THE DEALMAKER: While Mosaic is defined by Jimmy Miller’s superstar comedy clients, the management company is run by Julie Darmody, who began as a Miller assistant 15 years ago. She oversees seven managers and the cross-pollination between their clients that has led to films such as “Elf” and “Land of the Lost.”
Darmody’s management clients range from Will Ferrell (with Miller) to Sarah Silverman, Isla Fisher, Will Forte, Jon Heder, Matthew Lillard, Masi Oka (“Heroes”), “Land of the Lost” writers Chris Henchy and Dennis McNicholas, classic kidshow creators Sid and Marty Krofft, and the Lonely Island trio of Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, who’ve done “Saturday Night Live” digital comedy shorts.
“Julie’s an old-school manager who has been about what fits long-term rather than what makes quick money,” Henchy says. “I remember being put into a roundtable punch-up for ‘Scooby-Doo,’ and her introducing me to Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. (We) later came up with the idea for FunnyOrDie. I feel my career was made by that one weekend gig.”
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KEY DEALS: Reviving the kidvid Krofft creations by guiding movie transformations “Land of the Lost” and “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters” at Universal and “H.R. Pufnstuf” at Sony; helping Silverman continue a surge that began with the creation of her Comedy Central show; placing “Entourage” scribe Henchy to run Gary Sanchez for Ferrell and McKay.
DEALMAKER DOS: “In a mantra instilled in me by Jimmy Miller, the client comes before everything else.”
DEALMAKER DON’TS: “Don’t lose sight of where the ultimate power lies from deal to deal, whether it’s yours or theirs, and manage your clients’ expectations accordingly.”
TOP DEALMAKERS ENCOUNTERED: “Nobody has taught me more than Jimmy Miller.”
