The Hollywood Reporter (Weekly)
Hitched, Hatched, Hired
Inside the industry’s celebrations and news
Weddings
Actor-director Danny A. Abeckaser married May Almakaies, a model and pastry chef, on May 29 in
Tel Aviv, Israel. The couple’s multiday celebration took over Soho House
Tel Aviv in Jaffa, with guests including Guy Oseary and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Bill Thompson,
head of alternative television at Verve, married Jaime Pruzansky, a litigation attorney at Theodora Oringher, on April 15 in
Santa Barbara.
Births
Adam Griffin, talent manager and founder of Vault Entertainment, and wife Kacie Griffin
welcomed daughter Marlowe June Griffin
on June 9 at UCLA Medical Center.
Congrats
Jane Millichip was named CEO of BAFTA on July 19.
Jacqueline Sacerio
and Gabriel Marano were upped to co-heads of U.S. scripted television development at Entertainment One on July 20.
Daniel Batista was tapped as chief digital officer of Candle Media’s Spanishlanguage Exile Content Studio on July 19.
Marisa Garcia and Ben Shimmel were promoted to agents in WME’s comedy department July 21.
Eden Bridgeman Sklenar was named CEO of EBONY Media Group on July 18.
Fremantle’s Original Productions upped Meredith Prunkard to vp current programming, Jen Rotner to vp development and Darren Toon to vp development, talent and current programming July 18.
Susan Bracey joined Impact Museums as CFO and executive vp in July.
GLAAD tapped Lauren Sampson as chief development officer and Thai Pham as deputy chief development officer July 21.
Cari Ross joined Gersh as senior vp communications July 20.
Kate Sheets was promoted to senior vp, strategy and business affairs at AEG Global Partnerships on July 21.
Megan Zehmer was hired as president of film and TV for Dan Levy’s Not a Real Production Co. banner July 18.
Deaths
Paul Sorvino, who made a career out of playing forceful types like mobster Paulie Cicero in GoodFellas, died July 25 in Jacksonville, Florida. He was 83.
David Warner,
the British actor renowned for his performances as villains in Time After Time, Time Bandits, TRON and Titanic, died
July 24 in London. He was 80.
Aaron Latham, the journalist, screenwriter and husband of CBS News veteran Lesley Stahl whose articles inspired the films Urban Cowboy and Perfect, died July 23 in Bryn Mawr Hospital in Pennsylvania after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 78.
Bob Rafelson, the maverick writer, director and producer behind Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces and The Monkees, died July 23 in Aspen, Colorado. He was 89.
William Richert, the writer-director of Winter Kills and A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, died July 19 in Portland, Oregon. He was 79.
Tracy McGrath,a
physical production exec at Apple Films, died in Los Angeles after a battle with lupus. She was 65.
Taurean Blacque, Det. Neal Washington on Hill Street Blues, died July 21 in Atlanta. He was 82.