Льюис Вассерман: Голливудтың ықпалды тұлғасы

American studio executive and talent agent

Lewis Robert Wasserman (March 22, 1913 – June 3, 2002) was an American businessman and talent agent, described as "the last of the legendary movie moguls" and "arguably the most powerful and influential Hollywood titan in the four decades after World War II". His career spanned nearly eight decades from the 1920s to the 2000s; he started working as a cinema usher before dropping out of high school, rose to become the president of MCA Inc. and led its takeover of Universal Pictures, during which time Wasserman "brought about changes in virtually every aspect of show business". In 1995, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. Several years later, he spoke of his ongoing work at Universal to Variety, saying, "I am under contract here for the rest of my life, and I don't think they would throw me out of my office—my name is on the building." in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Isaac Wasserman and Minnie Chernick, both emigrants from Russia. He began his show business career as an usher in a Cleveland theater in 1933. He later became a booking agent for the Music Corporation of America (MCA), founded by Jules Stein.

According to Dan Moldea's survey Dark Victory: Ronald Reagan, MCA, and the Mob (which inspired Clara and Julia Kuperberg's 2017 TV documentary Ronald Reagan: un Président Sur Mesure), Wasserman was the link between the Mafia, the Hollywood film industry and Reagan, who obtained very lucrative deals as an actor with Wasserman as his agent. By 1947, just after Al Capone died, and still with the help of his alliance with the underworld, Wasserman was instrumental in helping Reagan to become president of the Screen Actors Guild, which kicked off Reagan's rise to power. Reagan allowed MCA to work both as a producer as well as an agent, which enabled the Mafia to earn a huge income.

In 1993, Wasserman created Universal CityWalk and made numerous, substantial changes to the Universal City area. Wasserman pocketed an estimated $350 million from the sale of MCA and remained as manager, but with vastly diminished power and influence, until Seagram bought controlling interest in 1995, which then resulted in his role becoming even more marginalized. Wasserman served on the board of directors until 1998. On September 29, 1995, Wasserman was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. In 1996, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. Wasserman died of complications from a stroke in Beverly Hills in 2002 and was interred in Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City. He was honored posthumously with the 2,349th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 5, 2007.

Wasserman was married to Edith "Edie" Beckerman, who was also Jewish. They had one child, a daughter, Lynne Kay Wasserman. Casey carries on the family name in the agency business, the Wasserman Media Group (WMG), which he started in 1998. He is also acting president and chief executive officer of the Wasserman Foundation, a charitable organization founded by the Wassermans in 1952 in Beverly Hills. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis was his goddaughter. Wasserman's granddaughter, Carol Ann Leif, is a stand up comedian.

Wasserman was portrayed by David Eisner in the CBS film Martin and Lewis (2002), by Stewart Bick in the TV film The Reagans (2003), and by Michael Stuhlbarg in Hitchcock (2012). Wasserman was also the subject of the biography film The Last Mogul (2005).