Jerry Katzman, the television-packaging pioneer who served as president of William Morris in the 1990s, died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles from Parkinson’s disease, a family spokesperson announced. He was 89.
Katzman joined William Morris in 1972 and rose from business affairs to become head of worldwide television, where he assembled creative talent and key elements of TV series including The Cosby Show, Roseanne, Murphy Brown, Murder, She Wrote and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
His clients included Burt Reynolds, Angela Lansbury and Shelley Long.
Katzman was named WMA president in 1991 and then vice chairman in 1997 before he left the agency in 2002. He then joined the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television as a member of the faculty in its Producers Program and served as a consultant for such companies as Anonymous Content.
He also was president of the Hollywood Radio & Television Society.
Born in Los Angeles on April 21, 1937, Jerome Katzman was the son of Sam Katzman, a producer with credits including the Elvis Presley films Kissin’ Cousins (1964) and Harum Scarum (1965) and the Roy Orbison-starring The Fastest Guitar Alive (1967).
Katzman graduated from Hawthorne Elementary, Beverly Hills High School, UC Berkeley and UCLA Law School, then briefly practiced law and worked alongside his dad in the movies before embarking on his agency career.
“Known throughout Hollywood as a trusted advisor and mentor, Katzman maintained friendships spanning decades from elementary school and college through his professional and retirement years,” his family noted. “He was a fearless leader, firm and decisive in his actions, who faced challenging decisions with great thoughtfulness.”
Survivors include his wife off 66 years, Carol (they first met at UC Berkeley); his children Jeff, Jon and Kari; grandchildren Jackie, William, Neil, Josh, Jenna, Roland and Audrey; and great-granddaughter Naomi Juliette.
Donations in his memory can be made to the UCLA Parkinson’s Center (attention Dr. Jeff Bronstein/Jessica Vrazilek), Jewish Federation Los Angeles and/or the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors.
