NORMAN BROKAW

Norman Brokaw is Chairman of the William Morris Agency (WMA), and a classic example of WMA's great success story. Starting as the first West Coast mailroom trainee in 1943, Mr. Brokaw rapidly grew to become the company's first "Junior" agent, working with WMA's Ben Holtzman who represented Al Jolson and Eddie Cantor.

Radio was in its heyday when Mr. Brokaw began his show business career, and his work in the development of radio programs by integrating writers, producers, stars and directors, served as a foundation for the important television packaging opportunities that were soon to follow. As an architect of the WMA Television Department on the West Coast, Mr. Brokaw guided a skeptical "big screen" Hollywood into the "small screen" business. He brought Loretta Young and other stars to television, creating new and lucrative opportunities for these players.

A long time figure in the motion picture business, Mr. Brokaw's star roster begins with legendary greats like Loretta Young, Barbara Stanwyck, Susan Hayward and Ann Southern. Soon, newcomers were added to the list: Natalie Wood, Kim Novak and Marilyn Monroe. Clint Eastwood was a Brokaw signing whose talent, like Monroe's, has already passed the point of legend and into the sphere of cultural phenomenon.

In the seventies, Mr. Brokaw spearheaded the Agency's entry into the heretofore unexplored fields of sports, journalism and politics. The list of those represented in such areas include: presidents, international leaders, cabinet members, Olympic medalists, newscasters, and sports stars.

As an agent whose diversity stretches into every area of the entertainment world, there could be no greater pairing than that of Norman Brokaw and his client of over forty years, Bill Cosby. Together this dynamic duo has scaled the heights of the literary, commercial, television, film and personal appearance arenas. From his first starring role in the groundbreaking "I Spy," to the billion dollar industry that has developed around "The Bill Cosby Show," Mr. Brokaw has co-designed and orchestrated Cosby's work to guarantee a pre-eminent position unchallenged by any twentieth century performer. Theirs is simply the best example of what superlative agentry can accomplish.

Among Mr. Brokaw’s other numerous clients are Priscilla Presley, Ivana Trump, Berry Gordy, etc.

Mr. Brokaw resides in Beverly Hills and makes frequent trips to WMA's New York office.  He is a Life Trustee of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, serves on the board of St. Judes Hospital and is President of the Betty Ford Cancer Center. He is a longstanding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.