMusic Group, which prohibited theunauthorizeduse of thestylizedCOREtrademark in promotionalmaterials,merchandise, social media andadvertising.Thisexpertise in brandprotectionextends to leadinga litigation team focusedonachieving decisive outcomes foremerging entertainmentcompanies.Heserves on theexecutive boardofthe L.A. County BarAssociation EntertainmentLaw andIntellectualPropertySection and supports animal welfarebyfostering dogs throughHollywood Huskiesand volunteering at theUnion Rescue Mission. Brent LEHMAN Chair, West Coast Litigation MunckWilson Mandala,LLP
Molly M. LENS
Partner, Co-Chair, Entertainment, Sports &MediaGroup O’Melveny &Myers LLP
SJillianNicole LONDON
Partner Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Necuringa publisheddecisionfromthe NinthCircuit for Paramountregarding theblockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick,”Molly M. Lens is theco-chairofthe entertainment, sports andmedia groupatO’Melveny &Myers LLP. She represents prominententitiesinHollywood during highstakes copyrightand employment litigation whichshapes theindustriallandscape.Thislitigationdominance extends to her defenseofNetflixagainst screenplayinfringement allegationsinvolving themovie “Rez Ball”and star LeBron James. Leveraging this record of success, Lens represents Disney in aputativeclass action over acancelled $1-billion Floridacreativecampus, wherethe courtagreedwithher that theSection 970double-damagesclaim wastime-barred anddismissed it.She also serves as atrustee forthe Los AngelesCopyright Societyand provides probonocounsel forimmigration andvotingrightsinitiatives
Josh MARTIN Founder,Partner, CPA Martin Business Management
JoshMartinis thefounder, partnerand CPAatMartinBusinessManagement, whereheprovidesintegratedfinancial leadership to apremier roster of professional athletes,chart-topping musicians and digitalcreators. He recently served as thefinancial linchpin fortwo majordigital talent management firmsduringtheir landmark eight-figureacquisitionsby global mediaagencies. This expertise extendstohigh-profile corporate structuring andpersonalwealthoptimization,including acomprehensive restructuringfor an A-list actorthat eliminated primarydebt andgenerated over $50,000inmonthly post-tax savings. Leveraging this record of success,Martinnavigated a21-year-old creatorthrough acomplex all-cash home purchase alongside asynchronized$3-millionlong-term investment strategy.Hechannels hisprofessional capitalintocommunity leadership throughservice with theHollywood Radio&TelevisionSociety
President at ContentPartnersJohnM.Massleads thestrategicacquisition andmanagementofpremier cash-flowing intellectual property across thefilm,televisionand music sectors. He leverages40years of mediaexperiencetocommand an independent portfolioholding more than 700films and3,000 hours of television programming. This leadership trajectory supports aglobaldistributionfootprint that has generateda collective worldwidebox office exceeding$33 billion.Masssustainsthismomentumbydriving high-profileasset acquisitions,including purchasing theglobalSaw horror franchiseinJune2025and theHoodwinkedanimated cataloginJuly2025. He expanded thefirm's legacy intellectualpropertyintolivetheatricalformats by launching theaward-nominated worldpremiereof13Going on 30 the Musical. He also holdsa definitiveindustryfootprint backed by deployingnearly$2billion in corporatecapital
John M. MASS
President Content Partners
Jordan MATTHEWS
Founding Partner Holtz MatthewsLLP
Ham ed to Lawdragon’s 500LeadingGlobalEntertainment,Sports& MediaLawyers fortwo consecutive years, JillianNicoleLondonisa partner at Gibson,Dunn &Crutcher LLP. Sheservesasastrategistfor a mediapracticewhere shemanages high-visibilityentertainmentdisputes in California.Thisexpertise extends to theintersectionoftechnology and labor whereshe represents Range MediaPartnersina landmark conflict againstCreativeArtists Agency involvingthe Talent Agency Act. Leveraging this record of success, London provides counseltomedia titans,suchasApple andWarner Bros.onsensitive profitparticipation claims andFirst Amendmentlitigation.She maintainsarobustpro bono commitment by filingamicusbriefsin theSupreme Courtand servingonthe WesternJustice Center board.
Glen G. MASTROBERTE
Partner Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher &Flom LLP
Partner of Skadden, Arps,Slate,Meagher &FlomLLP
Glen G. Mastroberteorchestrates high-stakes corporate transactions relatedtothe financing,productionand distributionofglobalintellectualpropertyassets. He manages an eliteentertainment lawpracticerepresentingiconicindustrybrands, majorstudios and multi-platinum musicartists, includingDrake,Eminemand J. Cole.Thisexpertise extends to landmark cross-border market consolidations,headlined by advising Reliance Industries on itshistoric$8.5-billionmedia jointventure with TheWaltDisneyCompany.Leveragingthis record of success, Mastrobertedirectedthe Skaddenteam advising Hailey Bieber’s skincarebrand,rhode,duringits monumental$1-billionacquisition by e.l.f. Beauty.Hechannelshis civicdedicationintohyper-specific advocacy by personally processing casesfor Spring AdoptionDay andNationalAdoption Dayinpartnership with theAlliancefor Children'sRights.
av in g se cu re d more than $10million in settlementsand judgmentssince 2023,JordanMatthews is thefoundingpartner at Holtz Matthews LLP. He specializesin high-profile entertainmentlitigation,crisismanagementand plaintiff employmentmatters.Matthews served as lead counselfor theprimary witnessinthe high-stakes Wall Street Journalexposéconcerning SteveWynn, spearheading fiveyears of litigation that directly triggereda record $55million in finesagainst Wynn Resorts, anda$10-million fine againstSteve Wynn.Thisexpertise extendstohigh-profile frauddisputes, includinghis currentrepresentationof PriscillaPresley's business partners in a$50-million lawsuit. Leveraging this record of success, he commands active casesacrossstate andfederal courts in California,Nevada, Massachusettsand Texas. Matthews channels hiscivic focusintolocal athleticsbyvolunteeringasa youth soccercoach
Debra
CELLWOOD MEPPEN
Partner &Chair of the National Employment LawPractice Group
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani,LLP
elebratedasa leadingforce in high-stakes entertainmentcrisis resolution,Debra EllwoodMeppen is apartner andchair of theNational Employment LawPracticeGroup at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP.She commands threedecades of legalexperience, advising Hollywood producers, directors, studio executives,talentand theiragents during volatile employment disputes This expertiseextends to firmleadership,where Meppen spearheads the firm'sWomen's Initiative andco-chairs theLeadership Equality andDiversity Program, accelerating inclusion. Leveraging this record of success,she handles sensitive, multimillion-dollar casesentirelybehindthe scenesto protectreputations andavert crises Shedirects her philanthropiccommitmentsbyserving on theinternational boardofStandWithUs
AlissaMillerisa partneratAkin, whereshe serves as thepartner-in-charge of theLos Angelesofficeand orchestrates capitalarrangements forthe entertainment sector.She leverages24years of experience to direct institutional investmentsfor high-profileclients like A24, Netflix andHarbourView Equity Partners. This expertiseextends to market-defining transactions,including navigating a$30-million investment in Lion ForgeEntertainmentalongside a strategicinvestmentinIssaRae's management company, ColorCreative. Leveraging this record of success,Miller represents majorasset managementgroupsinhigh-value intellectual property acquisitions,including a$337.5-million rights purchase formultiplelong-running television series Sheanchors herpro bono work in historical preservation by securing critical filmand photographytrademark clearances forthe U.S. HolocaustMemorial Museum
Darrell D. MILLER
TAlissa MILLER Partner Akin
ransforminghigh-profile talent brands into lucrative multi-platform revenuestreams,Darrell D. Miller is themanagingpartner andfoundingchair of theEntertainment &SportsLaw Department at FoxRothschild. He represents AcademyAward winnersAngela Bassettand Da’VineJoy Randolphalongside top-tier creators like Taylor Tomlinson. This expertiseextends to high-stakescontract negotiations,recentlyfinalizing Tomlinson’sfourthNetflix comedy specialand securing aprimary cast role forKam PattersononSaturdayNight Live.Leveragingthisrecord of success,Millerstructurescomprehensive entertainment partnerships that includemajor on-cameracommercial campaigns forglobalcorporationslikeMercedes-Benz and Rubrik.Hechannelshis civicdedicationintoregional cultural arts infrastructure by servingasthe vice chairfor theMusic Center
James MOLEN Partner
GreenbergGlusker
Honored as Legal500’s US Elitein LosAngelesfor Mediaand Entertainment, James Molenisapartner at Greenberg Glusker. He orchestrates high-stakes trialstrategiesfor premierentertainment entities,technologyfirmsand celebrityclients,including TomCruise and JamesCameron.Thisexpertise extendstocomplextelecommunications anddigital assets,recently securing ahistoric$33-million recoveryfor atechentrepreneur in a landmark SIMswaparbitration against T-Mobile.Leveragingthisrecordof success, Molenhandles high-profileintellectualpropertydefenses, including representing Cameronand Lightstorm Entertainmentinanactive copyrightactionregarding theAvatar franchise. He channels hiscivic focus into hyper-specificpro bono advocacy by resolvingoverwhelmingtax liabilitiesfor theInner City LawCenteras theirpro bono champion
CelebratingOur Entertainment Visionaries WhereBoldLeadership
Benjamin MULCAHY Partner & Chair,National Advertising Team
DLA Piper
Ben ja mi n Mulcahyis thepartner andchair of theNationalAdvertisingTeamatDLA Piper. He structures marqueesportsand entertainment marketingtransactionsfor global consumer brands,streaming services andHollywood studios. This expertise extendstomassive commercial distribution agreements.Leveragingthisrecordof success, Mulcahy negotiates partnerships, includingan AppleStudios productintegration and promotionalrightsagreementwith Mercedes-Benzand AMGfor F1 –The Movie. He provides high-level counsel to professional athletes andsports teams, directingcommercialendorsements andTVasset developments forNBA star Victor Wembanyama.He sustains this momentum with historic acquisitions, headlinedbyfinalizing amassive,multi-year$21-billion NBA agreementthatacceleratesstreaming-first distribution
Founderand managing attorney at Newell LawGroup Quincy Newell aligns creative visionswithsophisticated legalstrategyacrossthe mediaand technology sectors. He leverages35years of entertainmentexperiencetoarchitect high-level filmfinancing, television developmentand corporateoperations.Thisexpertise extendstocommercial contentpackaging,headlined by forminga non-legalpackaginggroup that securedlicenseddistributiondeals with STARZ andAMC.Leveragingthisrecordofsuccess,Newellstructured thecorporate launch andunderlyingintellectualproperty portfoliofor action-focused production banner Tremor House in2024. This leadership trajectory supports over 20 personal production credits, includingmajor hitcomedyreleasesstarring KevinHart. He channels hiscivic dedication into nonprofit communityleadershipbyserving on theboard of directors forThe Pico UnionProject andUsOrElse.
Tim O’BRIEN
Chief Revenue Officer
Scopely
CQuincy NEWELL
Founder & Managing Attorney Newell LawGroup
AnthonyJ. ONCIDI
Co-Chair Emeritus, Labor& Employment Law Department
ProskauerRoseLLP
Shief RevenueOfficer of ScopelyTim O'Brienorchestrates global commercial strategy andhigh-impact entertainment partnershipswithin thecompetitive mobile gaming industry.Heleverages 30 yearsofelite mediaand executive experience to scaleanexpansive mobile gaming portfolio that commands over 500million unique playersannually across hits like PokémonGO. This expertiseextends to monumental corporateconsolidations,headlined by spearheading themassive $3.5-billion acquisitionofNiantic's gamesbusiness.Leveragingthisrecordofsuccess,O'Brien engineered landmark franchiseintegrationstolaunchmajor gaming contentbased on iconic properties like Star Wars,Hello Kitty andMarvel. He sustains this momentum by drivingunprecedentedfiscal milestones forthe organization,exemplified by directingMONOPOLY GO!tobecomethe fastestmobile game in historytosurpass $6 billioninlifetimerevenue
Stephen OWEN
President &CEO
FirstEntertainment
Credit Union
President and CEOat First Entertainment Credit UnionStephen Owen leadsthe premierfinancialinstitution dedicated to servingcreatorsand entertainment professionalsnationwide. He spearheadsthe executivedevelopment of tailored financial solutionsthatmeet theuniqueneedsofentertainmentprofessionals.Thisexpertise extendsto digitalbanking innovation,highlighted by Owen’s landmark launchofCineFi, aspecialized digitalbanking platform offeringpremium depositproductsto creative professionalsregardless of wheretheyfilm.Leveragingthis record of success, he expandsthe credit union'smarketfootprint while simultaneously maintaining atoprated corporateworkplaceculture recognized foroperational excellence He channels hiscivic dedication into educationalequitybyserving on the boardfor In4All to provideunderprivileged students with critical STEM resources.
Partner of Dunn,Pariser &PeyrotMarkPariser engineers multi-generational financial stabilityfor prominententertainment icons, chart-toppingalternative rock bandsand eliteprofessionalathletes. He aligns complexinternational tax structuring,venture capitalasset entriesand trustmanagement underaunifiedfiscal strategy to protectlong-termcreative legacies.Thisexpertise extendstohigh-stakesentertainment bookkeeping, recently establishing thecorporate accounting infrastructure formajor filmfinancecompaniesand leading television production teamsbehindFamilyGuy.Leveraging this record of success, Parisermanages financial planning forthe independentlabel Up/DownRecords whilereviewing distributorroyalty reportsfor theplatinum-sellingbandBlue October. He directshis philanthropiceffortstowardregional workforcedevelopment by volunteering with Manifest Worksto supportindividuals affectedbyhomelessnessand foster care
JamesR. PARKS
Executive Director CBIZ
Eecuringprecedent-setting resultsincomplexworkplacedisputes, AnthonyJ.Oncidiisthe co-chair emeritus,labor &employmentlaw department at ProskauerRoseLLP.He leverages41years of litigation experiencetodefendmajor entertainment studios, television networksand prominent talent agencies.Thisexpertise extendstosensitive executivecontractdisputes, famously representing Viacom andParamount Pictures to successfullychallenge Netflix fortortious interference andsecurea permanent injunction against competitivepoaching. Leveraging this record of success, Oncidi serves as lead employment counselto theGRAMMYorganization, directing multi-decade defensestrategiesacross high-profile litigation andarbitration involvingthe television industry.He sustains this momentumbydefending premiermedia institutions nationwide, maintaininganunbrokenrecordofadvisingFox forover20consecutive years.
Mark PARISER CPA&Partner Dunn, Pariser &Peyrot
Chris PEREZ
Partner Donaldson CallifPerez LLP
Partner at Donaldson Callif Pe re zL LP
ngineering thelandmark$145-millionrefinancingofNew York's luxury HotelBarriereFouquet’s in 2025,James R. Parksisthe executivedirectoratCBIZ. He commands more than 45 yearsofdiversifiedtax,corporate business managementand high-stakesentertainment litigation consultingexperience. This expertiseextends to judicial master appointments,previouslyserving as aspecialized accounting master to theCalifornia Superior Courtfor high-profilemotion picturefilm trials.Leveragingthisrecordofsuccess,Parks orchestrated thefinancialturnaroundofLaser Pacific Media Corporationasits chiefexecutive officer, drivingthe postproductioncompany to earn sixEmmyAwardsbeforecompleting itsacquisition by Kodak. He directshis monumental philanthropiccommitments toward higher education, executinga transformative gift agreement that officially renamedthe Jenniferand JamesR.Parks Master of Business Taxation Program.
ChrisPerez guides hundreds of content creators throughcomplex rights clearance,copyright and fair usemandates across theentertainmentindustry. He serves as primaryproductioncounsel forhigh-profile multi-year mediaproperties,headlined by steering Apple's2025 docuseries on thecareerofdirector Martin Scorsese.Thisexpertise extends to cutting-edge FirstAmendment and artificial intelligence issues, includingdirecting risk assessmentsfor the 2025 SXSW documentaryDeepfaking SamAltman. Leveraging this record of success,Perez navigatedthe complex legal, defamation andparodyclearancesrequiredfor NEON to secure the February 2026 commercialrelease of Nirvanna theBandthe Show the Movie. He sustains this momentum by co-authoring text in thenewly released fifth editionofClearance &Copyright, cementinghis position as theindustry's definitiveauthoronmedia clearancelaw
Alan PERRY Principal GHJ
Principal at GH JA la n Perryspearheadsforensic accounting,contractual revenue analysis andprofit participationaudits forHollywood's premierstudios and talent blocks.Hecommands27years of specializedentertainment industry experience to translate complexstudio data into actionable insights that guaranteeabsolutecontractcompliance for creative stakeholders.Thisexpertise extendstosophisticated litigation support andmulti-million-dollarroyalty disputeresolutions across Southern California's mediaecosystem.Leveragingthisrecordofsuccess,Perry preservesfinancialequityfor clientsby auditing contractualagreementstied directly to theindustry'shighest-grossingfilm andiconic television properties He maintainsdeepprofessionalalignment across thestate's financial sector throughactivemembershipsinthe American InstituteofCertifiedPublic Accountantsand theCalifornia Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Authoring thedefinitive resource on divorce, “Divorce: It’s AllAbout Control,”Stacy Phillips is apartner at BlankRomeLLP.She leverages42years of family law experience to navigate complex, high-profilematrimonial disputesand sensitivemulti-million-dollarasset divisions across LosAngeles.Thisexpertise extendstostatewide legislativereform, headlinedbydraftingand testifying for California Senate Bill 924tosuccessfullyextendcivil statutes of limitationsfor domestic violence survivors. Leveraging this record of success, Phillips expandedher cultural footprint by launchingthe StacyPhillipsand FriendsPodcast in 2024, blendinglegal insight, cultural commentary andconversation with leadersacrossentertainment,businessand advocacy Shechannels hercivic dedication by founding theBlank Rome AdoptA Center Programtosupport underservedchildren andfamiliesthroughoutLos Angeles.
JacquelineCombs 424.239.3815
Erin PROUTY Partner Lagerlof,LLP
Ejackie.combs@blankrome.com
Stacy PHILLIPS Partner, Matrimonial & Family Law BlankRome LLP
rinProutyisa partneratLagerlof, LLP, whereshe managesthe firm’s El Segundo office anddesigns sophisticatedestateplans forhigh-net-worth individuals across thefilm andmusic industries.She anchorsher highstakes practice in protecting sensitiveintellectualproperty portfolios,complex entity formations and long-termasset succession structures.Thisexpertise extendstoacademic leadership,whereProutyshapesthe next generationof legalprofessionals as an active adjunctprofessor at the USCGould School of Law. Leveraging this record of success,she provides elitewealthpreservationcounsel and corporateriskmanagementsolutions to protectvaluable personal legacies from volatile mediamarketshifts. She channels hercivic dedication into regional cultural initiatives by performing with theLALawyers Philharmonic Orchestra.
Tobias QUEISSER
Co-Founder &CEO
The CinelyticGroup
Co-founder& CEOofThe Cine ly ti c GroupTobiasQueisserorchestrates global contentintelligencestrategies andartificial intelligence adoption forthe mediaand entertainment sectors. He commands an advanced multi-productplatformthatempowers majorHollywood studios, including Warner Bros.Thisexpertise extends to comprehensivecorporatemarket expansions,headlined by orchestratinga massivecorporaterebrand that successfully integrated Jumpcut Media, Callaia,ScriptSense andRightsTrade undera single unifieddata suite. Queisser recently deployed SocialSense360 to providestudio marketerswithreal-time audience traileranalytics. He channels hisspecialized knowledgeintopanelsatthe prestigiousCannes Marche du Film. He commands an enterprise content intelligence suitethathas scaled to supportpredictiveanalyticsacross threemajor Hollywoodstudios
Rollin RANSOM Partner; Co-Leader,Global Entertainment, Sports &MediaPractice SidleyAustinLLP
Par tner and co-Leaderof theGlobal Entertainment, Sports &Media Practice at Sidley Austin LLP Rollin Ransom directshigh-stakeslitigationdefenses forpremier record labels,entertainment studiosand television networks He commandsanelite trialpractice, famously leadingthe defenseof UniversalMusic Groupina high-profilefederal defamation lawsuitbrought by Grammy-winningartistDrake.Thisexpertise extendstodigital assetprotectionand copyrightenforcement,headlined by securing acriticaltemporary restraining orderand preliminaryinjunctioninJanuary 2026 against thepirateplatform Anna's Archive. Leveraging this record of success, Ransom defendedUniversalMusic Groupagainst amassive $200-million royaltyaccountinglawsuit filed by therockbandLimpBizkit. He channelshis personal philanthropy into regional animal welfarebyserving as thechairmanofthe boardfor spcaLA
Launching nine premium original titles to compete directly againstmulti-billion-dollarcorporate entertainment titans,AramRappaport is thefounder &CEO at TheNetwork.Hewrites, directsand produces original dramatic series forthe independent streamingplatform, includingthe Gilded-Age murder mysteryseriesThe Artist starring MandyPatinkin. This expertiseextends to global commercial advertising, having previously establishedthe creative agency TheBoathouse to architectmajor promotional campaignsfor prominentcorporate clientslikeApple andNetflix. Leveraging this record of success, Rappaport forged thestreamer'sprestigebrand by writing, producing anddirecting itsinaugural dramatic series TheGreen Veil starringJohnLeguizamo
Aram RAPPAPORT
Founder &CEO
TheNetwork
AAdam RICHMAN
Co-Owner &Co-CEO
Medium Rare
Bryna RIFKIN
Partner
Narrative
Bryna Rifkinis a partneratNarrative, where she shepherded high-profile AcademyAward campaigns forpremier global talent.She directs comprehensivetacticalmarketingand corporatecommunications strategies that have driven definitiveOscar-winning performancesfor cinematicicons, includingMarionCotillard,JeanDujardin, NataliePortman,JenniferLawrence andOliviaColman. This expertise extendstocomplex,multi-layered competitive awards positioning, securing additional AcademyAward nominations foracclaimedperformerslikeWillem Dafoe, MichaelShannon,Keira Knightleyand Adam Driver.Leveragingthis record of success, Rifkin structures market-defining mediacampaigns and festival rollouts to maximize projectviability within theglobalentertainment ecosystem. Shesustainsthismomentumbycommandinga decoratedcareer that spans21years of eliteindustry publicityexperience, highlightedbyher designationasa PublicistExtraordinaire by TheGuardian.
Brian RICHARDS
Recognizedasone of theglobalmusic industry's most active andinfluentialcorporatedealmakers, BrianRichards is thefounderand managing director at Artisan. He commands more than twodecades of elitefinancialadvisory experience,bridgingindependent musicinfrastructure with institutionalcapital.Thisexpertise extendstomassive catalogacquisitions andstructuredgrowthequityinvestments, recently advising on the$250-million sale of Daddy Yankee's musiccatalog to Concord. Leveraging this record of success, Richards orchestrated a$500-million capital raisefor GoldStateMusic from Ares andNorthleaf Capital alongside a$300-millionmanagementbuyoutfor Nettwerk MusicGroup.Hesustainsthismusic industry momentum by capitalizing on an active transactionpipelinethathas closed over $3 billionintransactionswithinthe past 18 months
Partner at McDermottWill& SchulteMaria Rodriguezleads high-stakeslabor disputes and employment litigations forHollywood's premierfilm studios, television networks andsportsorganizations.She advisescorporategiantslike ParamountPictures, Warner Bros.and theUFC alongside eliteathleteslikeStephen Curryand hismulti-platformmedia enterprises. This expertiseextends to complex, multi-layered litigation management,recentlyserving as theleadunifying architecttodismantle ahigh-profile employment lawsuitfiled againstDisney, ABCand TwentiethCentury Fox. Leveraging this record of success, Rodriguez engineered aflawless defense narrativeregarding industry vaccineprotocols,securinga unanimousdefense verdictfromthe jury afteronlytwo hours of deliberation.She channelsher civicdedicationintoeducational andcommunity advancementbyserving on theboard of directors forThriveScholarsand theNatasha Watley Foundation
Maria RODRIGUEZ
Partner McDermott Will &Schulte
RRoma ROTH President Reel World Management (RWM)
sco-owner and co-CEO, Adam Richman leadsMediumRare, aprominent entertainmentcompany that transformshigh-profile celebritybrandsinto live eventfranchises. He operates as acorebusinesspartner to legendary personalities, includingTravisKelce and RobGronkowskitobuild repeatable, brand-anchoredexperientialfestivals This expertiseextends to massivelive eventproduction, famouslyserving as theco-architectfor ShaquilleO'Neal's global entertainmentcareerand co-owningthe iconic Shaq's FunHouse franchise. Leveraging this record of success,Richman expanded hiscorporate portfoliointoa designated Inc. 5000 enterprise whileestablishingthe company as thesecond-largest producer of live events during theSuper Bowl He sustains this momentum by driving unprecedentedweekend revenuefigures,recentlygeneratingmorethan $20million across threeflagship events duringSuper Bowl LIXinFebruary2026.
Vanessa ROMAN
Partner
Akin
Partner of Akin Vanessa Romanorchestrates monumental commercial debt arrangements andproject financing structuresfor global mediaconglomerates, production labels andinstitutional lenders. Sheprovidesessential counseltoprimary bankingsyndicates,including Bank of America, East West Bank andComericaBanktocapitalizehigh-profile cinematic assets.Thisexpertise extendstomassive corporate credit facilities,recentlyserving as theleadattorneytostructure a$300-millionfacilityfor MiramaxFilms alongsidean $18-millionproductionloanfor Bear Countrystarring Russell Crowe. Leveraging this record of success,Roman navigateda high-value $500-million refinancing transactionfor apremier entertainmentinvestmentbanking institution. Shesustains this momentumbydriving multi-billion-dollarcapital liquidity, headlinedbyexecuting alandmark$1.1-billionsenior securedlibrary credit facility forLions Gate Entertainment.
omaRoth, presidentof Reel World Management,isa multi-hyphenate whoseworkspans thefulllifecycle of production,fromdevelopment to distribution.Anexecutive producer, showrunner,writer, director and salesagent,Rothhas arareinstinct forcreatingchart-topping showsthat developadedicated global fanfollowing.She is thecreator,executive producer andshowrunnerofthe hit series "Sullivan’sCrossing,"which reachedNo. 1onNetflixand TheCW, andisthe visionarybehindNetflix's longest runningoriginalseries, “Virgin River,”which Bloomberglistedasthe 5thmostwatched original show of the decade.Rothisa member of thePGA, TV Academy, Associationfor Women in Media, WGC, DGCand theAcademyofCanadianCinema& Television
Kristina
ROYCE
Partner;Co-Chair, Matrimonial &Family LawPractice Group
Blank Rome LLP
Selectedfor Va ri et y’ s prestigious LegalImpactReport, Kristina Royce is apartner andco-chairofthe Matrimonial &FamilyLaw Practice Group at BlankRomeLLP.She commands nearly twodecades of matrimonial lawexperiencetoguide high-profile entertainmentexecutives, artistsand entrepreneursthrough complexcustody disputes,asset valuations and maritalnegotiations.Thisexpertise extendstosophisticated multimillion-dollarasset valuations,complex forensic tracings andintricate cash flowanalyses. Herleadershiptrajectory supports strategicout-of-court resolutions that safeguardcorporate reputation,personalprivacy andlongterm wealth during volatile marital transitions. Roycedirects hercivic commitments throughher involvement with theHarriet BuhaiCenterfor FamilyLaw andher membership on theCedars-SinaiBoard of Governors.
JosephRustisthe chiefstrategic innovation officerat Prager Metis. He orchestrates thefirm's overarching strategicfocus,technological evolutionand corporate assetexpansion across aprominent four-officewestern regional networkspanningCaliforniaand Nevada.This expertiseextends to sophisticatedentertainment business management, directingcomprehensive royaltyand profit participationexaminations, licensingexaminations,copyright andintellectualpropertyvaluations forrecording artists, songwritersand musicpublishers. Leveraging this record of success, Rust partneredwithatechnologycompany that uses AI to rapidlyanalyze billions of musicstreams across digitalservice providerstodetecthistoricroyalty reporting anomaliesand forecast future musicrevenues.
Neema T.
SAHNI Partner,Co-Chairof Entertainment and Media Industry Group
PJoseph Rust Thomas Smith forbeing recognized as 2026
Thank youfor continuing thetraditonofunparalleled, people-first service. Cheerstoall of this year’s honorees!
We understand thecomplexitiesand challenges of the entertainment andmusic industry. Prager Metishas specialized in accountingand advisoryservicesfor the entertainment andmusic industrysince itsinception, over 100 yearsago.
Joseph RUST Chief Strategic Innovation Officer Prager Metis
artner andco-chairofthe Entertainmentand Media Industry GroupatCovington &Burling LLP NeemaT Sahnihandles high-stakescommerciallitigationand risk mitigation forglobalentertainmentconglomerates.She leveragesher previous in-house experience at TheWalt Disney Companytoadvisepremier platformslikeNetflix, ParamountGlobaland Sony Music. This expertiseextends to high-profileintellectualpropertydefense,recentlysecuring thecompletedismissal of aprominentcopyright infringement lawsuitbrought againstthe creatorofSquid Game Leveraging this record of success,Sahni representedSpotify to successfullydefeatahigh-profile pre-litigation discoverypetitionfiledbyDrake.She maintainsdeepacademic alignmentwithregionallegal institutions by servingonthe executivecommittee of theUniversityofSouthernCalifornia GouldSchoolofLaw Intellectual Property Institute.
Ilissa SAMPLIN
Partner, Co-Chair of theMedia, Entertainment &Technology Practice Group Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Co-Chairofthe Media, Entertainment &TechnologyPractice GroupatGibson, Dunn &Crutcher LLP Ilissa Samplincommandsanelite global trialpracticedefending major Hollywoodstudios,recordlabelsand streamingplatforms. Shehandles high-stakescommercialarbitrations, trademarkconfrontationsand profit participationdisputesfor theindustry’smostprominent figures. This expertiseextends to high-value intellectualpropertydefense,famously protecting Lady Gaga against a massive$100-milliontrademark infringementlawsuit regardingher Grammy-winning albumMayhem tour andmerchandise.Leveragingthis record of success, Samplindelvesinto youthmentorshipbyserving on the boardofdirectors forthe L.A. chapter of Friendsofthe Children
Covington & Burling LLP
Malak SANTINI Managing Director
J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Having helped forge JPMorganChase’s significant partnership with the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Malak Santini is a managing director at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. She delivers sophisticated wealth management, cross-border asset structuring and long-term estate planning for high-net-worth executives and professionals in the media, sports and entertainment sectors. This expertise extends to foundational institutional development, having collaborated with regional executive leadership to establish the bank's specialized media and entertainment vertical in Los Angeles. Leveraging this record of success, Santini utilizes her multilingual background to oversee complex international portfolios while actively serving on the firm's Los Angeles Market Leadership Team. She drives high-impact cultural advocacy, highlighted by presenting the Woman Changemaker award to Alex Morgan at Visionary Woman 2025.
Tara SENIOR Founding Partner Weinstein Senior LLP
Founding partner of Weinstein Senior LLP Tara Senior orchestrates complex transactional deal structures across traditional Hollywood formats and emerging digital media platforms. She leverages over two decades of legal experience to safeguard intellectual property rights, creator ownership and longterm enterprise value for elite global entrepreneurs. This expertise extends to market-defining digital content enterprises, serving as primary counsel to global creator Jimmy Donaldson to structure the landmark competition series Beast Games. Leveraging this record of success, Senior commands full production legal strategies for multi-series scripted networks like Dhar Mann Studios while negotiating high-profile talent agreements for television icons like Lisa Vanderpump. She channels her civic dedication into long-term community mentorship by volunteering one-on-one with underserved high school students through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles.
Recognized across Hollywood for his unwavering commitment to financial precision and absolute discretion, Sebastian Sassoon is a business manager at Fulton Management. He commands eight years of specialized industry experience to orchestrate comprehensive wealth planning, complex tax coordination and corporate cash flow management. This expertise extends to diverse entertainment sectors, allowing him to engineer customized budgeting strategies for prominent actors, directors and live event companies navigating shifting market models. Sassoon analyzes emerging revenue streams to insulate creative clients from sudden fiscal disruptions while systematically optimizing wealth accumulation. This leadership supports the stabilization of modern creator enterprises so that independent producers and digital influencers maintain robust financial foundations to scale their artistic operations.
Robert M. SCHWARTZ
Partner Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
Sebastian SASSOON
Business Manager
Fulton Management
Robert M. Schwartz is a partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, where he spearheads high-stakes entertainment and media litigation for premier Hollywood studios, television networks and streaming platforms. He leverages more than three decades of courtroom experience to navigate complex digital copyright enforcement and constitutional protections before the U.S. Supreme Court. This expertise extends to sensitive criminal and civil defenses, such as when he famously directed the legal team that handled the civil aspects for actor Alec Baldwin’s Rust shooting case. Leveraging this record of success, Schwartz orchestrates high-profile defamation strategies and pre-publication reviews to protect corporate executives from damaging media exposure. He sustains this momentum by commanding an elite courtroom docket, recently securing a complete streaming rights arbitration victory that awarded total costs to corporate clients MGM and EPIX.
Recognized among the Daily Journal's Top Professional Responsibility Lawyers in California, Shawn Shaffie is a partner at Parker Shaffie LLP. Over a 17-year career, he has built a reputation, in part, for handling high-stakes entertainment business, ethics, and fee disputes, as well as professional liability claims often stemming from double-dealing and sensitive conflicts. Trusted by prominent artists, media entities, and counsel alike, Mr. Shaffie pairs sharp advocacy with a focused engagement in the unique ethical challenges of the entertainment world—protecting the rights of his clients while defending the integrity of the legal profession against systemic fiduciary failures.
Shawn SHAFFIE Partner Parker Shaffie LLP
Robert J. SHERMAN
Partner; Chair, Entertainment Finance Practice
DLA Piper
Chair of the Entertainment Finance Practice at DLA Piper
Robert J. Sherman spearheads high-value asset-backed securitizations and complex domestic debt arrangements for the global music rights sector. He structures foundational multi-million-dollar revolving credit facilities and catalog monetizations for premier entertainment entities like Concord Music, HarbourView Equity Partners and Duetti. This expertise extends to complex capital structuring, recently advising HarbourView on a private $500-million securitization facility backed by diverse music royalties. This leadership trajectory supports systemic financial liquidity across the entertainment landscape, transforming predictable royalty streams into upfront corporate capital for industry rightsholders. Sherman sustains this momentum by driving monumental transaction volume, co-leading more than $5 billion in structured music financings and corporate mergers throughout 2025 alone.
Mickey SEGAL
Founding & Managing Partner NKSFB, LLC
As founding managing partner at NKSFB, LLC
Mickey Segal leads the financial management sector by constructing the largest business management firm in the U.S. He leverages 46 years of elite financial experience to direct specialized wealth advisory services for Hollywood's most prominent entertainment executives and high-net-worth clients. This expertise extends to nationwide institutional capitalization, having successfully chaired and completed a massive $40-million capital campaign for the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation. Leveraging this record of success, Segal has continuously secured top-tier industry recognition as a permanent fixture on Variety’s business management list since its inception. He sustains this momentum by driving localized healthcare infrastructure growth, headlined by finalizing a monumental $25-million capital campaign for the final building at USC Arcadia Hospital.
Monica J. SHILLING
Partner Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Pivotal in orchestrating the highprofile outside investment of Reese Witherspoon’s mission-driven media banner Hello Sunshine from Blackstone, Monica J. Shilling is a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. She commands three decades of elite corporate experience to execute complex mergers, acquisitions and private equity investments across California's creative economy. This expertise extends to multi-generational legacy preservation; Shilling recently represented FSE Holdco LLC in a high-profile partial stake sale of Frank Sinatra’s name, image and likeness rights to Iconic Artists Group. Leveraging this record of success, she structures values-aligned corporate partnerships that unlock institutional capital at scale while preserving core creative control for modern founders. She channels her personal philanthropy into regional public broadcasting by serving as the board chair for the KCRW Foundation.
Joe SILBERZWEIG
Co-Owner &Co-CEO
Medium Rare
Newly celebrated as a Forbes 30 Under30honoree andVariety NewLeader, JoeSilberzweigisthe co-owner andco-CEOat Medium Rare.Heorchestratescelebrity-drivenliveevent franchises by formingequal corporatepartnerships with global iconslikeTravisKelce, GuyFieri andRob Gronkowski.This expertiseextends to multi-platform brandmanagement, servingas the co-architect of ShaquilleO'Neal's live musiccareerasDJDieselacross majorfestivalresidencies. Leveraging this record of success,Silberzweig is scalingnationwidesportsentertainment properties by producingthe upcoming Sports IllustratedWorld Cupevent series launchinginLos Angeles. He also sustains this momentumbydriving unprecedented festival revenuemetrics,recentlygenerating more than $20million across three massiveeventsduringSuper Bowl LIX in February 2026
BradSimpson is apartner andexecutive producer at ColorForce,where he develops critically acclaimed independent filmand television properties alongside founderNinaJacobson. He commands threedecades of entertainmentexperience, producingglobaltheatricalblockbusterslikeCrazy Rich Asians andthe massiveHunger Gamescinematic franchise. This expertiseextends to prestige television production,recentlyexecutive producing theFXlimited series “LoveStory”alongside Ryan Murphy andlaunching theNo. 1Huluseries“Clipped.”Leveraging this record of success, Simpson secureda comprehensive overallfilm agreementwithSonyPicturesEntertainment alongsideanoverall television renewalwithFX. He sustains this momentum by drivingelite creative capital, commanding adecorated industry legacy that encompassestwo Emmy Awards,two Golden Globes andaPeabodyAward
WBrad SIMPSON Partner & Executive Producer Color Force
ThomasF. SMITH
Partner& Entertainment IndustryLeader
Prager Metis
AealthManagementpartner at Singer BurkeRichard Singer leadsthe comprehensiveinvestmentstrategyand bespokewealthportfolio management for high-net-worth entertainmentprofessionals.Hebalances customized assetallocations with non-traditionalinvestment channels to insulate top-tier showrunners,content creators, production companiesand mediaexecutivesfromvolatile industry shifts.Thisexpertise extendstoalternative market placements,havingestablished bespokeprivate equity,real estate andhedge fundstooptimizecapital growth andmitigate risk.Singerorchestratedthe integrationofhis practice into Mercer Global Advisors followinga milestoneOctober 2025 corporateacquisition that expanded hisadvisorynetwork.HedriveswealthmanagementoperationsacrossSB CapitalManagement, Singer Burke’ssistercompany,which grew to more than $1.2 billioninassetsunder management.
sapartner and enterta inm en t industry leader of Prager Metis
Thomas F. Smithoverseesthe strategicfiscaldirection,international taxcompliance andoperational executionacrossmusic,sports, entertainmentand mediasectors He commands more than 25 yearsof accounting experience to guide entertainers,professionalathletesand creative executives throughcomplex cross-border financial architectures. This extendstotouringbudget optimization,where he reducesoverhead costs, re-engineers corporate taxstructuresand develops merchandise,VIP models andbranding opportunities. Smithcoordinates with thefirm's global affiliates to expand internationalrevenue streams, and he supports medicalresearchadvocacy by servingasthe team captain forthe Alzheimer’sWestport, Connecticut Walk
Richard SINGER
Wealth Management Partner
Singer Burke, proudly part of MercerAdvisors
Patrick J. SOMERS Partner KendallBrill &Kelly LLP
Havingsecured asummary judgmentfor WassermanMedia Groupina massive $250-million lawsuit, PatrickJ Somers is apartner at KendallBrill & KellyLLP.Heorchestrateshigh-stakes trialstrategiesand complexintellectual property litigation forprominent talent agencies,media corporations andcreativeexecutives. This expertise extendstohigh-profile copyright defense, successfully representing Kobalt MusicPublishingAmerica in March2025todefeatamajor $20-million infringement action regarding Mariah Carey’sholiday catalog. Leveraging this record of success, Somers obtained acompletetrial victoryfor Creative ArtistsAgency againstaformerESPNanchorwhile securing dismissalwithprejudice for HipgnosisSFH I, Limited. He channels hiscivic focusintosystemicanti-poverty advocacy by servingonthe board of directorsand thedevelopment committee forthe WesternCenteronLaw &Poverty
RecognizedacrossHollywood in Variety’sDealmakers Impact Report andThe HollywoodReporter’sPower Lawyers series,Chris Spicer is apartner at Akin,wherehe leadsthe media, entertainmentand sports practice group. He orchestrates high-value commercial debt facilities,institutional production financing andcatalog acquisitiontransactionsfor majorindependent studiosand premierfinanciallenders.This expertiseextends to monumentalcorporateline-of-credit syndications,recentlyadvisingFifth ThirdBankona massive $1.1-billion senior securedlibrary credit facility issued to Lions GateEntertainment.Leveragingthisrecordofsuccess,Spicer guided Comerica Bank througha high-profile$200-million production loan facility forthe theatrical featurefilm The Hunger Games: Sunriseonthe Reaping. He channels his civicfocus into arts preservation by delivering probonolegal counseltothe American Film Institute.
Stanton"Larry" STEIN
Partner &Co-Chair, Entertainment & MediaGroup
Russ August &Kabat
SChris SPICER
Partner Akin
tanton "Larry"Stein is thepartner andco-chairofthe Entertainment&Media GroupatRussAugust&Kabat,where he handleshigh-stakes litigation forpremier global music artists, directorsand talent executives.Heanchors hispractice in protecting creative copyrights,profit participations and complexintellectualpropertyportfoliosagainst majormedia conglomerates. This expertiseextends to sensitivecelebrity defensemandates,recentlysecuringadismissal with prejudicefor Drake'scorporate entity in ahigh-profile copyright lawsuitconcerningthe Dear Mama docuseries.Leveraging this record of success, Steinoverturneda multi-million-dollar Floridajuryverdict fornegligent security whilemanaging federaltrademark andimpersonation actions forprominent television personalities. He channels hiscivic leadership into systemic public interest lawbyhelping to establishand serve as presidentofPublicCounsel
Matthew THOMPSON
Global Co-Leader, Entertainment, Sports & MediaGroup
SidleyAustinLLP
Asthe global co-leaderof theEntertainment,Sports& Media GroupatSidleyAustinLLP
Matthew Thompson orchestrates massiveeight-, nine-and 10-figuremergers,corporate jointventuresand institutionalfinancing deals. He counsels high-profilecontent creators,globalentertainmentbusinesses andprivate investment firms, includingBen Affleck, Matt Damon andShamrockCapital.Thisexpertise extendstomonumentalmedia asset consolidations,advising apremier sponsor consortium on alandmarkjoint venturewithWarnerBros. Discoveryto manage alibrary of iconic musiccopyrights.Leveragingthisrecordofsuccess, Thompson directed Warner MusicGroup througha high-valuepartnership with Bain Capitaltomake$1.2billion of new capitalavailableforcatalogacquisitions He channels hisspecialized expertise into industry mentorship by servingas co-chair emeritus of theUCLAEntertainmentSymposium Advisory Committee
Heidy VAQUERANO
Partner
FoxRothschild
Par tn er of Fo xR ot hschild Heidy Vaqueranocloses lucrativecommercialtransactions, asset acquisitions andmulti-platformmedia dealsfor prominentmusicians,comediansand entertainmentexecutives. She focusesher transactionalpracticeon supporting diversecreatorstobuild an inclusive business environmentacross Southern California's medialandscape. This expertiseextends to high-value catalogmonetizationstrategies, representingglobalalternative investment firmHarbourView Equity Partners since itscorporate inceptionin2021. Leveragingthisrecordofsuccess,Vaquerano brokered an exclusivecreativepartnership with Grammy Award-winning producer Hit-Boywhilemanagingpublishingand master recordingroyalty acquisitions forinternational artistslike Slipknot.She channelsher civicdedication into public broadcasting equity by servingonthe PBSSoCal Board of Directors' Contentand Distribution Committeetoadvocatefor diverse regional programming.
Expandingthe firm'sLos Angelesheadcount by recruiting 12 attorneysoverthe past twoyears,Jenifer Wallis is thechair of entertainmentatMunck Wilson Mandala, LLP. Shemaintains adualpracticespecializingincomplex business litigation,trademark andcopyright infringement litigation forstudios,productioncompanies and creative businesses.Thisexpertise extendstocutting-edgedigital rights consulting,operating as atrusted thoughtleaderto help creative enterprisesnavigatethe legalimplications of generativeartificial intelligence. Leveraging this record of success, Wallis serves as outsidegeneral counselto small- and mid-sizedmedia corporations,draftinglocation agreements,managingtalentcontracts andnegotiating networkdeals.She channelsher civicfocus into regional animal welfarebyserving on theboard of directorsfor Charlie’sAcres to promotecompassionate living.
MWANGSUWANA SVP&Chief Financial Officer
FirstEntertainment Credit Union
Jenifer WALLIS Chair, Entertainment MunckWilson Mandala,LLP
ag Wangsuwana is theSVP &chief financial officerat FirstEntertainment Credit Union, wherehestructures long-termfiscal strategies andregulatorycompliance frameworks forcreativeprofessionals.Heleverages more than 25 yearsoffinancialservicesexperiencespanning investment banking, commercial bankingand credit unions to guidethe organization’s financial strategy andlong-term sustainability.Thisexpertise extendstoriskmanagement, leadingtothe implementation of robust internal financial controls to maintain corporateagility in adynamic market Leveraging this record of success, Wangsuwana evaluates newinitiatives andpartnershipsthatdrive institutional growth whilemaintaining stability. He sustains this momentumbyspearheadinga transformativedeposit insurance programscheduled to debutinearly 2026 that protects accounts beyond thestandardNCUA$250,000 limit.
Todd WEINSTEIN
Asone of the fo un di ng partners at WeinsteinSeniorLLP Todd Weinstein orchestrates complextransactional deal structures, strategicrightsframeworksand scalable business models across theglobalcreator economy. He leverages26years of entertainment experience to manage an eliteroster encompassing premier mediastudios, digitalentrepreneurs andworld-class athletes like Kylian Mbappé.Thisexpertise extendstomassive unscripted televisionproperties, such as serving as lead production counselfor Amazon PrimeVideo’s BeastGames to oversee production agreements with budgets exceeding$100million perseason. Leveraging this record of success, Weinsteinexpandedhis transactional portfoliobynegotiating ahigh-profile publishingpartnershipbetween global creatorMrBeast andauthorJames Patterson.Hechannelshis civicdedication into youthathletics by servingasthe presidentofthe boardofdirectors for theSand&SurfSoccerClub.
David WEISE
Founding Partner
David Weise &Associates, a division of NKSFB
FoundingpartnerofDavid Weise&Associates,adivisionof NKSFBDavid Weisedirects comprehensivewealth management,sophisticated financial planning and tactical business advisory services forelite entertainment professionals. He leverages36years of business management experience to structure high-value transactional dealsacrossthe global music, television and professional sports.This extendstocross-industryclient preservation,cultivating long-term institutional relationshipstobuild platformsthatsecuremulti-platform revenuestreams forHollywood talent Weiseorchestrates bespokefinancial architecturesthatinsulatehigh-networthcreativefamiliesfrommarket volatility whileoptimizinglong-term wealth transfer.Healsoparticipates as adedicated member of theCaliforniaSociety of CertifiedPublic Accountants.
Propellingthe organization to achievea fifth consecutive quarterofdouble-digit advertisinggrowth, Anthony Wood is thefounder andCEO at Roku.Heleverages 29 yearsoftelevisionand digitalmedia experience to scalethe nation's premierstreaming platform across diverseglobal markets. This expertiseextends to subscription video-on-demand innovation,recentlylaunching thead-free premium subscription serviceHowdy at amarket-leadingprice of $2.99per month. Leveraging this record of success,Wood expandedthe platform's distribution ecosystembysecuring nearly 10,000 hoursofpremium entertainmentassetsfrom majorstudios,including Disney andWarnerBros. Discovery. This leadership trajectory supports thesystemictransition of modern digitalmedia monetization,establishingthe platform's proprietarychannel as themost-watchedfree ad-supported streamingtelevisionservice nationwide
PAnthony WOOD
Founder &CEO Roku
Sophia YEN Partner Manatt, Phelps & Phillips,LLP
Hartner andco-chairofthe Media&Entertainment Group of Russ August &Kabat Ashley R. Yearganhandles high-stakesentertainmentlitigationand sophisticated intellectual property transactions forpremier global creators This expertiseextends to global television format development,recentlyadvising SimonCowellonlaunching anew boybandthrough theunscriptedseriesSimon Cowell:The Next Act, alongside structuring production agreements for America'sGot Talent.Leveragingthisrecordofsuccess, Yearganadvises TokyoBroadcastingSystemTelevisionon localintellectualpropertyprotectionwhile closingmultiple agreements to adaptprominent internationalformats for United States broadcastnetworks. Shesustainsthismomentumbydriving elitemarketrecognition,culminating in her selectiontoreceive theprestigious VarietyLegal Impact Report Awardfor 2026
av in g orchestrated th eh ig hprofile nine-figuresaleand corporate merger of FilmRise to OaktreeCapital, Sophia Yenisa partneratManatt, Phelps &Phillips, LLP. Shestructures sophisticatedtransactional cross-borderfinancemechanisms, intellectual property protections andstudiodistributionagreementsfor iconic global entertainmentbrands. This expertise extendstoindependent production financing, including TheWonder Project’shistoricalepic“YoungWashington”and thefeature filmlaunchof "I Play Rocky” with former Warner Bros.PicturesGroup Chairman Toby Emmerich.Leveragingthisrecordof success,Yen guides global mediajuggernauts like ThePokémon Company Internationaland Kojima Productions throughintricate franchiseadaptationsacrosstelevisionnetworksand streamingplatforms.She also providespro bono legalrepresentationto thecreator acceleratorRidebackRise.
Ashley R. YEARGAN
