Ed Limato dies at 73; longtime Hollywood agent

He was known for shepherding A-list talent and throwing lively pre-Oscar parties at his Coldwater Canyon home, nurturing genuine friendships with many of the stars he represented.

Hollywood agent Ed Limato escorts his client Sharon Stone at a Beverly HIlls screening of the Steven Spielberg film ''A.I.'' in 2001. (Kim D. Johnson, Associated Press / June 27, 2001)

Limato died of lung disease at his home in Beverly Hills, said Christian Muirhead, a representative of the William Morris Endeavor Entertainment agency.

Limato, whose client list at various times was top-heavy with such stars as Kevin Costner, Billy Crystal, Richard Gere, Mel Gibson, Steve Martin, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sharon Stone and Denzel Washington, spent most of his 44-year career at the William Morris Agency and International Creative Managemen

Atypically, Limato nurtured genuine friendships with many of the stars he represented.

"Many agents tend to look at talent as a commodity today, to help their own careers," Limato said in a 2005 Variety profile. "I still think of talent as something to be served. If you believe in a client, you stick with them through the ups and downs."

Born July 10, 1936, in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., Edward Frank Limato worked as a disc jockey in Florida and Louisiana and as an assistant to director Franco Zeffirelli in Rome before getting his first job at a talent agency.

He started sorting mail for the Ashley Famous Agency in New York in 1966. It became the International Famous Agency and, later, International Creative Management, and he became an agent. He moved to the West Coast and, in 1978, jumped to the William Morris Agency.

Limato spent 10 years with William Morris, then returned to ICM and rose to president of the agency. After a dispute with company management in 2007, he sued to break his contract and went back to William Morris. Last year, the agency merged with Endeavor.

For many years, Limato's party the Friday night before the Academy Awards was a must-attend event for high-profile stars and film industry figures. As host, he cut a striking figure in his impeccable attire, silver hair and famously bare feet.

His home, built in 1936 and previously owned by Dick Powell and Joan Blondell, then by George Raft, reflected his interest in historic preservation. He served on the board of the Los Angeles Conservancy, as well as American Cinematheque and the Motion Picture and Television Fund.

Survivors include his 99-year-old mother, Angelina; a brother, Paul; and a sister, Angela.

The funeral will be private, but a public memorial service is planned.

Source:Latimes
Sponsor:Click2.info

As 'Remember Me' Opens, We Celebrate With Other Memorable Movies About Remembering Stuff

Have you spent the past several months in Robert Pattinsonwithdrawal? Do you fall asleep at night clutching an Edward Cullen action figure and weeping hysterically with the desire to just see Rob's chin-scruff on the big screen one more time?

But for anyone who was feeling a touch desperate over the recent lack of feature films starring our favorite floppy-haired Brit, today is a very important day: "Remember Me", the film starring Robert as a human being with pretty eyes and non-sparkly pectorals, is making its premier in theaters everywhere. Also starring Emilie de Ravin, the drama has been one of the most hotly-anticipated movies this year. Hollywood Crush is celebrating the momentous occasion of its release with a top ten list of some other great, memory-based movies that you can check out in the coming weeks.

Some are about amnesiacs, some are about flashbacks, and some just, er, have the word "remember" in the title. Holler!

1. "Remember Me"

Robert Pattinson! Emilie de Ravin! Two damaged people falling headlong into a passionate romance on the streets of New York! And also... Robert Pattinson! Don't pretend like you need another reason to see this movie. There isn't one.

2. "A Walk to Remember"

Why do movies based on books by Nicholas Sparks always end up on these lists? Because we love to cry, that's why. Enjoy this flashback story of a romance between poor, martyred Mandy Moore and her bad-boy hot-friend played by Shane West; weep when she succumbs to cancer; then freak the hell out of your boyfriend by turning to him as the credits roll and sniffling, "If I had leukemia, would you marry me and build me a really big telescope before I died?"

3. "Remember the Titans"

Starring Denzel Washington as a football coach and adorable, prepubescent Hayden Panettiere as a football-obsessed child, this movie's action-packed football scenes and heartwarming backstory ensures that you WILL remember the Titans. Whoever they are. And hey, is that Ryan Gosling?! Ooh, it is.

4. "An Affair to Remember"

No, not THAT kind of affair — it was the 1950s, you guys! Words meant different things back then! And in the 1940s, the best way to have a memorable affair was as follows: Fall in love with Cary Grant on a transatlantic cruise, vow to break off your engagement and meet him in six months at the top of the Empire State Building, then get struck by a cab on Sixth Avenue and lose the use of your legs. OUCH. But don't worry, it all works out in the end.

5. "Total Recall"

Arnold Schwarzenegger is having weird dreams about Mars... or are they NOT dreams? This retro sci-fi flick has held up surprisingly well, as it depicts the former Mr. Universe recovering his lost memories by following a trail of video clues left by his Martian alter-ego. He also spends much of the movie running away from Sharon Stone, who wants to kill him. We'd run, too. She's SCARY.

6. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

We love Kate Winslet as a blue-haired indie girl, we love Elijah Wood and Mark Ruffalo as pathetic creepsters, and we love Jim Carrey for taking on a role that requires something other than making faces and screaming. The story of a couple who meet, break up, surgically wipe out their memories of each other, and then meet again, Eternal Sunshine is adorable science fiction... or science fiction-y adorable-ness. Whichever.

7. "The Hangover"

Zach Galifanakis, Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms don't know exactly what happened in Vegas, but their best friend is missing and there's a tiger in their hotel suite. Oh, and also a baby. Watch them piece it all together, and feel smugly superior that while you might have had a few too many on several occasions, at least you've never needed Mike Tyson to help you figure out what you did last night.

8. "The Bourne Identity"

Matt Damon has no idea who he is... but he looks awfully hot while he tries to figure it out. Enjoy his various confused expressions while he wrangles guns, chases bad guys and kicks the crap out of strangers for no reason except that, hey, it turns out he's really good at martial arts! WEIRD. It takes Matty about 90 minutes too long to figure out that he's a spy (duh), but watching him run frantically all over Europe with Franka Potente in tow is so entertaining that it doesn't really matter.

9. "Overboard"

On the surface, "Overboard" is just a lighthearted comedy about an amnesiac trophy wife. But dig deeper, and you'll find a sordid and cynical take on the darkness that inhabits the minds of men — because if a beautiful lady can't remember who she is, then apparently the thing to do is kidnap her and convince her that she's your wife. Fortunately, the presence of Goldie Hawn in this movie manages to make it funny, rather than creepy as all get-out.

10. Memento

Guy Pearce got whacked on the head, can't make new memories and that's sad. But he compensates by tattooing important information all over his body and then taking his clothes off in order to look at it, so THAT'S pretty cool. Directed by Christopher Nolan with all the same stylish flair of "The Dark Knight" (but none of the crazy bat-shenanigans), this is our pick for the best memory-based movie that doesn't involve Robert Pattinson.

Did we miss any of your favorite "memorable" films?

Tags A Walk To Remember, An Affair To Remember, Emilie de Ravin, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Memento, Remember Me, Remember The Titans, Robert Pattinson, The Bourne Identity, Total Recall

Source:hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/

Pauly ‘Shore’

What is it about “Jersey Shore’’ that people respond to? That awful hair? The awful tans? Those awful accents? All were on display Thursday as Pauly D, our favorite character not named Snooki on the MTV reality show, made a paid appearance at McFadden’s. Pauly, whose real name is Paul Delvecchio, fancies himself a DJ so he spun a few tunes for the folks who showed up to see him.

Seeing stars
Fourteen-year-old Anthony O’Leary credits Ben Affleck and Kevin Costner for making him feel comfortable on the set of “The Company Men,’’ director John Wells’s fine new film about corporate downsizing. It’s the first film for O’Leary, who plays Affleck’s son. “While John was setting up scenes, Kevin played football with me and some other kids,’’ said O’Leary, who lives in Norton and goes to the Moses Brown School in Providence. “Ben just talked to me about normal stuff, asked me about my life.’’ The made-in-Massachusetts movie, which also stars Tommy Lee Jones, Maria Bello, and Rosemarie DeWitt, got good reviews at the Sundance Film Festival and a rave response at this week’s screening at the Coolidge. Another local actor with a plum role is Lance Greene, the bloodless lawyer who has pivotal scenes with both Affleck and Jones. Could this be a big break for Greene, who produced and starred in “On Broadway’’? “I do think it’s a step in the right direction,’’ he told us yesterday. “If people see that you’ve worked with that type of talent, it can open up a lot of doors.’’


In limbo
Last year, “Late Night’’ writer and Newton native Brian Kiley uprooted his family, moving from New York to Los Angeles to join his employer - and former fellow CCD student in Brighton - “Tonight Show’’ host Conan O’Brien. Now, after just seven months, it’s all over, and Kiley isn’t sure what’s next, including how much severance he’ll receive. (You’ll recall that O’Brien reached a $45 million deal with NBC to exit the show and, of that, $12.5 million would be earmarked for his staffers.) “They haven’t told us,’’ says Kiley, who has written bits for O’Brien for 16 years. “I don’t know if they haven’t figured it out.’’ LA doesn’t feel like home, but Kiley says he’s reluctant to move his 12- and 14-year-old kids twice in a year. He told us he’s been touched by all of the pro-Conan rallies, and says he and other former staffers are looking forward to being back at work soon. “We’re hoping that [Conan’s] back on the air in just a few months.’’


Theater benefit
The ART, Punchdrunk, and the cast of “Sleep No More’’ are doing a benefit performance of the sold-out show Wednesday. Proceeds will benefit Partners In Health’s relief efforts in Haiti. “I salute the artists involved in Sleep No More for making this contribution possible,’’ said ART artistic director Diane Paulus.


She draws a crowd
So many handsome men, so little time. Hasty Pudding honoree Anne Hathaway enjoyed a feast with a group of Harvard fellows before bolting Boston. Following her Hasty fete, the Oscar-nominated actress joined the Harvard Krokodiloes - the university’s oldest a cappella singing group - for a dinner prepared by Henrietta’s chef Peter Davis. The menu included herb-crusted breast of chicken, grilled salmon, oven-roasted veggies, and, of course, a hasty pudding dessert.


DeCordova fete
Neither rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night could keep the crowd away from Thursday’s opening-night reception for the 2010 DeCordova Biennial at the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln. Over 1,100 people attended, including collectors Barbara Lee, Don Stanton, and John Shore: artists William Pope.L, Oscar Palacio, August Ventimiglia, Karin Weiner, and Laurel Sparks; gallerists Abby Ross and Kristen Dodge, Russell LaMontagne, Camilo Alvarez, and Howard Yezerski; and assorted others, namely the MFA’s William Stover, Skinner CEO Karen Keane, Art Forum’s Nuit Banai, and art critic Francine Koslow Miller. We’re told police had to turn away over 100 cars and some people parked a quarter mile away and hoofed it.


Around town
Comedian Eddie Griffin’s doing his bit to stimulate the local economy. Griffin, who’s doing two shows at the Wilbur tonight, had a lengthy list of needs. The comedian’s rider included bottles of Veuve Clicquot, a carton - no, not just a pack - of American Spirit cigarettes, and a brand new pair of White Nike Air Force Ones. . . . Boston Blazers stars Nick Cotter and Kyle Ross joined the Sparks dancers to mingle with moviegoers at a screening of “From Paris With Love’’ at the AMC Loews Boston Common. . . . Onetime “Bond’’ girl Jane Seymour lunched yesterday at the new Legal C Bar at Legacy Place in Dedham.

Globe correspondent Nick A. Zaino III contributed. Read the Names blog at www.boston.com/namesblog. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.

Source:boston.com/

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