Jermaine Johnson
Photo Credit: Nick Branch Photography
Jermaine Johnson is a manager and producer at the Beverly Hills-based 3 Arts Entertainment.
A fellow scorpio, he is and has always been unapologetically himself. I would know since we met during the early days of our LA journey. Originally from New Jersey, he moved to Los Angeles for the weather, but stayed for the film industry.
He graduated from Rutgers and has spent the last ten years building an impressive client roster.
He worked retail. He hustled to get his foot in the door. He found the names of agencies via the SAG website, starting with the letter A, and cold emailed his resume with “will work for experience.” By the time he got to G, he had landed himself with an interview at the Geddes Agency, a boutique agency that no longer exists. That resume builder took him to AVO talent, a small VO agency, where he worked for two years before realizing he needed to take a leap.
He cashed his one favor in town with the casting director Alyssa Weisberg, to help get his foot in the door at 3 Arts. It worked. One very overdressed interview later, Michael Rotenberg offered him a job on his desk.
He honed his taste and recalls one particular pilot he knew was incredible. That show turned out to be SILICON VALLEY.
It was while visiting that set Jermaine realized he wanted to work with writers and directors for the rest of his career.
I’ve often wondered what it’s like for a manager to produce. What does it actually mean? Why are others quick to assume they aren't doing any work and just "globbing on"? What is it like to guide the career of writers and directors? Lucky for us, Jermaine gives honest answers to these questions.
He also digs into the main differences between managers and agents while also sharing his secret for what makes a good manager.
Jermaine represents a wide variety of writers, directors, journalists, and comedians from many different backgrounds. Amongst these clients are Attica Locke (award-winning author of BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD), Azie Dungey (UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT, SWEETBITTER, TWENTIES), Cord Jefferson (WATCHMEN, SUCCESSION, THE GOOD PLACE), Fatimah Asghar (BROWN GIRLS, IF THEY COME FOR US), Eve Ewing (IRONHEART, ELECTRIC ARCHES), Justin Hillian (THE CHI), Jia Tolentino (TRICK MIRROR) and more.
He prides himself on finding fresh voices in places where others don’t often look, and giving them a platform to share their unique points of view and opinions.
Tune in!
Can’t wait to hear what you think of this week’s episode!