Talent show: WMA, UTA tops in piloting TV actors (Hollywood Reporter - Fri.-Sun., July 2-4, 1999) Talent show: WMA, UTA tops in piloting TV actors / Innovative, Gersh, ICM also networking By Lynette Rice The William Morris Agency and United Talent Agency appear to have wrapped the 1999-2000 development season as the leading suppliers of talent for broadcast network pilots and holding deals. Innovative and the Gersh Agency, together with ICM, round out the top five talent agencies that supplied the most actors to the six networks. Talent divisions were judged by how many thespians they placed in network/studio deals and in pilots for the six networks, according to an informal poll by The Hollywood Reporter in conjunction with some of the agencies. With a startling 120-plus pilots picked up for next year, a significant cross-section of large and small talent agencies played a role in the development season. Some pilots represented a microcosm of the many agencies in town: Paradigm and Abrams, along with ICM, Innovative and Gersh, placed actors in Warner Bros. TV's "West Wing," while at least eight different agencies repped actors in Touchstone TV's "Once and Again." Hollywood mainstay William Morris is believed to have scored jobs and deals for roughly 70 of its actors this development season. The agency's casting department under John Kimble has 52 agents devoted to talent in New York and Los Angeles. Traditionally, William Morris has remained atop the agencies in TV talent deals. Among the actors that William Morris found jobs and/or deals are Jennifer Love Hewitt ("Time of Your Life"), Dolly Parton (Columbia TriStar TV), Alfred Molina ("Ladies Man"), Jake Busey ("Shasta McNasty") and Charles Sheen ("Sugar Hill"). An agency spokesman declined comment. UTA secured jobs and deals for 66 actors. The agency's size is testament to its performance this season; UTA has six talent agents in Los Angeles. Four years ago, senior partner Nick Stevens recruited Martin Lesak to form the talent division. The agency's clients include French Stewart ("God, the Devil and Bob"), David Krumholtz ("Sick in the Head"), Paget Brewster ("Love or Money"), Dean Cain (Columbia TriStar TV), Illeana Douglas ("Action"), Dina Meyer ("Secret Agent Man"), Jon Tenney ("Get Real"), and Tony Shalhoub ("Stark Raving Mad"). UTA confirmed its talent roster for the 1999-2000 season. Innovative and Gersh each placed 64 actors in pilots and deals. With 17 agents in Los Angeles and New York City, Innovative's talent department under Nevin Dolcefino found jobs for such clients as Paula Marshall ("Snoops"), Costas Mandylor ("Secret Agent Man"), Natalie Cigliutti ("Odd Man Out"), Patrick Warburton (Brillstein-Grey) Glenn Quinn ("Angel"), Margaret Colin ("Now and Again"), Jason Biggs (20th Century Fox TV), Brad Whitford ("West Wing"), and Ted Levine ("Bellevue"). Innovative confirmed its talent roster. Gersh's division under Bob Gersh has 18 talent agents. Among the actors the agency found work for are Moira Kelly ("West Wing"), Park Overall ("Ladies Man"), Elizabeth Perkins ("MYOB"), Danny Nucci ("Snoops"), Chris Elliott (CBS), Sean Maher ("Ryan Caulfield"), Brendan Fraser ("Roswell High"), Andrea Martin ("Sick in the Head") and Lela Rochon ("Babes in the Woods"). Gersh confirmed its roster. ICM's talent department under Leigh Brillstein -- which represents some of the biggest names on television come fall -- is believed to have found gigs for roughly 32 of its clients. Among them: Sela Ward and Bill Campbell ("Once and Again"), James Garner and Laurie Metcalf ("God, the Devil and Bob"), Kevin Pollack ("Work With Me"), Rob Lowe ("West Wing"), Gina Gershon ("Snoops"), Neil Patrick Harris ("Stark Raving Mad"), and Rosie Perez and Tony Danza, both scoring holding deals at Columbia TriStar TV. ICM, which has eight talent agents, declined to participate.