Carl Zimmerman (producer)

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Carl Zimmerman (born November 15, 1939) is an American theatre producer and talent agent. He is a current advisor and project scout for leading television and cable networks, mainly HBO and CBS. [1]

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Early life

Zimmerman was born in Brooklyn, the son of Esther Schwartz, a school teacher, and Julius Zimmerman, a talent agent. At age 17 he went to work for his father as an assistant before opening his own agency in 1961. [2]

Career

Zimmerman was known for representing clients such as Academy Award winners Spencer Tracy, Bette Davis, Gene Kelly, Paul Muni, and Claudette Colbert. In an interview with The Washington Post , Zimmerman stated, "The entertainment industry is one of the greatest in the world, it has given me my life and education, I have always worshiped and adored talent, it's been a huge privilege". [3]

Zimmerman became a theater producer in 1960 while still working as an agent. Zimmerman began producing smaller-scale theatre before creating the acclaimed Oscar Wilde Trilogy for a national tour of the United States. It was the first of its kind to reach capacity in the box office.[ citation needed ]

In the summer of 1972 Zimmerman launched Shakespeare's Loves, beginning a successful, large-scale tour of Shakespearean plays in classic repertory style. Afterwards, in 1975, he took the tour to Australia. After producing large-scale productions around the world for 13 years, Zimmerman returned to being a full-time agent while working as a co-producer on Broadway. He produced some classics such as The Seagull , The Cherry Orchard , and The Bear , all of which won the Critics' Drama Desk Award. [4] [5]

Zimmerman is a recipient of a number of international prizes for his work and dedication to theater, film, and the television industry. In 2008 he received the Lifetime Merit Award at Radio City Music Hall.[ citation needed ]

References

  1. Koblin, John; Steel, Emily (April 12, 2015). "At the Head of the Pack, HBO Shows the Way Forward". The New York Times. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  2. "Culture Desk : The New Yorker". newyorker.com. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  3. "WashingtonPost.com Search". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  4. "The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia". The New York Times . Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  5. "Stage Voices". stagevoices.com. Retrieved May 12, 2014.