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The Mailroom: Hollywood History from the Bottom Up

The Mailroom: Hollywood History from the Bottom Up is a book by David Rensin that accounts what it is like to work in the mailroom in Hollywood’s most prestigious talent agencies. Rensin interviews over 200 graduates of mailrooms such as William Morris Agency and Creative Artists Agency in a never before told story of struggle, surprise, tears, glamour, and most importantly the real life behind the glitz.

From delivering food to catching leading actresses of the day in their negligee, this book gives an account of the unbelievable tasks that mailroom employees must go through in order to become part of the small percentages to make it to agent status. The Mailroom is full of advice from Hollywood's leaders about how to fight your way through the masses and make it to the top of the most glamorous industry: Hollywood.

List of notable interviewees

Bernie Brillstein is the founding partner of Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, a preeminent management and production company.

Norman Brokaw is the current chairman of the William Morris Agency. He started as the first West Coast trainee in 1943. He has made the business both his career and life. He has represented legends such as Marilyn Monroe, Kim Novak, Clint Eastwood, and his client over 35 years Bill Cosby.

Rob Carlson is a senior vice president and head of the Motion Picture Literary and Directors Department at the William Morris Agency.

Barry Diller is currently chairman and CEO of the Universal entertainment group, with responsibility for Universal Studios, the film and TV operations, and theme parks. He is also chairman and CEO of USA Interactive. Diller has headed Paramount and Fox, invented TV’s “movie of the week.”

David Geffen is one of the entertainment industry’s most prolific leaders. As an agent, manager, record mogul, art connoisseur, political contributor, film producer, and most notably the “G” in DreamWorks SKG, Geffen is a legend himself.

Sam Haskell is the executive vice president, worldwide head of television, for the William Morris Agency. He’s been with the company for over twenty five years.
Judy Hofflund formed InterTalent Agency, part of which later merged with United Talent Agency, where she ran the Talent Department. She is now one of the two owners of ‘’’Hofflund/Polone’’’, a management and production company representing clients such as Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, Sally Field, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Alan Rickman.

Kevin Huvane is a managing director of Creative Artists Agency.

Ron Meyer is one of the agents who left William Morris Agency to form Creative Artists Agency. After leaving CAA, Meyer joined Universal and is currently chairman of Universal Studios.

Rowland Perkins co-founded the Creative Artists Agency with four others who left William Morris Agency in 1975. After leaving CAA in 1995 he became an independent producer of feature, TV, network, and cable films. Currently Mr. Perkins is chairman and also sits on the board of ieProducer.com, an integrated Internet company, and is president of ieProducer.com’s wholly owned subsidiary ‘’’Talentclick’’’, an Internet company servicing the casting needs of the motion picture, television, legitimate theater, and commercial worlds.

Jack Rapke is a partner in ImageMovers, a film and TV production company affiliated with DreamWorks SKG. His productions include Cast Away and What Lies Beneath.
Stan Rosenfield is the owner and president of Stan Rosenfield and Associates, the entertainment industry’s leading public relations company.

Tom Strickler is a founding partner at The Endeavor Agency.

Jeremy Zimmer is a partner, board member, and legend at United Talent Agency.

Notable quotes

"You don't get what you deserve in life; you get what you negotiate." - Dr. Chester Karras

"The Harvard School of Show Business--only better: no grades, no exams, a small stipend, and great placement opportunities." - David Geffen

"Here's what everyone who made it--and some who went on to other successful pursuits--had in common: an addiction to opportunity and a voracious thirst to become. They are the bedrock of the whole enterprise." - David Rensin

"That is what love is: You surrender identity you rediscover yourself as part of a unit." - Jon Klane