The Hollywood Reporter (Weekly)
Hitched, Hatched, Hired
Inside the industry’s celebrations and news
Engagements
Rupert Murdoch got engaged to former San Francisco police chaplain Ann Lesley Smith on March 17 in New York City.
Weddings Zoie Beckham,
manager of marketing for Disney Entertainment, married Richard Castro on March 3 in Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Births
Gersh agent Mike Staudt and wife Betty welcomed Chloé Charlotte Staudt on Jan. 27 at Cedars-Sinai.
Congrats
Former Roku exec Colin Davis was named executive vp comedy development at Sony Pictures Television Studios, effective May 1. Brian Tannenbaum was promoted to oversee Roku’s scripted content in his place.
Talent Resources upped partner Matthew Kirschner to president and named Bonnie Taylor partner and chief communications and strategy officer March 15.
Rob Kim was promoted to co-head of Buchwald’s West Coast office March 20.
Dawn Ostroff joined Paramount’s board of directors March 17.
Jacqueline Lesko
was promoted to president of production for Craig
Mazin’s Word Games on March 20.
Riot Games’ Ryan Verniere was hired as senior vp story for Anthony and Joe Russo’s AGBO on March 15.
Rosemary Mercedes
was named senior vp communications, global distribution for BBC Studios, effective April 1.
Deaths
Lance Reddick, who delivered commanding performances in The Wire, Fringe, Bosch and the John Wick movies, died March 17 in Studio City of natural causes. He was 60.
Erik Lomis, head of MGM distribution, died March 22 in Santa Monica of an unknown cause. He was 64.
Norman Steinberg,
who wrote for Blazing Saddles and My Favorite Year, died March 15 in upstate New York. He was 83.
Peter Werner,a
prolific TV director, died March 21 in Wilmington, North Carolina, of complications from a torn aorta. He was 76.
Ruben IgielkoHerrlich, a leading Hollywood marketer, died March 7 in Beverly Hills of brain cancer. He was 62.
Ric de Azevedo,a
member of the King Family vocal group, died March 14 in Fruit Heights, Utah. He was 75.