Ari Emanuel Publishes 400-Plus-Page Memoir at 65, Detailing Rise From Mailroom to WME
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Sep 20
Ari Emanuel Publishes 400-Plus-Page Memoir at 65, Detailing Rise From Mailroom to WME
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Sep 20
Summary
Sept. 22 marks the release of Ari Emanuel’s memoir “Roll the Calls,” with the 65-year-old WME Group chief using it to recount his path from Hollywood mailroom runner to superagent and TKO chairman.
The book centers on the traits that shaped that rise—competitiveness, confrontation and what one client dubbed his “ragent” persona—rooted in a high-pressure family, dyslexia and being bullied as a child.
Emanuel describes carrying that combative style into his career, including a clash with former CAA boss Mike Ovitz when he left the agency roughly 35 years ago despite warnings he would never work in town again.
Beyond the memoir’s war stories, Emanuel says he remains optimistic about entertainment’s future, arguing AI will change production but not end demand for movies and television.
Behind the explosive celebrity feuds and massive sports mergers, is Ari Emanuel's combative new memoir a genuine confession or a calculated distraction?
How does a dyslexic kid from Chicago build a ruthless multibillion-dollar entertainment empire while secretly feeling like he can never enjoy success?
What hidden motives drove Hollywood's most aggressive power broker to suddenly gamble six billion dollars on the future of live theater?