Michael Ovitz

You know, what was Picasso thinking when he decided to deconstruct a figure and make it a cubist look where it's like a puzzle pre-computer 100 years ago?

You know, what was Picasso thinking when he decided to deconstruct a figure and make it a cubist look where it's like a puzzle pre-computer 100 years ago?

The African mass. That's what influenced me to go to MoMA. One of our directors, Bill Rubin, did a show I saw probably 25 times. He came up with the thesis that Picasso... And all of those artists were influenced, Gauguin, Roch, all of them by Modigliani, by African statuary from the mid-1800s.

The African mass. That's what influenced me to go to MoMA. One of our directors, Bill Rubin, did a show I saw probably 25 times. He came up with the thesis that Picasso... And all of those artists were influenced, Gauguin, Roch, all of them by Modigliani, by African statuary from the mid-1800s.

Because in the 1850 to 1900, the Nigerians threw the Catholic missionaries out, so they went back to Paris and Brussels, where the greatest primitive art museums are. And they brought all these relinquary figures with them. And in the early 1900s, they ran out of money and they put those masks in those left bank. Oh, wow. Shopping, you know, on the weekends. Yeah, yeah.

Because in the 1850 to 1900, the Nigerians threw the Catholic missionaries out, so they went back to Paris and Brussels, where the greatest primitive art museums are. And they brought all these relinquary figures with them. And in the early 1900s, they ran out of money and they put those masks in those left bank. Oh, wow. Shopping, you know, on the weekends. Yeah, yeah.

And Picasso bought 50 of them. Probably spent two, three francs for each one. There's a picture of his studio in Moujon in black and white that has 50 masks on the wall. And you look at these masks and you look at the faces and you go, good God, it's right here. And Rubin proved that with these two volumes that are amazing. I saw that show so many times.

And Picasso bought 50 of them. Probably spent two, three francs for each one. There's a picture of his studio in Moujon in black and white that has 50 masks on the wall. And you look at these masks and you look at the faces and you go, good God, it's right here. And Rubin proved that with these two volumes that are amazing. I saw that show so many times.

I started collecting African art the same day. And then I started looking at Picasso very seriously before anyone. This is before Picasso took off. As a matter of fact, there was a period in New York in the early 70s where the New York Times had written a vile review of the late Picasso show at the Guggenheim, and all the dealers had stocked up on it because he had painted 10,000 pictures.

I started collecting African art the same day. And then I started looking at Picasso very seriously before anyone. This is before Picasso took off. As a matter of fact, there was a period in New York in the early 70s where the New York Times had written a vile review of the late Picasso show at the Guggenheim, and all the dealers had stocked up on it because he had painted 10,000 pictures.

It wasn't hard to get. And it all just sat there. No one would buy it. And not for me to disagree with the New York Times, but I went in and bought three paintings for nothing. They were thrilled to sell them to me. Crazy. Because I thought he's a genius. And they re-reviewed the show three months later and said they made a mistake. But those are all things that are important. And for me,

It wasn't hard to get. And it all just sat there. No one would buy it. And not for me to disagree with the New York Times, but I went in and bought three paintings for nothing. They were thrilled to sell them to me. Crazy. Because I thought he's a genius. And they re-reviewed the show three months later and said they made a mistake. But those are all things that are important. And for me,

It's about, when you talk about excellence and it's about being the best friend, I want to be the best friend I can be to my friends. I want there to be no question of my loyalty to them. It was the same with my clients. I did not work for the movie studios. I didn't care what they thought of me. I didn't work for the networks. I worked for the clientele of CAA.

It's about, when you talk about excellence and it's about being the best friend, I want to be the best friend I can be to my friends. I want there to be no question of my loyalty to them. It was the same with my clients. I did not work for the movie studios. I didn't care what they thought of me. I didn't work for the networks. I worked for the clientele of CAA.

That was my job, and I worked for my associates. I wanted them protected. I wanted us to function in unison, client and agent. We had a young agent. who we all had assignments, everybody, including me. Her assignment was Warner Brothers. And the guy running the studio wouldn't return our calls, which was weird because we had everybody he needed, but he wouldn't talk to her.

That was my job, and I worked for my associates. I wanted them protected. I wanted us to function in unison, client and agent. We had a young agent. who we all had assignments, everybody, including me. Her assignment was Warner Brothers. And the guy running the studio wouldn't return our calls, which was weird because we had everybody he needed, but he wouldn't talk to her.

He would only talk to more senior people. And we forbade that. We insisted that if you, Patrick, wanted to package someone in the O'Shaughnessy production, You dealt with the agent that represented CAA and all our clients. That was our conceit. You didn't go to the agent that handled the client. And the guy shut her down.

He would only talk to more senior people. And we forbade that. We insisted that if you, Patrick, wanted to package someone in the O'Shaughnessy production, You dealt with the agent that represented CAA and all our clients. That was our conceit. You didn't go to the agent that handled the client. And the guy shut her down.

And in a staff meeting, much to everyone's chagrin, I told everyone not to return this guy's call. Period. No emails, no calls, no communication until further notice. This went on. And about three days in, he called me. I didn't return his call. Five days in, his wife called me. I did return her call. And she said, why are you doing this to Bob? And I said, why is Bob being disrespectful to Lori?

And in a staff meeting, much to everyone's chagrin, I told everyone not to return this guy's call. Period. No emails, no calls, no communication until further notice. This went on. And about three days in, he called me. I didn't return his call. Five days in, his wife called me. I did return her call. And she said, why are you doing this to Bob? And I said, why is Bob being disrespectful to Lori?