UTA’s Ali Benmohamed In Talks To Join Strand Entertainment In Pivot To Management
EXCLUSIVE: Longtime agent Ali Benmohamed is negotiating to join Strand Entertainment in a transition to management following 16 years at UTA.
Benmohamed will start at Strand in November. It’s a big move for Benmohamed, who has essentially been at UTA his entire career. He officially launched his journey as a trainee at WMA in 2008, after graduating from USC with his BA in International Relations and Economics. He remained there through the transition to WME, before joining UTA in 2009.
Known for his global perspective shaped by his French Algerian heritage and upbringing in Paris, Benmohamed has, over the course of his career, repped some of the industry’s most celebrated talents including BAFTA winner John Boyega, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jennifer Coolidge, Tiller Russell, Joel McHale, Sebastian Maniscalco, Randall Park, George Lopez, Craig Robinson, Charlotte Le Bon, Jay Ellis, Timothy Simons, Phoebe Robinson, Guz Khan, Dali Bensallah, Baloji, Matthias Schweighöfer, Travis Bennett and David Gyasi.
Clients confirmed to be joining Benmohamed in his next chapter, as of now, include Boyega, Russell, Hardwick, Simons, Khan, Benssalah and Baloji.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Ali to Strand Entertainment,” said the partners of the firm. “He’s been a longtime friend and collaborator whose deep industry relationships, exceptional taste, and global perspective will be invaluable to our team. We’ve long admired his producorial and creative instincts, as well as his ability to guide talent with both vision and care. Ali’s collaborative spirit and commitment to empowering artists align perfectly with our culture and our mission to foster long-term, meaningful careers.”
Earlier on Monday, Deadline broke the news that Strand Entertainment has just signed Lizzy Mathis, the multi-hyphenate best known for executive producing, co-creating and co-hosting Roku’s No. 1-rated home series Honest Renovations alongside Jessica Alba. Recently, the company also inked Jeannie Mai, the host and executive producer of Amazon cooking competition series America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation.
Other notable clients of the management company include Wilmer Valderrama, Jason Isaacs, Katherine Waterston, Mike Colter, Matthew Lillard, Rosie Perez, Derek Hough, Nicholas Pinnock, Margarita Levieva, Leila George, Harold Perrineau, Jennifer Holland, Angela Sarafyan and Sandrine Holt, among others. Its roster of emerging talent includes Meg Donnelly (Zombies), Jess Hong (3 Body Problem), Luke Newton (Bridgerton), Cooper Koch (Monsters: Menendez Brothers), Aurora Perrineau (Kaos), Daisy Jelley (How to Have Sex), Ella Newton (Mosquito Bowl), AmyBeth McNulty (Stranger Things), Ella Stiller (The Comeback) and Keen Ruffalo (Sterling Point).
