Legendary Hollywood producer and agent Jay Kanter has died at the age of 97.
Kanter represented some of the biggest names ever to appear on the silver screen, including Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando, who became a life-long friend.
A spokesperson for Independent Artist Group said Kanter died peacefully of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills.
After serving in the US Navy, he joined the media management group MCA as a junior agent in the 1940s. There, he poached Brando away from a rival agent, the start of a close bond that lasted until the actor’s death in 2004.
Kanter represented, among others, Grace Kelly, Ronald Reagan, Warren Beatty, Paul Newman and Laurence Olivier, before moving into film production.
With his longtime friend and collaborate Mel Brooks he was worked on Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie and High Anxiety.
He also helped produce blockbuster films including Chariots of Fire, Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, as well as movies in the Star Wars and Police Academy franchises.
Kanter is survived by six children and several grandchildren. He was married three times, first to actress Roberta Haynes, then to another actress Judy Balaban.
He was married to his third wife Kit Bennett Kanter for 49 years, until her death in 2014.