The first meeting since the beginning of a now eight-week standoff between the Association of Talent Agents and the WGA on Friday lasted about 45 minutes in face-to-face time, ending with new proposals on the table from the agencies’ side that the writers guild said it would respond to next week. The meeting, which…

Ryan Gosling has signed with CAA, a move that brings him fully into the major agency star factory for the first time. Bryan Lourd brought him in. Gosling, soaring off his Oscar nominated turn in the Best Picture front runner La La Land, hasn’t had an agent since 2013, when his longtime rep Ilene Feldman folded her IFA…

EXCLUSIVE (Updated with statement from CAA attorney): Things are really getting personal in the agent poaching legal battle between UTA and CAA, with both sides naming names. Nearly two weeks ago, it was CAA slamming UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer and others in the agency's higher ranks over the "illegal" snaring of five senior…

Though she was in town last week, it's been nearly a month since Hillary Clinton was last in L.A. hoovering up that reliable Hollywood cash – but fear not, the former First Lady is coming back in less than two weeks. Long time Clinton supporter and CAA head honcho Bryan Lourd is set to co-host a $10,000 top ticket…

Peter Bart and Mike Fleming Jr. worked together for two decades at Daily Variety. In this weekly column, two old friends get together and grind their axes, mostly on the movie business. BART: When I was a young reporter on The New York Times, Abe Lastfogel, the august chief of the old William Morris Agency, consented…

The Hollywood Reporter just took on George Clooney and top CAA agent Bryan Lourd, implying they were not being honest in Clooney’s bombshell Deadline interview last week about how no one would sign a petition of support for embattled Sony leaders Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal. A little backstory on why that interview…

A longtime supporter of the president today got one of the plum cultural patronage gifts the commander-in-chief can hand out. Barack Obama appointed CAA’s Bryan Lourd to the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. "These men and women have demonstrated knowledge and dedication…

Hey Morgan!, the Matt Shakman-directed musical that opens at the Black Dahlia Theatre in Los Angeles on October 15, has released a sample song (audio below) that conveys a real insider’s take on the Hollywood agency game. The song, “(I Gave My Heart To) CAA”, is a catchy tune from the show that captures the…

EXCLUSIVE: Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas is joining 3 Arts as a manager/producer, returning to the rep business after 11 years. Once a high-powered dealmaker at ICM best known for guiding Julia Roberts from unknown to $20 million a picture as the world's biggest female star, Goldsmith-Thomas left ICM in 2000 to run…

When President Barack Obama arrived at the Sony Pictures lot in April for a Democratic National Committee fundraiser, most studio employees left early and traffic was tricky. Tonight, it’s the First Lady’s turn. Michelle Obama will attend a fundraiser and discuss the 2012 re-election effort at the home of Michael S…

EXCLUSIVE: Live With Regis & Kelly co-host Kelly Ripa was with WME, and her husband Mark Consuelos was with Innovative. CAA’s Bryan Lourd not only signed them but also their production company Milojo Productions, which has made several shows for TLC. The question now is whether Consuelos might replace Regis Philbin as…

3RD UPDATE: Ed Limato’s clients  weigh in on his passing: Richard Gere: "Ed was my dear friend and agent for 40 years. He was the best of the best. There will never be anyone like him. The mold has been broken. He was probably the most respected agent of our time who loved his clients dearly and would do anything for…