William Morris legend Sam Haskell on WMA-Endeavor merger

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In his heyday as head of worldwide television at the William Morris Agency, Sam Haskell had a powerhouse client roster including George Clooney and Whoopi Goldberg.

But Haskell hardly fits the agent stereotype perfected by Jeremy Piven’s Ari Gold on HBO’s ‘Entourage.’ Former client Ray Romano described Haskell as ‘Gomer Pyle in a suit.’

In keeping with his old-fashioned courtliness, Haskell has penned ‘Promises I Made My Mother,’ which is about his life growing up in a small southern town and later as a Hollywood power broker. The dirt dished here is definitely not Mississippi mud. With 12 pages of acknowledgments, he might have saved a few trees if he had just named those who hadn’t helped him in his career. Still Haskell, who left William Morris in 2004 after it became clear that he would not be the top dog, doesn’t have too many kind words about the talent agency under his former boss, Jim Wiatt, who came from rival ICM.

Haskell writes: ‘Just as I had watched the cancer that had moved through my mother’s body destroy her strength, her confidence, and her resolve, I now witnessed the slow but deliberate destruction of a world that meant so much not only to me, but to hundreds of my associates.’

We caught up with Haskell to talk with him about the William Morris merger with Endeavor, the way the agency business has become more cutthroat -- if that’s possible -- and his political ambitions (he’s a big donor to Republicans).

Were you surprised by the merger?

I’m not surprised. With this economic crisis, consolidation is something a lot of people are looking at. Even long before this crisis began, when I was at William Morris, Jim [Wiatt] was always looking for companies to buy or merge with.

How do you think it will play out internally?

It is a very difficult thing to combine completely different societies. There could be a breakdown over who will be in charge. There is always a fallout from mergers and they can end up making good business together if they can get through this initial phase of losing people.

Do you think there will be further consolidation?

There could be, but it has to be done smartly. It will be real interesting to see ICM and UTA battle.

Who are you watching closely?

One of the smartest men in the business is [Paradigm Chairman] Sam Gores. They have become a force because Sam was smart enough to start buying up companies and finding willing partners.

How has the business changed since you left?

One of the things missing today is this feeling of we’re all in this together. There is a stronger dog-eat-dog attitude. I don’t know if it is the effect of the strike. I do believe sometimes there is a little less heart and soul. My detractors say, ‘Sam is too nice, too worried about making everybody happy that he didn’t make the best deal for my client.’ But I hope there are still guys like me who don’t think, ‘Let me screw them to the wall.’

Would you become an agent today?

(long pause) It is hard for me to say no because being an agent at William Morris helped build the platform on which the rest of my life is based. I’d probably do it again. Sure there were disappointments, but I don’t have any anger at William Morris.

Your book is being released the same day that William Morris and Endeavor start their new marriage.

I’d love to be the genius of the world, but it is just an absolute coincidence.

You’re going into politics?

I am certainly going to consider it and it’s the reason I’m moving back to Mississippi to reestablish my identity. I think a political run is four to five years off. I don’t want to be labeled a carpetbagger.

So which is more cutthroat, Hollywood or DC?

They are very similar, which is why I’ll be good at that too.

-- Joe Flint