Lee Gabler Dies: Former CAA Co-Chair & Legendary Talent Agent Was 84

Greg Evans

6 June 2024 at 12:30 pm·6-min read

Lee Gabler Dies: Former CAA Co-Chair & Legendary Talent Agent Was 84

Lee Gabler, the talent agent and former co-chairman and managing partner at Creative Artists Agency who orchestrated pioneering television deals, died June 3 in Los Angeles of a brain injury. He was 84 years old.

His death was announced by a Sony Pictures rep. See some reactions from clients and friends below.

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Gabler’s began his career in the early 1960s in the mailroom at Ashley Steiner Famous Artists in New York, and soon after was promoted to talent agent under the mentorship of agency founder Ted Ashley. One of Gabler’s first assignments in the Variety Show department was covering The Ed Sullivan Show.

The agency eventually evolved into ICM (International Creative Management) and by 1970 Gabler had risen through the ranks to executive vice president. He transferred to the Los Angeles office and became head of the worldwide Television Department, representing clients such as Weinberger-Daniels-Brooks, MTM, and Bruce Paltrow. He helped to establish co-financing with MTM for his client Jim Brooks, which enabled the Oscar winning film Terms of Endearment to be greenlit.

In 1982, CAA enlisted Gabler to strengthen the agency’s television arm and by 1989 he was head of the division, transforming it into the most powerful television agency department in Hollywood. In 1996 he was appointed co-chairman and managing partner of CAA. He closed out his 25+ year tenure there in 2007 to join David Letterman’s production company, Worldwide Pants, Inc. as a consultant.

Over the course of his career, Gabler negotiated some of the television industry’s most high-profile and historic deals, including orchestrating David Letterman’s surprise move from NBC to CBS to the Ed Sullivan Theater for Late Show with David Letterman. The move changed the late-night landscape forever and kickstarted late-night programming at CBS. Gabler not only doubled Letterman’s salary but, in a groundbreaking move, also won his client complete ownership of the show.

Late Show with David Letterman became the most successful late-night program on CBS, won six Emmy Awards and ran for over two decades.

“A true gentleman in a world marked by shortage of same,” Letterman said in a statement Thursday. Read remembrances by some others Hollywood heavyweights below.

Gabler and the division represented Aaron Spelling, for whom he orchestrated deals for Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place; Paul Junger Witt, Susan Harris and Tony Thomas’ Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions; Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment; Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners; Jerry Bruckheimer, John Wells, and many other prolific producers. Under Gabler’s leadership, CAA reached a record number of 52 television shows on air in one year.

Additional titles that Gabler helped shepherd to success during his time with ICM and CAA include perennial classics such as Taxi, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, White Shadow, Tales from the Crypt, and Moonlighting. Gabler’s work continued to bring the most popular and critically acclaimed shows of all-time to television, including ALF, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Northern Exposure, The West Wing, House, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Band of Brothers, Mad Men, 24, Sex and the City (with ICM), and Everybody Loves Raymond. Gabler was instrumental in negotiating the deals for shows still currently airing in The Amazing Race and American Idol.

One of Gabler’s most extraordinary deals came with John Wells’ ER, which is the second longest-running primetime medical drama, and most awarded medical drama in American TV history.

Gabler’s clients considered him as a trusted advisor, and he helped to establish and support the careers of many agents.

Born May 3, 1940, in New Jersey, to parents Milt, a Grammy winning producer and composer, and Estelle Gabler. Gabler spent his childhood largely between the Bronx and Westchester County, graduating from Mamaroneck High School and from SUNY Buffalo.

Gabler founded, with his wife Elizabeth, the Gabler Promise Scholars Writing Program at the University of California at Santa Barbara to support students from historically under-resourced communities in writing, and similarly, the Gabler Writing Partners Program at NYU/Gallatin School, which offers writing support for Gallatin students.

Gabler served on the board of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, The Television Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the USO, traveling to Afghanistan and Iraq on two separate Christmas visits to boost the morale of deployed troops.

Gabler is survived by his wife of 35 years, Elizabeth, President of 3000 Pictures at Sony Pictures Entertainment. Other survivors include sister Melina Gabler, daughters Annalise Gabler and Jennifer Gabler Rawlings, and grandchildren Ryan, Cameron, Nikki and Sophie. He was preceded in death by daughter Melissa Robin Roemer.

Funeral services will be private followed by a Celebration of Life later this summer. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests supporting UCLA Neurosugery.

Here are some tributes for Gabler:

Billy Crystal
“I am beyond sad that my cousin Lee has passed away. He always lit up a room when we were kids, and that continued into his incredibly successful career in the industry. A brilliant agent and businessman for sure, but for me he was always that charismatic young man with incredible energy. I will miss him terribly.”

Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group
“Lee Gabler was a giant of our industry; a pioneer, a leader, a wise and trustworthy representative. But more than that, he was a mensch. His word was his bond and his integrity unquestioned. He was also, above all, a loving husband and father, devoted to his family and his friends. We shan’t see his like again soon.”

Peter Rice, former Disney and Fox executive
“Lee Gabler was a deeply loyal friend and an exceptional talent agent. As a trailblazer for the modern entertainment business, he understood the art of deal-making and the nuances of nurturing creative talent. His impact on the industry was immense, and his ability to combine business acumen with genuine care for his clients was unparalleled. I will miss him, his sage wisdom, and his unparalleled ability to make even the toughest negotiations feel like a friendly chat. Rest in peace, Lee, and may your legacy continue to inspire us all.”

Michael Ovitz, CAA co-founder and former Disney president
“Lee Gabler was not only one of the best agents that I ever worked with, but he was also a phenomenal person. He was one of the most inspired, creative, and respected executives at CAA, while at the same time earning the deep trust from his clients as well as the respect of the individuals he was dealing with on the other side of the fence. His easy-going style, coupled with wonderful instincts allowed him to lead the CAA Television Department to new heights on a consistent basis. All this was accomplished while leading a cooperative, tightly knit group that were always a pleasure to work with in building the business. He will be missed by all that he touched.”

David Geffen, producer and executive
“In Lee we had a brilliant mind, an innovator and a fierce advocate. He changed the landscape of television. We have lost a titan and a dear friend.”

Eric Roth, Oscar-winning producer
“He was a most elegant man. Dressed to perfection, and in a meeting silent as a landmark, until he would speak as your advocate with a force and clarity and understatement that cut through the noise. He made you feel you were the most important person in his realm. Of course his most important people were his beloved Elizabeth and their wonder child Annalise. I am sure, they will meet again. What I remember most about Lee was watching him work his magic as a carpenter, covered with sawdust and at peace. That’s all any of us can ask for. Peace.”

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