Sandy Bresler, Jack Nicholson’s Longtime Agent, Dies at 87

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As a devoted follower of Hollywood history and a connoisseur of tales woven around stardust and silver screens, I can’t help but feel a profound sense of admiration for Sandy Bresler. His journey from serving in the California Air National Guard to becoming Jack Nicholson’s agent for over six decades is nothing short of extraordinary.

Sandy Bresler, long-time representative and public speaker for Jack Nicholson, passed away on Thursday in Santa Monica following a brief illness, according to his family. He was 87 years old.

Back in the day, I had the incredible fortune of crossing paths with a three-time Academy Award winner while we were both part of the California Air National Guard. Fast forward to 1961, having already spent a year as a secretary at the William Morris Agency, I found myself representing this very same actor.

As a gamer, I’ve had the privilege to work with some big names in Hollywood, including Judd Hirsch, Randy Quaid, and Louise Linton, who is now married to a renowned film executive and former U.S. Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin. I set the bar high when it came to personalized talent representation, a fact my family was quick to point out.

On a memorable July 14th, 1969 – the same day the captivating movie “Easy Rider” graced our screens with the charismatic Nicholson in the lead role – I proudly declared the establishment of my agency, Sandy Bresler & Associates. This significant milestone was announced to the world through an advertisement placed in The Hollywood Reporter. In this ad, I highlighted that I had the privilege of being the actor’s exclusive representative.

January 20, 1937 marked the birth of Bresler, who was the offspring of Jerry Bresler, a film producer renowned for movies like “The Vikings” (1958), “Gidget Goes to Rome” (1963), “Casino Royale” (1967) and a 1943 short that won an Oscar.

In the year 1983, he teamed up with John Kelly to launch an autonomous talent agency named Bresler-Kelly & Associates. Prior to this, he had been employed at CMA, but his tenure was terminated by Freddie Fields. Later, he moved on from ICM to start Bresler, Wolff, Cota & Livingston, which eventually became known as The Artists Agency.

For almost three decades, he was a member of the Board at the Association of Talent Agents, and he held the position of ATA President for over a decade.

During Sandy’s exceptional term, he showed extraordinary commitment and forward-thinking guidance, both as a mentor and a leader, propelling the association towards a time of substantial development and change,” stated Karen Stuart, executive director of ATA, in a declaration. “Under his leadership, ATA broadened its scope and power.”

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve always strived to uphold my commitment to our gaming community with the same passion Sandy showed towards his talent agency profession. His unwavering dedication played a crucial role in advancing the interests of our members and raising the bar for our industry as a whole. Many of us were fortunate enough to learn from him, and his influence will continue to be felt strongly for years to come.

He survived a sextuple bypass in 2003.

Those who will survive him are his wife of 58 years, Nancy; his son Eric; his daughter Jennifer; and his twin grandchildren, Brandon and Jonah. The funeral service is scheduled for midday on August 6th at Hillside Memorial Park located in Culver City.

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2024-08-02 02:55