Since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to Montecito (California, USA) in 2020, there are many artist representation agencies that have tried to sign the royals, but it has been the historic WME that has finally signed with Meghan Markle, according to an exclusive report by the specialized film medium Variety.
WME, formerly known as the William Morris Agency (or WMA) and which since 2009 has been part of the Endeavor company, is the agency representing stars. Founded in 1898 in New York by the German immigrant of Jewish descent William Morris, it had among its initial clients at the turn of the last century stars that are universal today such as Charlie Chaplin or Mae West. After Morris’s death in 1932, the agency passed into the hands of his son, also named William Morris Jr., who decided to establish the agency closer to the movie mecca, in Beverly Hills. Two decades later, in the fifties, they signed stars like Elvis Presley or Marilyn Monroe, becoming one of the most solid representation agencies in the United States. Since then, WMA has been closely associated with the world of film and entertainment, as well as the creation of global superstars. In music they have represented bands like the Rolling Stones, Sonny & Cher or the Beach Boys. In cinema, the agency has represented actors such as Clint Eastwood, Barbra Streisand, Goldie Hawn or Al Pacino.
In 2009, William Morris Agency merged with Endeavor, founded in 1995, and which during the last years of the last century and the first years of this century became one of the reference agencies, with a client portfolio that includes meet some of the most familiar faces in the industry today. Actors like Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Matthew McConaughey, Hugh Jackman, or Jude Law are among his great signings, as well as comedians like Sacha Baron Cohen or Charlie Sheen. Endeavor not only represented performers, but also directors such as Guillermo del Toro, Baz Luhrmann, Danny Boyle or Robert Rodríguez.
Following this merger, Ari Emanuel, one of Endeavor’s four founders, became the CEO of the new group. It should be noted that Emanuel himself is quite a personality in the world, becoming the inspiration for the character of Ari Gold in the television series entourage (The entourage) (2004-2011), produced by actor Mark Wahlberg, and which narrates the life of a young actor who makes a name for himself in the Hollywood industry. Currently, Endeavor is dedicated to the representation of actors, scriptwriters or directors, but it also works as a literary and sports representation agency.
According to reports from VarietyMeghan Markle’s team will consist of Ari Emanuel himself, Brad Slater, representative and architect from brand-name celebrities like Dwayne Johnson, and Jill Smoller, Serena Williams’ longtime agent. In addition, WME will assume the representation of Archewell, the charitable foundation owned by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. From WME, film and television production, brand partnerships, and business building in general will be explored. From Variety They have also reported that film and television acting is not an area of interest for the Duchess.
Harry of England and Meghan Markle currently have a deal with Netflix. Through this platform they made their documentary, in which they told their own version of events, from the beginning of their romance until their departure from the British royal family and search for their own path. The docuseries became the most streamed documentary premiere in Netflix history, with 81.5 million minutes watched in its first week. Less successful was his next project, entitled Live to Lead, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex only appeared in the presentation of the episodes, and which focused on international figures such as Greta Thunberg or the former South African president Nelson Mandela, among others. US media claimed that the agreement with the content giant would be valued at more than 100 million euros, money that helped the couple upon their arrival in the United States after leaving the British royal house.
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