Sam Cohn
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Immediately upon graduation from Yale Law School, joined CBS-TV in contracts negotiation department for two years before working with Hubbell Robinson on the production of a series of TV programs. After brief return to a law firm during which time he also produced a few off-Broadway plays, in 1964 Cohn found his true vocation as a powerful talent and literary agent with General Artists Corporation (which in 1968 was taken over by Creative Management Associates and in 1975 merged with International Famous Agency to become International Creative Management). As an influential New York-based agent and vice chairman of ICM, noted for his long-term relationships with his clients, Cohn has enhanced the art of film packaging (assembling all the creative elements of a film from actor, director, screenwriter into a cohesive package presented to the studio) by adding the world of publishing to the initial concept, often coming up with the original idea for the film. In he case of "Serpico" (1973), he reputedly convinced author Peter Maas to write the book, then sold both the publishing rights and the film rights before the book was written. Over the years Cohn has personally represented such clients as Arthur Penn, Robert Altman, Woody Allen, Lily Tomlin and until 1991 Meryl Streep.
Filmography
Special Thanks (Feature Film)
Life Events
1956
Joined CBS, Inc, worked in legal and business departments (dates approximate)
1961
Counsellor for Goodson-Todman Productions
1964
Joined General Artists Corporation (GAC) as a counsellor, executive vice president and an agent
1974
Joined International Creative Management, NYC; named director and vice chairman of ICM
1999
Replaced as head of ICM by Esther Newberg and Amanda 'Binky' Urban
Family
Companions
