UTA Shake Up: Matt Rice Named President of Filmed Entertainment

United Talent Agency is overhauling the leadership structure for its filmed entertainment group, which includes its Motion Picture Literary, Television Literary and Talent departments, among others.

In a memo to staff Thursday, UTA president David Kramer framed the changes as being necessary to create “a streamlined, future-focused leadership structure for our Filmed Entertainment group which reflects the evolving business of film and television and will enable us to maximize opportunities for clients.”

Matt Rice, who had been leading UTA’s TV department, has been named president of filmed entertainment. He will be joined by Allan Haldeman, Blair Kohan, Jay Gassner and Julien Thuan who will become managing partners in the group. There will also be a Filmed Entertainment Board, comprised of senior partners at the agency.

The board’s members will include Mickey Berman, Jason Burns, Marissa Devins, Dan Erlij, Chris Hart, Jason Heyman, Mike Jelline, Keya Khayatian, Rich Klubeck, Billy Lazarus, Gregory McKnight, Lucinda Moorhead, David Park, Theresa Peters, Shani Rosenzweig, and Larry Salz.

The agency also named new department heads in the group, connected to the new structure. The new heads include Amanda Hymson and Jordan Lonner (Motion Picture Literary); Lucinda Moorhead and Mickey Berman (TV Literary); Hanley Baxter and John Sacks (Talent, alongside incumbent department head Mike Jelline).

“UTA has never been a place that waits for change — we anticipate where the industry is going and build for what comes next,” said Kramer in a statement. “As the business evolves and film and television increasingly converge, this team positions us to lead that evolution, unlock new possibilities for our clients and bring the full power of UTA to everyone we represent.”

The agency is betting that as the lines between film and television (not to mention commercial and endorsement work) continue to blur, and with talent increasingly eager to play in both sandboxes, the new structure will enable the agents to work more effectively in service of what their clients want to be doing.

Rice, whose client list includes Phil Lord & Chris Miller, Mike Schur, Alec Berg, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, Will Forte, Justin Halpern & Patrick Schumacker, R. Scott Gemmill, James Gunn, Dan Goor, Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers, Adam Reed, Sebastian Maniscalco, and Matt Rife, will be responsible for leading the strategy and execution across the filmed entertainment footprint.

“This move reflects what sets UTA apart — a bold, collaborative and forward-thinking approach,” Rice added. “I’m excited to build upon the work of this exceptional group of leaders and continue to deliver best-in-class representation to our clients.”

You can read Kramer’s memo to UTA staff, below.

UTA has never been a place that waits for change — we anticipate where the industry is going and build for what comes next. With that in mind, we are announcing a streamlined, future-focused leadership structure for our Filmed Entertainment group which reflects the evolving business of film and television and will enable us to maximize opportunities for clients. By bringing together partners across Motion Picture Literary, Television Literary and Talent, we will continue to deliver unrivaled seamless client representation, sharpen the agency’s competitive edge and increase efficiency and collaboration.

I’m thrilled to announce that Matt Rice has been elevated to President of Filmed Entertainment. Matt is a phenomenal agent and partner who has helped spearhead a transformative expansion of UTA’s television division. In his expanded role, he will lead overall strategy and execution across all areas of Filmed Entertainment.

To support Matt and drive leadership across the entirety of the Filmed Entertainment group, we have elevated Allan Haldeman, Blair Kohan, Jay Gassner and Julien Thuan to the role of Managing Partner of Filmed Entertainment. This newly established leadership group will be critical to driving growth, connecting opportunities across our business and delivering exceptional results for clients as film and TV increasingly converge.

To further capture market momentum and maximize client opportunities we have also established a Filmed Entertainment board. These senior partnerswill leverage their collective expertise, experience and deep industry relationships to aggressively pursue client development and new initiatives. Board members will include Mickey Berman, Jason Burns, Marissa Devins, Dan Erlij, Chris Hart, Jason Heyman, Mike Jelline, Keya Khayatian, Rich Klubeck, Billy Lazarus, Gregory McKnight, Lucinda Moorhead, David Park, Theresa Peters, Shani Rosenzweig, and Larry Salz.

All of our Filmed Entertainment Department Heads play an integral part in ensuring our teams operate at the highest level in service of our clients. As we move to this new chapter, we are excited to appoint several new Department Heads across Filmed Entertainment: Amanda Hymson andJordan Lonner (Motion Picture Literary); Lucinda Moorhead and Mickey Berman (TV Literary); Hanley Baxter and John Sacks (Talent, alongside incumbent department head Mike Jelline). These agents have distinguished themselves through exceptional client representation and will be responsible for furthering the growth of their respective businesses.

We’ve had an extraordinary year, with UTA clients behind some of 2026’s biggest box office hits and most acclaimed television productions, earning top honors at the Academy Awards, Emmys, Golden Globes and Tonys. We are building from a position of immense strength, and this new leadership structure is designed to carry that momentum forward and position us for even greater success.

Please join me in congratulating our new leadership for Filmed Entertainment. We have so much to be proud of and I can’t wait to see this team take us to new heights in the coming year.