Rick Nicita

Before turning exclusively to production and consultation in 2017,{{cite magazine|date=13 January 2017|title=Rick Nicita Retires Management Shingle To Focus On Producing|url=https://deadline.com/2017/01/rick-nicita-closes-management-business-mel-gibson-kurt-russell-sally-field-kate-hudson-still-producer-1201885988/|magazine=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=15 December 2019}} Rick Nicita spent five decades as a professional talent agent and manager starting May 1968 with the William Morris Agency (WMA), New York City, and later transferring to WMA's Beverly Hills offices in 1976. At WMA, Nicita started in the mailroom and earned his full agenting position over time, a traditional rite of initiation.{{cite news|date=3 November 2011|title=The Secrets of Hollywood Agency Mailrooms|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywood-mailroom-secrets-caa-icm-uta-wme-257222|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=15 December 2019|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607003400/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywood-mailroom-secrets-caa-icm-uta-wme-257222|archive-date=7 June 2019}}

In a 2003 interview, Rick Nicita detailed his early days with William Morris: "I had dropped out of Fordham Law School when I realized that very little of the study and practice of law interested me. I spent many weeks trying to figure out what I wanted to do--- not what I should do, or what was easiest, or what society wanted me to do, but what I wanted to do. I always loved movies so I decided that I would be in the movie business. I called a fraternity brother who was temporarily working at William Morris and asked him to help me get a job there. I didn't even know what an agent did. I loved it the minute I started."{{cite news|date=4 March 2003|title=Q&A: One of Hollywood's Top Agents|url=https://magazine.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2003/03/04/q-a-one-of-hollywoods-top-agents/|publisher=Wesleyan University Magazine|access-date=15 December 2019}}

Rick Nicita left the William Morris Agency in 1980 to join then four year-old Creative Artists Agency, this after being hand-selected by CAA's leadership of the time, which included founders Michael Ovitz and Ronald Meyer.{{sfn|Ovitz|2018|p=107}} Nicita was later named co-chairman of CAA and then managing partner, all of this within the historical era in which CAA was considered the world's dominant talent agency.{{cite magazine|date=4 October 2007|title=A Hollywood Agency With Star Power|url=https://money.cnn.com/2007/09/28/magazines/fortune/hollywood_agent.fortune/index.htm|magazine=Fortune|access-date=15 December 2019}}{{cite news|last=Stewart|first=James B.|date=6 August 2016|title=Power, Ambition and Betrayal In Hollywood: James B. Stewart On "Powerhouse"|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/21/books/review/powerhouse-creative-artists-agency-james-andrew-miller.html|url-access=subscription|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=15 December 2019}}

During his time with CAA, Rick Nicita maintained a client list that included Francis Ford Coppola,{{cite magazine|date=9 December 1997|title=Coppola Bids Bye-Bye to CAA|url=https://variety.com/1997/scene/people-news/coppola-bids-bye-bye-to-caa-1116679703/|magazine=Variety|access-date=15 December 2019}} Al Pacino,{{cite news|date=9 April 2012|title=Al Pacino, Garry Marshall Sign with Newly Minted Manager Rick Nicita (Exclusive)|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/al-pacino-garry-marshall-sign-newly-minted-manager-202118261.html|website=Yahoo! News|via=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=15 December 2019}}{{cite news|date=29 March 1993|title=Academy Awards Acceptance Speech Database: Al Pacino, 1992|url=http://aaspeechesdb.oscars.org/link/065-1/|publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|access-date=15 December 2019}} Rob Reiner,{{cite news|date=30 July 2008|title=Power Agent Changes Hats|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-jul-30-fi-nicita30-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=15 December 2019}} Bette Midler,{{sfn|Ovitz|2018|p=205}} Mick Jagger,{{cite magazine|date=24 November 1983|title=Mick Jagger: He's Hot, He's Sexy and He's Alive|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mick-jagger-hes-hot-hes-sexy-and-hes-alive-2-91569/|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=15 December 2019}} David Lynch,{{cite book|last1=Lynch|first1=David|last2=McKenna|first2=Kristine|year=2018|title=Room to Dream|url={{GBUrl|WJAlDwAAQBAJ}}|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-0-399-58920-1}} Christopher Walken,{{cite book|last=Rose|first=Frank|year=1995|title=The Agency: William Morris and the Hidden History of Show Business|url={{GBUrl|sKwDcGnGKj8C}}|publisher=Harper Business|isbn=978-0-887-30807-9}} Debra Winger,{{cite news|date=5 November 2010|title=Debra Winger Drops Back In|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/magazine/07Winger-t.html|url-access=subscription|publisher=The New York Times Magazine|access-date=15 December 2019}} Tom Cruise,{{cite news|date=7 December 2006|title=Name Dropping|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2006-12-07-0612070045-story.html|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|access-date=15 December 2019}} Anthony Hopkins,{{cite magazine|date=27 November 2008|title=CAA Loses Two Oscar Winners: Anthony Hopkins To Endeavor; Best Foreign Language Film Writer/Director To UTA|url=https://deadline.com/2008/11/caa-loses-two-oscar-winners-anthony-hopkins-to-endeavor-best-foreign-language-film-writerdirector-to-uta-7597/|magazine=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=15 December 2019}}Nicole Kidman,{{cite book|last=Thomson|first=David|year=2008|title=Nicole Kidman|url={{GBUrl|ARZSoLqiWkYC}}|publisher=Vintage Books|isbn=978-0-307-48879-4}} Kurt Russell,{{cite magazine|date=5 March 1993|title=The $7 Million Man: Kurt Russell Earns Megabucks For His Starring Role In Stargate|url=https://ew.com/article/1993/03/05/7-million-man/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=15 December 2019}} and Sally Field.{{cite magazine|date=30 May 2017|title=A Hollywood Power Couple's Tailored New York Apartment|url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/hollywood-power-couple-tailored-new-york-apartment|magazine=Architectural Digest|access-date=15 December 2019}}

Rick Nicita left Creative Artists Agency in 2008 to become Morgan Creek's Co-chairman and COO.{{cite magazine|date=29 July 2008|title=Nicita Departs CAA for Morgan Creek|url=https://variety.com/2008/scene/markets-festivals/nicita-departs-caa-for-morgan-creek-1117989714/|magazine=Variety|access-date=15 December 2019}} Nicita departed Morgan Creek in 2011,{{cite magazine|date=5 January 2012|title=Rick Nicita Speaks About Morgan Creek Exit|url=https://deadline.com/2012/01/rick-nicita-speaks-on-his-exit-from-morgan-creek-210542/|magazine=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=15 December 2019}}{{cite news|date=5 January 2012|title=Rick Nicita Exiting Morgan Creek (Exclusive)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/rick-nicita-morgan-creek-278797|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=15 December 2019}} later returning to talent representation{{cite news|date=18 December 2015|title=Sylvester Stallone Signs With Manager Rick Nicita|url=https://sg.style.yahoo.com/sylvester-stallone-signs-manager-rick-204118552.html|publisher=Yahoo! Lifestyle|access-date=15 December 2019}} via his self-created RPMedia shingle. (RP is an acronym for "Rick and Paula").{{cite news|date=1 November 2012|title=Hollywood Player Joins the Club on Broadway|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/theater/paula-wagner-turns-to-producing-on-broadway.html|url-access=subscription|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=15 December 2019}}

Rick Nicita is the son of Frances (née Scapolito) and Charles Nicita.{{cite news|date=6 May 2009|title=Frances M. "Fran" Nicita, 88, died May 3|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2009/05/06/frances-m-nicita-88/|newspaper=Portland Press Herald}} Nicita was born in Mount Vernon, New York. He and his family moved to Larchmont, New York in 1952, where he graduated from Mamaroneck High School, class of '63. Nicita later attended Wesleyan University, graduating class of '67.

In 1969, Rick Nicita married casting director/producer Wallis Nicita (née Lindburg).{{cite book|last=Nashawaty|first=Chris|year=2018|title=Caddyshack: The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story|url={{GBurl|fBQ4DwAAQBAJ|pg=PA117}}|page=117|publisher=Flatiron Books|isbn=978-1-250-10597-4}}{{cite news|date=2 June 2014|title=Documentary Shines Light On Wallis Nicita '67 and Other Great Casting Directors|url=https://www.conncoll.edu/news/news-archive/2014/documentary-shines-light-on-wallis-nicita-67-and-other-great-casting-directors.html|publisher=Connecticut College|access-date=15 December 2019}}{{cite news|date=April 4, 1999|title=Virginia H. 'Jean' Lindburg|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1999/04/14/obituaries/20fea4d3-2ec6-4b31-b854-1f19c6212c80/|newspaper=The Washington Post|quote=Survivors include two children, John Lindburg of Washington and Wallis Nicita of Los Angeles; two brothers; and two sisters.}} They divorced in 1983.{{cite web|date=14 Nov 1983|title=California Divorce Index, 1966-1984|url=https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPPL-8P6|url-access=registration|website=FamilySearch|access-date=15 May 2014}}{{cite web|year=2007|title=Charles R Nicita and Wallis J|url=http://www.ancestry.com|url-access=registration|website=Ancestry.com}} They have a son, Jesse, born 1979.

In 1984, Nicita married fellow CAA talent agent, Paula Wagner. Wagner later moved into producing when she and former client, Tom Cruise, formed Cruise/Wagner Productions.{{cite news|date=8 December 2006|title=Fine Print: Tom Party|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/fine-print-08-12-2006/cid/1595586|publisher=The Telegraph (India)|access-date=15 December 2019}}{{cite news|date=29 April 2006|title=The Trouble With Tom|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/the-trouble-with-tom-20060429-gdnfxa.html|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=15 December 2019}} For many years, Rick Nicita and Paula Wagner were cited in the international media as "Hollywood's Power Couple".{{cite news|date=29 April 2006|title=Tony-Winner Marissa Jaret Winokur To Perform At Garry Marshall Theatre 2nd Annual Founder's Gala|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Tony-Winner-Marissa-Jaret-Winokur-To-Perform-At-Garry-Marshall-Theatre-2nd-Annual-Founders-Gala-20181106|publisher=BroadwayWorld (Los Angeles)|access-date=15 December 2019}}{{cite news|date=9 April 2012|title=Are Power Couple Rick Nicita, Paula Wagner Going Into Business Together?|url=https://www.thewrap.com/are-power-couple-rick-nicita-paula-wagner-going-business-together-36900/|publisher=TheWrap|access-date=15 December 2019}} Nicita and Wagner remain married. They have a son, Zachary, born 1987.

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |last=Ovitz |first=Michael |year=2018 |title=Who Is Michael Ovitz?: A Memoir |url={{GBUrl|11hwDwAAQBAJ}} |publisher=Portfolio/Penguin |isbn=978-1-591-84554-6}}

• {{IMDb name|id=1131362|name=Rick Nicita}}

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Category:1945 births

Category:American film producers

Category:American talent agents

Category:Living people

Category:American mass media company founders