Sometimes You Reconnect.and Sometimes You Miss the Chance..

                                                       Courtesy of UTA

This past week I worked on the set of HBO's  THE LEFTOVERS and reconnected with director/executive producer Mimi Leder.  The moment I heard Mimi's voice I was taken back to the days when I would speak to her on the phone as an agent trainee on Barbara Dreyfus's desk at International Creative Management.  I doubt Mimi remembered my voice like I remembered hers, but we had a pleasant exchange, and then she told me something I didn't expect to hear.

"Barbara's gone," she said.     "I know.  She's no longer an agent.  She's now working for Will Packer's Production Company," I replied.   "No, she's GONE.  She died about three months ago."  Mimi stated.  "They did not reveal the cause of death."  And with that exchange, we parted ways to start the long day of filming.


The news of Barbara's death stunned me and left me with a heavy heart.  Barbara was only 55 and left two teenagers behind.   Barbara was full of life and verve.   I was placed on Barbara's desk in the lit department after my agent in the talent department left for another agency.  The agency said they were impressed by the way I handled my other agent and needed help on Barbara and Jeanne William's desk.    I told them I would help them out but was looking for another job...I can't say I loved that my agent required me to stay in the office until 10 or 11 at night to surreptitiously return calls  aka "roll calls" post agent dinner meetings.  The agency understood I was looking for an exit, but days turned into months, and then, almost two years.  Barbara and I were night and day.   Barbara was a hard assed Jewish girl from New York and I was a soft southern girl from Oklahoma/Texas, but for some reason, we got each other and worked well together.  In the beginning, there was one time she threw me under the bus to save her hide.  However through an unspoken glance, she knew that I was aware of what she did, and it never happened again.  Overall she was fair, and we were typically done by 7:30/8:30pm at night.  If there was a premiere and I wanted to go to, she made sure I was done in time to attend.  I knew she would help me if I ever decided that I wanted to take that next step to becoming an agent myself.   Barbara was a chameleon - which is what made her a great agent.  She could party and play hardball with the boys, be sugary sweet with those who needed gentle guidance, and be jokingly suggestive with one writer known to write sexy screen plays.  I listened to every phone call and heard everything.   It was a pleasure working for Barbara.   I am sad she was "busy" the last time I was in L.A.   I wonder if she would have found the time if she would have known her life on this planet was going to be cut short -if  only I could have reconnected with her one more time before she died.   May your spirited energy live on through your children Barbara. It would bring me great joy if one day I met Molly and Griffin.  Rest in peace.

http://deadline.com/2015/05/barbara-dreyfus-dead-head-of-will-packers-production-company-1201427848/