Alton Brown signs with William Morris; lunch at Craft to follow

Food Network star Alton "Good Eats" Brown has signed with the William Morris Agency for representation, as they say, "in all areas." (He's also going to be the guest programmer for Turner Classic Movies Nov. 11.)

I wrote about the agenting and celebritzing of chefs for Variety in 2003; it's a little bizarre to see a nascent trend in full bloom four years later. It's also amusing to look back at what didn't happen:

"The Restaurant" was "a shark-jumping moment," said Anthony Bourdain, author of the bestselling memoir "Kitchen Confidential" and executive chef at New York's Les Halles.

Although Bourdain was a guest on one "Restaurant" episode, "I felt somehow unclean afterward," he said. "And the irony is DiSpirito is easily one of the most talented chefs in New York. My fear is that show will blow it for all of us. 'Dude, this chef thing is so over.' "

Cooks on Tour in Hollywood [Variety]
Tenpercentaries [Variety]

Comments

[clf]

Your post, if I'm reading it right, is way off base. You may have written about the agenting and celebritizing of chefs way back when, but really, those comments are irrelevant to Alton Brown. Brown is not and never has been a chef (though he's a food expert). He may be a "star" but he's certainly not just on-camera talent. Brown produces his own show (as in line produces) and other Food Network shows (in which he does not star). He's been a player (in the business sense of the word) for a long time. (He has a degree in drama and began his career as a DP.) It makes sense that he would need representation. (He's also authored several well-written, copy heavy, science-driven cookbooks.) This is NOT like signing some new, pretty cheffie face.