Ken Jacobson

Ken Jacobson is one of the pioneers of Talent Management. In 1986, he was a founding member of the firm James/Levy/Jacobson, at a time when few actors had Managers and few Managers existed. 2016 marks 30 years Jacobson has been devoted to discovering, developing and guiding fresh talent from obscurity to success. Ken Jacobson's career started in 1975 as an actor. For 10 years he appeared in theater in New York, including playing the role of "David" in the Tony Award Winning Best Broadway Drama of 1983, Torch Song Trilogy. After leaving acting, Jacobson worked for a short time in ABC Primetime Casting in New York. In 1986, he moved to Los Angeles and began a career in Talent Management, and for the next 20 years was a Partner in the firm of James/Levy/Jacobson. Working collaboratively alongside his partners, Ken Jacobson contributed to kick-starting the careers of many unknown actors including James and Dave Franco, Jennie Garth, Jaimie Alexander, Michelle Williams, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mena Suvari and Erika Christensen. During those same years Jacobson personally launched many careers, including those of Hilary Swank, whom Jacobson signed as an unknown at 15, represented for 10 years ultimately placing in "Boys Don't Cry" for which she won the Academy Award, and Ben Foster, who was discovered and signed by Jacobson at the age of 12, which began a 20 year relationship that catapulted Foster to the highest levels of respect in the Film industry. In August of 2006, finding himself spending too much time running a company and not enough time to focus on servicing his clients, Jacobson left his twenty-year partnership and headed out on his own. For the past ten years he has continued to represent a small and very select list of actors, most of who are starring in film and television. 2016 was another banner year, as his list of 14 clients booked twice that number of Feature Film roles. In Television, Efren Ramirez booked and shot a series ("Monsters Of God"), Logan Browning booked and shot a series ("Dear White People"), Dylan Mctee booked and shot a series ("Sweet/Vicious")...all three shows to be launched in 2017. Summer Bishil shot Season Two of her show ("The Magicians"), Peyton Meyer shot Season Three of his ("Girl Meets World"). and Mark Povinelli's series aired ("Mad Dogs"). In Theater Cayen Martin spent 2016 on Broadway in "The Lion King", and Chris Sarandon spent the year doing exactly what he wanted...picking and choosing his Theater Projects, and celebrating the release of the Original Cast Album of "Preludes", from his Award Winning Run at the Lincoln Center. Considering the membership of SAG/AFTRA runs at an 80% Unemployment Rate, the steady bookings of Ken Jacobson's 14 clients defy all odds. Having discovered most of his clients as unknowns, Ken Jacobson's eye for talent and track record in developing careers is second to none. With only a few exceptions, he is the only manager his clients have ever had, and many of them have been with him since they were children. In addition to management, Ken has also produced several films, including "Zack And Reba", with Brittany Murphy, Thomas Jane, Debbie Reynolds, Michael Jeter, Kathy Najimy, and Martin Mull, "Kounterfeit" starring Hilary Swank, Ben Foster, and Mark Paul Gosselaar, and James Franco's first Directing effort, the short film "Kyle". Jacobson is happily married, with two sons, and lives in Studio City.