Once a name synonymous with power, Michael Ovitz, dismissed from Disney last year with a controversial $100 million buyout, now lives like Napoléon on Elba — in exile. Insisting he's not plotting a comeback — though he's rarely met a plot he didn't like — Ovitz, 50, is doing fund-raising (especially for UCLA hospital) and getting acquainted with a quality not often seen by those who worked with him at CAA and inside the Magic Kingdom — humility. We couldn't resist checking in with the man who was once the most feared in Hollywood.
On his status: ''I don't belong on your [Power] list. I don't deserve to be. I'm retired ... [and] just enjoying my life right now. I'm sure that will irritate everyone. I know I should say that I have to go out and beg for money — 'It's very rough; the weather out here has been so awful, and I stand on the street corner with my tin cup.'''
On life out of the business: ''I was in it for 30 years. It was fantastic. I don't have much more to say. I'm not a recluse — my life is just not controversial. I'm involved in charitable work and spending time with my kids ... But I'm not in the entertainment business anymore.''
On whether he's still friends with Michael Eisner: ''I will always be friends ...'' [He stops, abruptly changing the subject.]
On how things ended at Disney: ''I'm not bitter. I have no complaints. The only thing I miss are the relationships I had with the people at [CAA].''
On those gleeful about his downfall: ''Anyone can say whatever they want. It's all irrelevant. Judgment day comes at the end of all your days.''
On his past power: ''I don't think I ever was powerful. It was a figment of everyone's imagination. I don't perceive power the way everyone else does.''
On his next move: ''You want some announcement, like I've decided to become the head of a local trash company. I'll tell you what: Next time I'll think up something really juicy. Only it's not gonna be true.''
On his sense of humor: ''I've always been a funny guy. People just didn't realize it. I guess I used to be a little more serious. In the last two years, I've been able to laugh at a lot of things.''
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