Editor’s note: Variety has revived its “Tenpercenteries” column that chronicles the inner-workings and client signings of Hollywood’s top talent agencies and management firms. Tenpercenteries was a staple of Variety from the mid-1990s through the early 2010s. We’re happy to bring it back with a heightened focus on deals and dish involving showbiz’s top talent representation firms.
The young (and the frugal) staff members at United Talent Agency were up in arms last week, sources told Tenpercenteries, over news from leadership that the company was suspending its free lunch service.
What began as a post-pandemic perk to lure staff back into the office had miraculously and generously lasted until 2025. UTA was serving up dishes from Leora, the restaurant that sits in the agency’s shadow in Beverly Hills. A turkey club sandwich will run you $15 and a sesame ginger salad sets you back $22 (very modest prices for Los Angeles eateries, btw).
The free chow was served daily, except on Fridays, and continued through a brutal period of industrywide cost-cutting that persists to this day. Free catered lunches were introduced to Hollywood’s office culture by Silicon Valley, where companies like Facebook would install shopping mall-style food courts to keep programmers fed and happy. Netflix still boasts an impressive menu of cuisine (hot and takeaway) at its Sunset Boulevard headquarters.
If UTA’s biggest rivals — CAA and WME — ever did offer free lunch, they certainly don’t now. Sources at UTA said agency heads are currently cooking up supplements like coupons, to roll out in the coming weeks. Some UTA assistants wondered aloud to their bosses if they would be compensated for the lunch loss, estimating the meals would introduce a financial burden they haven’t had to carry in years.
We would happily pay for lunch to hear how those conversations went.
Notable talent agency and management signings:
Kamala Harris has signed with CAA for representation in all areas, with a focus on speaking engagements and publishing. She was repped by the agency before becoming Vice President in 2021.
Constance Wu
Mark Seigler
Gersh has signed Constance Wu. She’s best known for her roles in 2018’s “Crazy Rich Asians,” 2019’s “Hustlers” and the 2015-2020 ABC comedy series “Fresh Off the Boat.”
UTA has signed seven-time Grammy- and Academy Award-winning artist Jon Batiste for representation in all areas.
Former President Joe Biden has signed with CAA. Biden was represented by the agency from 2017 to 2020, following his two terms as Vice President under President Barack Obama.
UTA has signed digital media company Jubilee Media and its founder Jason Y. Lee for representation in all areas. In addition to the popular format “Surrounded,” Jubilee’s YouTube channels feature such series as “Middle Ground,” “Odd One Out,” “Versus 1,” “30 vs 1,” and “Ranking.”
Quvenzhané Wallis
Getty Images
Quvenzhané Wallis has signed with Gersh for representation in all areas. She is the youngest person to be nominated for best actress at the Oscars, for her turn in 2012’s “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”
Almost Friday Media, the digital content network and comedy production hub born out of the Instagram meme account Friday Beers, has signed with Range Media Partners. Almost Friday Media is working on a TV pilot with Danny McBride’s Rough House Pictures.
Writer, director and executive producer Matt Hastings has signed with Gersh. Hastings continues to also be repped by attorney Bob Getman and The Gotham Group. Hastings’ latest drama series, “Fallen,” premiered last month on Sundance Now and AMC+.
Matt Donnelly is senior entertainment and media writer for Variety.
Katcy Stephan is a film reporter for Variety.
Tenpercenteries also runs in Variety‘s weekly magazine
From the Feb. 26 print edition of Variety
