Arnold Stiefel
| Arnold Stiefel | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US |
| Residence | Beverly Hills, California |
| Occupation | Talent Manager, Film Producer, Television Producer, Entrepreneur |
Arnold Stiefel, chairman and CEO of Stiefel Entertainment, is an American talent manager, film and television producer, and entrepreneur. Over the course of his career, Stiefel has worked with Bette Midler, Prince, and Toni Braxton, amongst others. He is best known for his association with Rod Stewart, whom he has managed since 1983.
Stiefel was born in Philadelphia. There, his father, Alex Stiefel, owned the renowned Uptown Theater, the "crown jewel of the Philadelphia black entertainment scene." Stiefel developed an early interest in entertainment through exposure to classic films and to iconic rhythm and blues artists such as The Supremes, Fats Domino, Etta James, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder.
At 18, Stiefel moved from Philadelphia to New York City, where he joined Bantam Books in an entry-level position. He quickly rose up the ranks, working with Jacqueline Susann, Gore Vidal, and Tom Wolfe, and when he left Bantam, at 22, he was one of book publishing's youngest directors. After he was recruited by Paul Kohner, Stiefel moved from New York to Los Angeles, where he joined the Paul Kohner Agency as a literary agent. After a year, he left Kohner to found his own company, The Stiefel Office.
His first client was the then-unknown screenwriter Bo Goldman. Shortly after signing with Stiefel, Goldman wrote the script for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1975. Stiefel broadened his roster to include actors and musicians, signing Bette Midler, Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner, and Jeff Goldblum, among others. In 1978, he was once again integral to the production of an award-winning film as he paired his clients Goldman and Midler for The Rose, which was nominated for four Academy Awards and won three Golden Globes. Subsequently, The Steifel Office was acquired by ICM; after 19 months Stiefel and his clients famously defected to the William Morris Agency, creating front-page headlines in Hollywood trade magazines. During his two years at William Morris, Stiefel worked with Cher, Val Kilmer, Jonathan Demme, and Matthew Broderick.
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