Duchess’s team at WME will be led by Ari Emanuel, whose brother was Obama’s chief of staff
The Duchess of Sussex has signed with a major Hollywood talent agency and will be represented by one of the entertainment industry’s most powerful figures.
Meghan, 41, has signed with WME for representation, The Times understands.
The agency, which counts numerous Hollywood stars among its ranks, will focus on spearheading the duchess’s business efforts and brand partnerships and her creative work in film and television production.
Variety, which first reported the news, said that acting would not be an area of focus as part of the arrangement.
Signing Meghan will be a point of pride for WME, with rival agencies believed to have been keen to work with her since she moved to California with the Duke of Sussex in 2020.
WME will also represent Archewell’s content label. Meghan and Harry create content for the likes of Netflix and Spotify under the banner. Her team at WME will be led by Ari Emanuel, chief executive of Endeavour, the company that owns the talent agency.
Emanuel, 62, is one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood and was the best-paid executive in town in 2021, with a package valued at $308 million.
He is also politically connected. His brother is Rahm Emanuel, a former Democratic congressman who was White House chief of staff under Barack Obama and served as mayor of Chicago between 2011 and 2019; Rahm, 63, is now ambassador to Japan. Also on the team representing Meghan is Brad Slater, who has worked with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Serena Williams’s long-time agent, Jill Smoller, who attended Harry and Meghan’s wedding.
Meghan was an actress before she married into the royal family. She played Rachel Zane in the legal drama Suits but gave up her acting career upon marrying Harry.
The couple have produced two docuseries for Netflix, including Harry & Meghan, which received mixed reviews in December.
It achieved strong viewing figures, however, and holds the record for the biggest debut for a Netflix documentary, with more than 81 million hours watched in its first four days of release.
Source: The Times
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