Hi everyone! Thank you so much for being a part of this incredible community. I love the idea of sharing our fails because I have A LOT. I've called the tech team and told them to add more server space just for me. Here is a short story about the time I almost worked for Tom Cruise's producing partner Paula Wagner:
I was working at a management company at the time which was my first real job in the industry. I was interviewing for the next gig (as you do in this business) and a friend who is VERY connected set me up for an interview with Paula Wagner - Tom Cruise's former agent and producing partner at Cruise/Wagner. They did "Mission: Impossible", "The Others", "Minority Report" among others.
My friend was formerly her Development Executive and recommended me. So the job mine to lose. And - spoiler alert - that's just what I did.
On the day of the interview I walked in to Paula's massive high-rise office inside the MGM building overlooking Century City. There she was behind her desk. I was told she liked to ask weird interview questions like, "If I wanted a dozen penguins in my yard by tomorrow, how would you do it?"
So believe it or not, THOSE were the questions I practiced. The reality was much different. The first question she asked was, "If I wanted you to place a call to Barry Meyer, where would you call?" Now, at the time Barry Meyer was the CEO of Warner Bros. - but I did not know that at the time! So I did the thing that I should have NEVER done - I guessed.
"CAA?"
"No."
She tried again. I guessed, again.
"No."
The door closed behind me and that's when I knew, I fcked up.
I called my friend who set me up with it and I said, "Do you think it is salvageable?" He yelled back into the phone, "JASON HOW THE FCK DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO BARRY MEYER IS?!"
So needless to say I did not get the job. But it did teach me a valuable lesson - know as much about the business as you can. Even if you think it doesn't apply to you, it does. From then on, I made it my mission to stay up to date on every aspect of the business - including executives, agents, managers, and people I may never even meet.
5 years later I was working on a film with Warner Bros. called "Contagion" and guess who I met at the premiere. Warner Bros. CEO Barry Meyer. I said, "Let me tell you about the time I met Paula Wagner."
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Because of this, I will NEVER forget who Barry Meyer is! :-P
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What a cool story, that can learn something valuable and something that I will definitely.
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I appreciate the love everyone! Thanks for some great comments!
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I met Paula once and she was lovely. I'm sure she let you down easy.
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Oh my! You need to talk to my husband. He was supposed to have a love scene with Bo Derek but the film was cancelled. He was a very disappointed young man but it turned out great for little ol' ME!