BEVERLY HILLS—Martin Baum, the Hollywood A-list agent at the Creative Artists Agency, passed away at his home in Beverly Hills on Friday, November 5. He was 86. The cause of death has not been disclosed to the public.
Known for his keen storytelling and skillful negotiation abilities, Baum’s who’s who list of top clients included Rock Hudson, Richard Harris, Peter Sellers and Bette Davis. Baum was instrumental in helping make CAA one of the most powerful representation firms in Hollywood.
Baum was a part of the company almost from its inception in 1975, being recruited to head the then-brand new motion picture department by CAA founders Michael Ovitz, Ron Meyer, Mike Rosenfeld, Rowland Perkins and Bill Haber in late 1976. Baum became a mentor to many of his fellow agents at CAA, and maintained contact with the company until his death. “The loss of Marty Baum deeply saddens all of us at CAA. We send our most heartfelt condolences to his loving family. To those of use in his CAA family, Marty was a hero. He was not only a brilliant agent, but a generous mentor to so many. We are grateful to have known Marty as a dear friend and colleague and will always be indebted to him for his inspiration and wisdom,” stated the CAA in a prepared statement.
Prior to his time at CAA, Baum served as president of ABC’s Motion Pictures department from 1968 to 1971. In his time with ABC, he served as the executive producer of the 1972 film “Cabaret.” He also served as producer of the films “The Killer Elite” (1975), “The Wilby Conspiracy” (1975) and “Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia” (1974). Baum also appeared in a variety of short films and documentaries, usually appearing as himself.
Today, CAA has clients from a number of different entertainment realms, including professional sports athletes. The company maintains offices in Century City, New York, Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis, Calgary, Stockholm, London and Beijing.
