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76 BERNIE BRILLSTEIN/BRAD GREY
Managers-producers
Rank last year: — Ages: 61 (Brillstein); 34 (Grey) Why they're up: It's hard to mount a big comedy project without coming up against
their vast client list, which includes Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Jon
Lovitz, Catherine O'Hara, Dave Thomas, Dennis Miller, and George
Wendt. High point: They're behind HBO's acclaimed new The Larry
Sanders Show. Low point: Their pet project, The Dennis Miller Show,
was outta there in just seven months. New deal: Sony has committed
$20 million to the duo's film and TV projects.
77 ROBIN WILLIAMS
Actor
Rank last year: — Age: 41 Why he's up: Williams received his third
Best Actor Oscar nomination in five years for The Fisher King (though
he has still never won) and played an adult Peter Pan in Steven
Spielberg's holiday hit Hook. Before Christmas he has two major
releases: Aladdin and Toys. Next big move: He'll star in Bill
Forsyth's comedy-drama Being Human, and he's being wooed to portray
slain gay activist Harvey Milk in an Oliver Stone-produced biopic.
Bottom line: He's not just a comic genius; he's a serious actor.
78 ALBERTO VITALE
Chairman, Random House, Inc.
Rank last year: 64 Age: 58 High point: Random House had a year
full of surprising high-road best-sellers-including Gail Sheehy's
menopause report, The Silent Passage; Art Spiegelman's Maus II; and
Gore Vidal's Live from Golgotha. Low point: Despite Vitale's
reputation as a shrewd bottom-liner, bad deals — such as the millions
shelled out for Marlon Brando's still-nonexistent autobiography — hang
over his head. X factor: His '90 force-out of Pantheon's Andre
Schiffrin left lingering resentment in the publishing world.
79 ROBERT ZEMECKIS
Director-producer
Rank last year: — Age: 41 Why he's up: Although the $56 million
gross for the film Death Becomes Her wasn't up to the blockbuster
status of his other work (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, the Back to the
Future trilogy), it confirmed that Zemeckis can wring decent returns
out of anything, even such box-office-poison genres as black comedy.
Next big move: He'll oversee his first network television series,
Johnny Bago, an hour-long comedy-adventure about a con man that will
appear on CBS later this season.
80 SPIKE LEE
Auteur, entrepreneur
Rank last year: 88 Age: 35 Why he's up: Despite cost overruns,
squabbles about the film's length, and a lawsuit over its use of the
Rodney King tape, the $35 million, three-hour epic Malcolm X will be
released on Nov. 20 just the way Lee wants it. And his Spike's Joint
clothing boutiques are now open in Macy's stores nationwide. New
deal: After his headaches with Warner Bros. over X, Lee signed a
multiyear pact with Universal Pictures, distributor of his films Do
the Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues, and Jungle Fever.
81 AL TELLER
Chairman, MCA Music Ent. Group
Rank last year: — Age: 48 Why he's up: MCA rode high with hits by
Elton John, Mary J. Blige, and Vince Gill. Teller also made R&B deals
with Andre Harrell (who launched Jodeci and Guy) and Louil Silas Jr.
(executive producer of Bobby Brown's Don't Be Cruel). High point: The
R&B deals may help offset MCA's split with Motown, and the country
division (George Strait, Reba McEntire) still rules the market, as
does MCA's jazz label, GRP (Chick Corea, Dave Grusin). X factor: Still MIA at MCA: good ol' rock & roll.
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