Melissa McCarthy Staying At CAA

UPDATED: Almost two months after the bombshell move of CAA’s top comedy talent agents to UTA, including Jason Heyman and Martin Lesak, I’ve learned that the last remaining A-list client in play, Melissa McCarthy, has made her choice, and she is staying with CAA. McCarthy had been with Heyman and Lesak for the past 5 years as she saw her career explode. She joined CAA shortly after landing the female lead in Mike & Molly, which would earn her an Emmy Award, and her breakout feature role in Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids, which would garner her an Oscar nomination. McCarthy’s latest starring vehicle, Feig’s Spy, opens June 5 stateside following an overseas rollout, and she is also attached to Feig’s Ghostbusters reboot. At CAA, McCarthy was subsequently joined by her husband, actor-writer-director Ben Falcone, who also was repped by Heyman and Lesak. I hear the duo will be handled by two of CAA’s top partners.

Aside from McCarthy, all other top clients of Heyman and Lesak followed them to UTA, including Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms as well as Anna Faris, George Lopez, Thomas Lennon & Ben Garant and Jemaine Clement.

When the dust settled, some 12 CAA comedy and touring agents had moved from CAA to UTA, led by Heyman, Lesak, Gregory McKnight, Greg Cavic and Nic Nuciforo, now partners at UTA.

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