Legendary Hollywood producer and agent Jay Kanter has passed away at the age of 97.
Kanter represented some of the biggest names to ever grace the big screen, including Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando, who became lifelong friends.
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 MCA media management group as a junior agent in the 1940s. There, he poached Brando from a rival agent, the start of a close bond that It lasted until the actor’s death in 2004.
Kanter represented, among others, Grace Kelly, Ronald Reagan, Warren Beatty, Paul Newman and Laurence Olivier, before turning to film production.
With his long-time friend and collaborator Mel Brooks, he worked on Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie and High Anxiety.
Grace Kelly and Marlon Brando with their Oscars in 1955 Photo: AP
Photo by Warren Beatty: AP
He also helped produce blockbuster films including Chariots of Fire, Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, as well as films 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 and then to another actress, Judy Balaban.
He was married to his third wife, Kit Bennett Kanter, for 49 years, until her death in 2014.
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