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Ronald Meyer

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Ronald Meyer
Born (1944-09-25) September 25, 1944 (age 80)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupations
  • Agent
  • executive
Years active1964–present
Employer(s) Paul Kohner Agency (1964–1970)
William Morris Agency (1970–1975)
Universal Pictures (1995–2020)
Spouse(s)Ellen Meyer
Kelly Chapman
Children4 including Jennifer Meyer

Ronald Meyer or Ron Meyer (born September 25, 1944) is an American entertainment executive and former talent agent. He co-founded Creative Artists Agency in 1975 and later worked at Universal Pictures from 1995 until his resignation in 2020.

Early life

Meyer was born to Jewish immigrant parents who escaped Nazi Germany.[1] His family's love for film influenced him at an early age. At 15 Ron dropped out of high school, and at 17 he joined the United States Marine Corps, where he served until he was 19. He worked as an agent for the Paul Kohner Agency in Los Angeles from 1964 to 1970, and from 1970 to 1975 for the William Morris Agency.[2]

Creative Artists Agency

At a lunch in 1975, Meyer and some friends came up with the idea of starting an agency to represent talent in Los Angeles. They opened Creative Artists Agency in a rented office with card tables, folding chairs, and their wives as the secretaries. It later expanded its range of services to include consulting with corporations.[3]

NBCUniversal

Meyer served as the President & COO of Universal Studios (formerly MCA) from August 1995 until September 2013. He was succeeded as president by Peter Levinsohn.[4] With 18 years in the position, Meyer was the longest-serving chief of a major motion picture company in the history of Hollywood.[2] In September 2013, he was promoted to Vice Chairman of Universal Studios' parent company, NBCUniversal.

In August 2020, he stepped down from his role as Vice Chairman after he admitted to an affair with an unnamed woman and claimed he was being extorted.[5][6] The woman was revealed to be Charlotte Kirk.[7] In September 2020, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Meyer and former Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara may have colluded to cover up the real nature of their relationships with Charlotte Kirk.[8]

Personal life

Meyer has been married twice. His first wife was Ellen Meyer; they had two children, movie production executive Sarah Meyer and jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer (who was previously married to actor Tobey Maguire).[9] In 1993, he married model Kelly Chapman; they have a son and daughter.[9] In May 2018, the couple announced that they were separating after 25 years of marriage.[9] Meyer lives in Malibu, California.[10]

References

  1. ^ Brook, Vincent. From Shtetl to Stardom: Jews and Hollywood: Chapter 1: Still an Empire of Their Own: How Jews Remain Atop a Reinvented Hollywood. Purdue University Press. p. 10.
  2. ^ a b "Ron Meyer: Variety". Variety.
  3. ^ Powerhouse: The Untold Story of Hollywood's Creative Artists Agency by James Andrew Miller
  4. ^ Hall, Gina (May 2, 2013). "Universal Pictures taps new president". L.A. Biz. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  5. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 18, 2020). "Ron Meyer Exits As NBCUniversal Vice Chairman After Disclosing Affair & Extortion Attempt". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  6. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (August 18, 2020). "Ron Meyer Out as NBCUniversal Vice Chairman". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  7. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (August 18, 2020). "Woman at Center of Ron Meyer's NBCU Exit Is Actress Charlotte Kirk (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  8. ^ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/charlotte-kirk-kevin-tsujihara-and-a-non-consensual-sex-allegation-that-sparked-a-secret-legal-saga
  9. ^ a b c Mohr, Ian; Smith, Emily (May 25, 2018). "NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer and wife split". Page Six.
  10. ^ Zeman, Ned (September 28, 2016). "Ron Meyer, Hollywood's Mr. Nice Guy". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
Preceded by Universal Studios Presidents
1995–2013 		Succeeded by
Peter Levinsohn
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