Marr, Maggie 1969- (Margaret Marr)

views updated

Marr, Maggie 1969- (Margaret Marr)

PERSONAL:

Born 1969, in IL; married Chad Henderson (an actor); children: two. Education: University of Kansas, B.S., 1992; Loyola University, J.D., 1996.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—Andy Barzvi, International Creative Management, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 91401. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer and film producer, for Six Mile Ridge Productions and Dhaooma Productions. Worked as an attorney for four years, as a guardian-ad-litem for abused children in Cook County, IL, and as a prosecutor in domestic violence cases in Denver, CO. ICM Agency, began as worker in mail room, 2001, became agent. Coproducer of films King of Pipers and Paddeyville.

WRITINGS:

Hollywood Girls Club (novel), Crown Publishers (New York, NY), 2007.

Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club (novel), Crown Publishers (New York, NY), 2007.

Also author of the television pilot Pretty Is as Pretty Does.

SIDELIGHTS:

Maggie Marr used her experience at a Hollywood talent agency as the inspiration for her first novel, Hollywood Girls Club. Marr worked for several years at International Creative Management (ICM), one of the most influential talent agencies in the world. Born in Illinois, Marr decided in the seventh grade that she would like to become a lawyer, and she remained steadfast in that goal. She studied history and political science at the University of Kansas, served as an intern to Senator Paul Simon in Washington, DC, then earned her law degree at Loyola University in Chicago. Following her graduation from Loyola, she worked as an attorney in Cook County, Illinois, as a court representative for neglected and abused children. In the mid-1990s, she moved to Denver, where her husband was to study environmental biology. In Denver, she worked for the city as a prosecutor in domestic violence cases.

Marr and her husband next decided to move to Los Angeles, prompted by his desire to pursue an acting career. "It was either that, or New York; we said, ‘Let's move to L.A., it's cheaper and warmer,’" Marr recalled to Dan Craft in an interview for Pantagraph. She looked at the move optimistically, as she told Craft: "I figured talent agencies were the graduate schools of entertainment and a great way to get an overview of the industry." She was offered jobs by both of the agencies to which she applied, and accepted a job at ICM. Starting in the mail room is standard practice for new employees at agencies, and that was where Marr worked for her first six months at ICM. Working alongside her in the mail room were two other new employees with law degrees.

Marr then moved up to work as assistant to one of the top agents in the entertainment industry, and before too long, she was an agent herself. Her rapid rise to success was made all the more unusual because she was a woman; traditionally, men have a better chance of rising to the top in the entertainment business. In her position at ICM, Marr worked with top-name celebrities, including Cameron Diaz, Halle Berry, Brittany Murphy, and Susan Sarandon.

Because part of her job was to sell subsidiary rights for movies and books to television markets, Marr was required to read a great deal. Doing so sparked her imagination with characters and conversation. She had always enjoyed writing, and had even won some contests with her creative writing, but had never considered it too seriously. Yet she soon made a start on Hollywood Girls Club, a novel about four female friends who combine their talents and ambitions to make a big-budget film. The first few chapters of the book were submitted, without Marr's name attached, to the book division of ICM. Soon, Marr was a client for the very agency she worked for, as her book was picked up for publication.

Hollywood Girls Club featured the characters of Lydia, a veteran of the Hollywood scene who works as a producer; Jessica, an up-and-coming agent; Celeste, a top actress who must continually prove she can compete with young newcomers; and Mary Anne, a naïve writer from the Midwest who came to Los Angeles in pursuit of her dream of being a screenwriter. Each of these women depends on the success of their film, Seven Minutes Past Midnight, but they each have enemies who would like to see their efforts fail. The story alternates between the viewpoints of each of the characters, with each chapter heading also featuring a brand and style of high-priced shoe to set the tone. "In addition to all the juicy intrigues … Marr offers plenty of steamy romance," stated a Kirkus Reviews writer. A Publishers Weekly reviewer noted that the book's central theme was the amount of "cold compromise" required in Hollywood, and added that the so-called "girls' club" is as self-serving as the traditional "boys' club, but cattier and more fun to read about."