Richard Weitz

Weitz was born in April 1969^[1] to Stanley and Joyce Weitz.^[2] His brother, Andrew Weitz, is a style consultant.^[1]

He attended Cheltenham High School in Pennsylvania,^[1] and later received a B.A. in communications from Columbian College of Arts and Sciences at George Washington University, in 1991,^[3] where he delivered the class commencement speech.^[4]

He worked in the mailroom of InterTalent Agency in 1991, later joining International Creative Management (ICM), where he became an agent, working with Ari Emanuel and Rick Rosen, who later cofounded Endeavor Talent Agency. Weitz joined Endeavor in 1997, becoming a partner in April 2002, while heading the agency's TV packaging department.^[5]

He continued as a partner following the company's 2009 merger and transition to William Morris Endeavor, while co-leading the agency's scripted television department, with clients such as Tina Fey, Seth MacFarlane, Ricky Gervais, Jake Kasdan and Shawn Levy .^[5][6] Personal interests also led Weitz to add representation of celebrities crossing over from music or sports into entertainment and media.^[6]

In 2014, he received the Bernie Brillstein Legacy award, presented by Rob Lowe, a longtime client.^[7][8] The Hollywood Reporter named him among the "Most Powerful People in Comedy" in 2018^[9] and 2019.^[10]

In 2022, he and fellow WME veteran Christian Muirhead became co-chairmen,^[6][11] and Weitz continued to personally represent a roster of talent,^[6][5] while the duo navigate changes to the industry, including in streaming services and AI.^[12][13]

In early 2025, Endeavor investor Silver Lake successfully took the publicly-traded company private again, with assets to operate under WME Group. Weitz and Muirhead were named co-chairmen of the WME Group of entertainment companies, working with president and managing partner Mark Shapiro to lead the newly formed parent company, with cofounder Emanuel serving as executive chairman.^[14][15]

Weitz is a board member of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center,^[16] and Saban Community Clinic,^[17] and a trustee of McCallum Theatre.^[18]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Weitz and his daughter, Demi,^[19] began a private, online Zoom gathering, with Demi soon adding a GoFundMe campaign for the Saban Community Clinic.^[20] Fundraising concerts quickly evolved into "Quarantunes", a series of online celebrity concerts hosted by the pair, which raised over $37 million for various charitable causes over nearly two years.^[21] By May 2020, over 100 performers had agreed to join the series, and The Hollywood Bowl, which had been closed for the pandemic, opened for a special concert broadcast live.^[22] The familial partnership had Weitz engaged with his A-list talent contacts and "encyclopedic knowledge" of music, while Demi managed nonprofit Q&As, and made "passionate pleas to keep the donations rolling."^[20][23]

Bob Iger presented the father-daughter duo with the Walt Disney Philanthropists of the Year Award at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles "The Big Night In" virtual gala, in September 2020.^[17] Other recognition includes being named among "36 Breakout Stars of 2020" by The Hollywood Reporter;^[24] presented with a Make-A-Wish Award by Mark Hamill, in December 2021;^[25] and receiving the Dorothy Parker Ally Award during the 2022 NAACP Image Awards, in February 2023.^[21]

Married to Candie, Weitz has two children, Demi and Aiden,^[2] and resides in Los Angeles.^[26]

During the 2019 Writers Guild strike, while members were leaving agencies that refused to sign a new agreement, The Hollywood Reporter published a humorous essay by writer Joel Stein about firing his long-time agent, Weitz,^[27] which was followed, in 2021, by a second Stein missive about rehiring Weitz.^[28]