Bernie Brillstein

At once a consummate, hard-living dealmaker and a well-loved Hollywood personality, Bernie Brillstein was a truly old-school talent manager and producer with a heart as great as his ambition. In his heyday, Brillstein had a myriad of clients that ranged from soft-spoken muppeteer Jim Henson to hedonistic John Belushi. Despite being from opposite ends of the spectrum, both fit his personality perfectly, which was warm and genial as well as passionate and outspoken. Prior to being a top manager, Brillstein worked his way up the chain of command at the William Morris Agency, starting in the mailroom and quickly advancing to become a talent agent. Once he left, Brillstein formed his own management company, allowing him to serve as a producer on numerous film and television projects, including "The Blues Brothers" (1980), "Ghostbusters" (1984), "The Larry Sanders Show" (HBO, 1992-98) and "Just Shoot Me" (NBC, 1996-2003). Brillstein had a reputation of caring deeply for his clients and left behind a legacy of being a giant in the business.