Lunch at Michael’s with ICM Partners’ Co-Managing Director Ted Chervin

The future of television was very much on everyoneamp8217s mind during our conversationamp160 Upfront Week was two weeks awayamp160 The simmering tensions between the Writers Guild of America and the Association of Talent Agents was on the verge of eclipsing the battle between the living and the dead in Game of Thronesamp160 The industry was still reeling from the many changes at most broadcast networks this year and wondering exactly what their messaging to Madison Avenue would be in the weeks aheadamp160 But Chervin pictured top right cohead of one of the Big Four agencies in the business seemed unfazed by it allamp8220People should stop looking at the landscape in terms of winners and losers and look at it as a landscape with a range of different options and models all of which can coexistamp8221 he saidamp160 amp8220Over time there may be winners and losersamp160 People want to declare winners and losersamp160 Itamp8217s comfortable for themamp160 But I donamp8217t think thatamp8217s really how itamp8217s workingamp8221amp160 The strengths of broadcast today he said are amp8220live sports event programming big tent reality programming like The Voice The Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars and a handful of scripted showsamp8220Just because the blend of programming has changed doesnamp8217t mean broadcast is going awayamp8221 he continuedamp160 amp8220Itamp8217s notamp8221amp160 Thereamp8217s premium cable adsupported cable and streaming he noted amp8220but one doesnamp8217t preclude the other and they donamp8217t have to cannibalize each otheramp8221Chervin is clearly as enthusiastic about working in the entertainment industry as he was about his previous career in lawamp160 He takes the challenges seriously and relishes the rewardsamp160 But his passion these days is his familyamp160 He married former professional golfer Anna Rawson six years agoamp160 Today they are the proud parents of an 18monthold daughter and are expecting another daughter in the Fallamp8220I lived a colorful fun life as a bachelor But now that I met my wife got married and we have a kid with another on the way Iamp8217m so grateful that I didnamp8217t miss out on thisamp8221 Chervin reflectedChervin whose parents were divorced when he was two explained that his childhood and teenage years were not exactly easy but he did acknowledge that they may have toughened him up for the two highly competitive careers that would define his professional life amp8211 federal prosecutor and agentHe grew up in New Rochelle New Yorkamp160 He met his best friend in first grade and they have remained best friends ever sinceamp160 amp8220We were two of the only Jewish kids in the entire schoolamp8221 he recalledamp160 It was difficult but he spoke of those times with great fondness producing a picture of his fifthgrade class from his wallet and naming almost all of the children in itamp8220I was a tough kidamp8221 he later addedamp160 amp8220I got in a lot of fights I won some I lost someamp8221His other sport was ice hockey which would ultimately change his life in a big wayamp160 amp8220New Rochelle had a pretty good ice hockey team so I had some structure around thatamp8221 Chervin saidamp160 amp8220But I always felt out of placeamp160amp8220I felt like I couldnamp8217t really be who I really was growing upamp8221 he continuedamp160 amp8220I couldnamp8217t admit my love of reading my love of learning because that wasnamp8217t coolamp160 In my neighborhood it was all about not being seen as softamp8221Nevertheless he was determined to pursue higher educationamp160 amp8220My mother and stepfather were both welleducated and their values informed and influenced me I applied early decision to Dukeamp160 I got rejected fastamp160 There was nothing special about meamp8220My stepfather went to Amherst Collegeamp8221 he saidamp160 amp8220He told me I should apply that they like legaciesamp160 He went there I should tryamp8220Hereamp8217s where the ice hockey comes inamp160 The assistant director of admissions was the hockey coachamp160amp160He says amp8216You should come here Youamp8217re a perfect student for usamp8221 Chervin recalledamp160 amp8220At the interview I got into Amherst Collegeamp160 I wound up getting amazing grades I knew I needed to make the most of the opportunity so I thought screw hockey Iamp8217m going to work as hard as I possibly can and study as much as possible I wound up getting amazing grades graduating in the top seven in my class and Phi Beta Kappaamp8220I wanted to be a lawyeramp8221 he continuedamp160 amp8220The big win for me was go to Amherst and then go to law schoolamp160 I got into Harvard Yale Stanford and Columbiaamp160 I went to Harvard Law School from 198688amp160amp160 At Harvard I had prestigious summer jobs at white shoe law firms in New York and Washingtonamp160 But I did not like the work they were doing at law firmsamp160 I did an internship at the Cambridge DAamp8217s office They were doing the fun stuff that lawyers doamp160 They got to put bad guys in jailamp160 I got interested in law enforcement and trial lawamp160 There was a guy named Nick Littlefield Sen Ted Kennedyamp8217s counsel on the Hill who taught a trial advocacy workshopamp160 There was a crossexamination exercise I did really well at He recommended that I pursue the path of becoming an Assistant US Attorneyamp160 Clerk for a federal judge and then do a couple years of litigation at a firm and then applyamp8220Soontobe Director of the FBI Louis Freeh hired me at age 24 and I became a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York in Manhattanamp160 I was in a unit titled Special Narcotics later renamed Dangerous Drugs and Violent Crimesamp160 We specialized in nontraditional mob cases and cartel casesamp8221Then came what Chervin refers to as his amp8220life pivotamp8221 when despite his success he knew that he had to make a changeamp160 amp8220You would think that I was a great lawyer but I wasnamp8217tamp8221 he explainedamp160 amp8220I loved interrogating witnessesamp160 I loved hanging out with the FBI and the DEAamp160 I loved looking at surveillance reportsamp160 But I didnamp8217t like writing briefs or legal memoranda or lettersamp160 I didnamp8217t like doing legal research or looking at casesamp160 These were boring to meamp160 I noticed there were people I was working with who were passionate about all that and good at itamp160 I thought amp8216Wow Iamp8217m not really that good at thisamp160 Iamp8217m good at talkingamp160 Iamp8217m good at strategizingamp160 Iamp8217m a competitive guy a bright enough guy but Iamp8217m not what these guys are living and breathing lawamp160 It really humbled meamp160 It also made me think of doing something else that was better suited to my strengths that I was more interested inamp8221Chervin called a friend from college who was living in Los Angeles and working as a writeramp160 He invited Chervin to come stay with him for a week and offered to introduce him to his manager his agent his lawyer and a couple of producers that he knew among othersamp160 amp8220His agent was a guy named Elliot Webb of Broder Kurland Webbamp8221 Chervin recalledamp160 amp8220He was a major TV packaging agentamp160 I asked Elliot what an agent doesamp160 When he told me I thought it sounded amazingamp160 All the fun stuff of being a lawyer without all the technical boring stuff and with some other creative stuff mixed inamp8220I said to him amp8216I think Iamp8217d be good at thatamp8217amp160 He said amp8216Weamp8217ll hire you but weamp8217re not going to pay you what you made as some hot shot federal prosecutor39amp160 I said amp8216Iamp8217m a government lawyeramp160 It may sound sexy but I donamp8217t make any moneyamp160 Iamp8217m making 35000 a yearamp8217amp160 He said amp8216Well weamp8217ll pay you 2750039amp160 I said amp8216Okayamp160 Done39quotChervin worked at amp8220a cubicle in the backamp8221 next to the man who would become his friend and future business partner Chris Silbermannamp160 They brought in so many clients it wasnamp8217t long before the company name was changed to Broder Kurland Webb Chervin and Silbermannamp160 They sold it to a private equity firm which merged it into ICMamp160 Chervin became the Head of Worldwide Television while Silbermann became Presidentamp160 After five productive but challenging years when their noncompetes were up Chervin and Silbermann told the heads of ICM that they could sell it to them or they would start a company of their own and compete with themamp160 They got what they wantedamp8220Chris and I and several other colleagues were founding partners of the new ICMamp8221 Chervin recalledamp160 amp8220We renamed it ICM Partnersamp8221amp160 Today Chervin is CoManaging Director and the agency has 19 departments about 200 agents and 750 employees in four cities New York Los Angeles London and Washington DCamp8221Asked if there are any projects he was involved with in which he takes particular pride Chervin didnamp8217t miss a beatamp160 amp8220Spin City and Scrubsamp8221 he saidamp160 Both series were created and executive produced by Bill Lawrence who went on to create Cougar Town and Whiskey Cavalier among othersamp160 amp8220Bill was my first clientamp160 Iamp8217m his only agent everamp160 We are such close personal friends it extends way beyond agent and clientamp160 Iamp8217m close with him and his wife all his kidsamp160 Heamp8217s very central to my life and career personally and professionallyamp8220Long ago he said one of the nicest thingsamp8221 Chervin continuedamp160 amp8220He said amp8216Ted I donamp8217t know what life has in store for us but I always want you to be a part of my lifeamp160 I would love for you to be his youngest son Henryamp8217s godfather because then regardless of what happens in your career or my career weamp8217ll always be connected39amp8220That was a sweet amazing thing for somebody to sayamp8221 he concludedamp160 amp8220Everyone in Hollywood likes to tell you who their friends are and itamp8217s all bullshit most of the timeamp160 But occasionally you make a real friendamp8221Click the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writersamp160

APPLY FOR JOBS | SUBMIT YOUR RESUME | REGISTER FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT

Lunch at Michael’s with ICM Partners’ Co-Managing Director Ted Chervin

Author

Publish date

Channel

Ed Martin

APPLY FOR JOBS | SUBMIT YOUR RESUME | REGISTER FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT

Lunch at Michael’s with ICM Partners’ Co-Managing Director Ted Chervin

Enjoying This Commentary? There's More to Love

Ed Martin

Cookies