John Kimble, who had a long career as a Hollywood talent agent at Writers & Artists, Kimble/Parseghian, DHKPR, Triad Artists and the William Morris Agency, has died. He was 79.
Kimble died Sunday in Dallas, where he retired in 2022 to be close to family, former CBS Entertainment chair Nina Tassler announced. She was his assistant at Triad from 1985-90, and they remained good friends, she said.
Kimble repped Henry Winkler when he was cast as The Fonz on Happy Days in 1974; Jane Curtin when she was hired by Saturday Night Live in 1975; Joan Collins when she joined Dynasty in 1981; George Clooney when he landed on ER in 1994; and Matthew Perry when he signed up for Friends, also in ’94.
Over the years, Kimble’s clients also included Julie Andrews, Ann-Margret, Sara Gilbert, Emilio Estevez, Brooke Shields, Lea Thompson, Cary Elwes, Linda Hamilton, Delta Burke, Victoria Principal, Nell Carter, Rachel Ward and Meredith Baxter.
Kimble was born in Kingsville, Texas on Aug. 1, 1945, and raised in Uvalde, Texas, where in high school he performed in theater productions, was president of the student council and starred on the football team.
After graduating from the University of Texas El Paso with a degree in theater, he moved to New York to pursue acting and was eventually offered a contract at Screen Gems — but he decided to represent actors instead.
He began his agency career working with Joan Scott at Writers & Artists, then set up his own company, John D. Kimble Inc., with one employee, Tim Angle, in July 1977.
A year later, Kimble and fellow talent agent Gene Parseghian merged their companies to create Kimble/Parseghian in the Fisk Building at 250 W. 57th St. in New York, and their early client roster included William Hurt, Pamela Reed, Kevin Bacon, Griffin Dunne, Martin Short and Andrea Martin.
With their success, Kimble moved to California to open an office in Los Angeles. Soon after, the L.A.-based talent agents Arnold Rifkin and Nicole David (from Rifkin-David) and New York-based Jeffrey Hunter merged with Kimble/Parseghian to create DHKPR.
Kimble would remain in L.A. while Parseghian stayed in New York.
In 1984, DHKPR merged with the literary agency Adams-Ray-Rosenberg and the music talent reps Regency Artists to create Triad. As a partner, Kimble brought his skill at nurturing and developing talent and being a tough but fair negotiator.
In 1991, Triad was acquired by William Morris, and Kimble would serve as head of its TV talent department. He stepped away in 2002 to enter the creative side of the business.
His love for design and collecting led to the opening of Kimble-Wallach, an antique and interior design store in Beverly Hills. He also joined forces with Meridith Baer Home, a luxury staging and interior design firm.
Survivors include his niece, Kimberly (and her husband, Jeffrey); nephew Steven (and his wife, Kristin); grand-niece and grand-nephew Ashley and Austin; and great-grandnephews Carson, Riley and Wes.
His elder sister, Barbara, died in 2017.
“John loved his family and friends,” his family said in a statement. “He had a profound impact on the lives and careers of many throughout his storied career. He was larger than life and will leave a lasting legacy on a business he was instrumental in building.”
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to the Briscoe Animal Rescue Center of Uvalde; P.O. Box 1650; Uvalde, TX 78802 (phone number 830-591-9229).
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