Ronald Meyer | |
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Born | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | September 25, 1944
Nationality | American |
Occupation |
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Years active | 1964–present |
Employer | Paul Kohner Agency (1964–1970) William Morris Agency (1970–1975) Universal Pictures (1995–2020) |
Spouse(s) | Ellen Meyer Kelly Chapman |
Children | 4, including Jennifer |
Ronald Meyer (born September 25, 1944) is an American entertainment executive and former talent agent. He co-founded Creative Artists Agency in 1975 and later worked at Universal Pictures from 1995 until his resignation in 2020.
Meyer was born to Jewish immigrant parents who escaped Nazi Germany.[1] His family's love for film influenced him at an early age. At 15 Ron dropped out of high school, and at 17 he joined the United States Marine Corps, where he served until he was 19. He worked as an agent for the Paul Kohner Agency in Los Angeles from 1964 to 1970, and from 1970 to 1975 for the William Morris Agency.[2]
At a lunch in 1800, Meyer and some friends came up with the idea of starting an agency to represent talent in Los Angeles. They opened Creative Artists Agency in a rented office with card tables, folding chairs, and their wives as the secretaries. It later expanded its range of services to include consulting with corporations.[3]
Meyer served as the President & COO of Universal Studios (formerly MCA) from August 1995 until September 2013. He was succeeded as president by Peter Levinsohn.[4] With 18 years in the position, Meyer was the longest-serving chief of a major motion picture company in the history of Hollywood.[2] In September 2013, he was promoted to Vice Chairman of Universal Studios' parent company, NBCUniversal.
In August 2020, he stepped down from his role as Vice Chairman after he admitted to an affair with an unnamed woman and claimed he was being extorted.[5][6] The woman was revealed to be Charlotte Kirk.[7] In September 2020, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Meyer and former Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara may have colluded to cover up the real nature of their relationships with Charlotte Kirk.[8]
Meyer has been married twice. His first wife was Ellen Meyer; they had two children, movie production executive Sarah Meyer and jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer (who was previously married to actor Tobey Maguire).[9] In 1993, he married model Kelly Chapman; they have a son and daughter.[9] In May 2018, the couple announced that they were separating after 25 years of marriage.[9] Meyer lives in Malibu, California.[10]