Ronald Meyer
Encyclopedia
Ron Meyer is an American
entertainment
executive and former talent agent.
, which he served in until the age of nineteen. At the age of nineteen he began working for the Paul Kohner Agency in Los Angeles
as an agent from 1964 to 1970. Ron then moved on to work from 1970 to 1975 as a talent agent for the William Morris Agency
.
. They later expanded its range of services to include consulting with leading American and international corporations.
(formerly MCA
) and has held this position since August 1995 from the time Seagram
(then led by Edgar Bronfman, Jr.
) acquired the controlling interest in the company up to the recent purchase of Universal by General Electric
. He is the longest serving chief of a major motion picture company in the history of Hollywood.
, is married to actor Tobey Maguire
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
executive and former talent agent.
Early life
Ron Meyer was born to a Jewish family whose love of film influenced him at an early age. At fifteen Ron dropped out of high school, and at the age of seventeen he joined the United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, which he served in until the age of nineteen. At the age of nineteen he began working for the Paul Kohner Agency in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
as an agent from 1964 to 1970. Ron then moved on to work from 1970 to 1975 as a talent agent for the William Morris Agency
William Morris Endeavor
WME is the largest talent agency in the world, with offices in Beverly Hills, New York City, Nashville, London, and Miami. WME represents elite artists from all facets of the entertainment industry, including motion pictures, television, music, theatre, publishing, and physical production...
.
Beginning of Business Career
At a lunch with some of his friends in 1975, Ron and his buddies came up with the idea of starting an agency to represent talent in the very diverse and ever-thriving area of Los Angeles. They opened up in a rented office with card tables, folding chairs, and their wives serving as the secretaries. This agency, named Creative Artists Agency, is one of the premiere talent representation agencies, and has represented the likes of Martin ScorseseMartin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
. They later expanded its range of services to include consulting with leading American and international corporations.
Current career
Presently, he serves as the President & COO of Universal StudiosUniversal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
(formerly MCA
Music Corporation of America
MCA, Inc. was an American talent agency. Initially starting in the music business, they would next become a dominant force in the film business, and later expanded into the television business...
) and has held this position since August 1995 from the time Seagram
Seagram
The Seagram Company Ltd. was a large corporation headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada that was the largest distiller of alcoholic beverages in the world. Toward the end of its independent existence it also controlled various entertainment and other business ventures...
(then led by Edgar Bronfman, Jr.
Edgar Bronfman, Jr.
Edgar Miles Bronfman, Jr. , is the Chairman of Warner Music Group. He previously served as CEO of the company from 2004 to 2011. In May, 2011, the sale of WMG was announced; Bronfman would continued as CEO in the transaction. In August 2011, he became Chairman of the company as Stephen Cooper...
) acquired the controlling interest in the company up to the recent purchase of Universal by General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
. He is the longest serving chief of a major motion picture company in the history of Hollywood.
Personal life
He lives in Malibu, California, with his wife, Kelly Chapman, and has three daughters and a son. His daughter Jennifer MeyerJennifer Meyer
Jennifer Meyer Maguire is an American jewelry designer who first rose to prominence when her signature piece, an 18-karat gold charm in the shape of a leaf, was worn by Jennifer Aniston in the 2006 film The Break-Up.-Early life:...
, is married to actor Tobey Maguire
Tobey Maguire
Tobias Vincent "Tobey" Maguire is an American actor and producer. He began his career in the 1980s, and has achieved his greatest fame for his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films.-Early life:...
.