Talentworks Sets Sail in New Direction



TalentWorks today announced a new direction for the company, concentrating its focus on its young adult and adult divisions and it's emerging reality business.

"This is a great time for TalentWorks," said President and Owner Harry Gold. "With more and more opportunities becoming available in the young adult and adult areas it was natural that we made this the core area of our business. Our expansion into reality provides many natural synergies for our all our clients and we are passionate about developing this emerging area of our business."

With its expansion into reality, TalentWorks will no longer focus on the younger kids market but instead help develop and package reality and scripted projects for both its emerging and iconic clients. TalentWorks has enjoyed much recent success in reality, packaging Scott Baio in the upcoming VH1 show Scott Baio Is 45 and Single, placing Scott Hamilton in Fox's Skating With Celebrities, David Hasselhoff in America's Got Talent, Brett Butler in Moochers, Tracey Gold in Trapped in TV guide and numerous reality projects for long-term client William Shatner. TalentWorks also today announced the signing of radio and talk show host Rick Dees.

TalentWorks' seventeen year veteran Suzanne Wohl continues to be a fixture at the agency. Wohl is responsible for the careers of Danny Nucci, Lisa Sheridan, and Kevin Chapman. Her eye for developing young talent has always been well regarded (ie discovering James Franco and Marc Ruffalo) and to this end she is enjoying the success of Michael Raymond James (True Blood), Jud Tylor (Charlie Wilson's War), Brendan Hines (Heavy Petting), Joy Osmanski (The Loop) Drew Seeley (High School Musical, The Concert) and Brooke Nevin (The Comebacks). Wohl today announced that Nevin has just booked the female lead in the feature film, Infestation and additionally that she has booked client Robert Buckley to the recurring role of Kirby Atwood in NBC's Lipstick Jungle. He will play a love interest to Kim Raver.

Joel Dean left APA two years ago where he was head of the TV and motion picture talent department. Dean has been instrumental in establishing TalentWorks as an agency that reps some of Hollywood's best icons. At Talentworks, Dean is responsible for Peter Coyote, Peter Reigert, Mario Lopez (8 Days a Week), Joan Rivers, George Hamilton, Valerie Pettiford (Hope Against Hope), Larry Hagman and David Hasselhoff amongst others. In addition, he has discovered Jonathan Trent (Love is the Drug) Brianna Brown (Dash 4 Cash), and Mark Deklin (Justice).

Marion Campbell joined Talentworks three years ago having worked at the Gersh Agency for three and a half years. Campbell is responsible for Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls, Samantha Be Good, The Nines) Kevin Alejandro (Drive, Ugly Betty, Sleeper Cell), Amy Sloan (Big Shots, The Aviator, Day After Tomorrow, The Seven Year Itch), Johnny Whitworth (3:10 to Yuma, Pathology, CSI: Miami) and Alma award winner Jesse Garcia (Quincenera, The Comebacks).

Brandy Gold joined TalentWorks eight years ago with an eye towards developing young talent. Since then she has worked in every department including commercials, kid's theatrical and adult talent. Today, her clients include Antwon Tanner (One Tree Hill, Coach Carter), JD Pardo (A Girl Like Me, Drive) Betsy Brandt (Breaking Bad), and Nicole Tom (The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman).

August Kammer has been with the company for four years. He started at TalentWorks as an assistant and was quickly promoted within one year. Kammer has a knack for bringing talent in to Los Angeles from the TalentWorks NY office. He is the Los Angeles agent for David Zayas (Dexter), Ava Gaudet (Ugly Betty, See Jayne Run) and Sarah Knowlton (Hope Against Hope). Additional recent bookings include Brian McNamara (Army Wives), Janina Gavankar (The L Word, Dash 4 Cash) and Hosea Chanchez (The Game). Kammer today also announced the signing of Cody Kasch (Desperate Housewives, Asylum).

TalentWorks New York office is four agents strong with talent well represented in all Manhattan legit entertainment venues. Stalwarts of Broadway and beyond Karen Ziemba(Tony nominated for curtains), Robert Cucciolli, David Zayas (Dexter) Richard Masur, Amy Irving, Marcus Chait, Mark Jacoby and Michael Berresse( A Chorus Line).

At the helm of the company is Harry Gold. Gold started the agency twenty five years ago, and he has enjoyed the success of some of America's biggest household names including William Shatner, Ashanti, Farrah Fawcett, Martin Landau, Ray Walston, Rod Steiger, Roger Daltrey, Tracey Gold, Wendy Raquel Robinson and Leah Remini. Harry has been an elected ATA board member for the last ten years

TalentWorks celebrates twenty-five years of business in 2007, and this past year has been their best one to date. Some highlights of the many pilots they booked this season include, six series regulars in the CW reality pilot Dash 4 Cash, two series regulars in the HBO pilot True Blood, and three series regulars in the HBO pilot Anatomy of Hope.

"The business is changing at warp speed" says Gold. "With new media cropping up every where agencies need to do everything they can to stay on the curve. Our survival is dependant on all our ability to change with the times".





Talentworks Sets Sail in New Direction