When Beto O’Rourke dropped out of the Democratic primary, analysts speculated on the Texas politician’s future on the national stage. For help navigating it, Mr. O’Rourke turned to Creative Artists Agency, the Hollywood talent agency known for shaping the careers of Beyoncé and Brad Pitt.
CAA, United Talent Agency and other firms have recruited political clients in recent years to help mold careers outside public service and find opportunities beyond book deals and political punditry. They have signed Democrats (Georgia politician Stacey Abrams), Republicans (former Ohio governor John Kasich), flashy newcomers (onetime presidential candidate Andrew Yang) and less flashy bureaucrats (former Obama administration Education Secretary Arne Duncan).
As political officials transition into and out of power in Washington and across the country this week, Hollywood talent agencies are on the hunt for new business. For the agencies, political clients are proving to be lucrative as demand for original content spikes, streaming platforms proliferate and movie-star salaries drop.
Today, a broad array of career trajectories is available to one-time candidates. The segmentation of news and popular interest in politicians has given rise to megafans who want to keep hearing from ex-presidents, former cabinet officials or sixth-place-primary-finishers. After a race, the politicians and their operatives often have followings on social media who by then have come to know their policy positions—and personal details like their workout playlists—that they can leverage into fandoms.
CAA’s co-chairman Bryan Lourd said he often meets with political clients and discovers they have given little thought to what comes after they return to normal life. “They threw themselves at the service of their country and didn’t really have a monetization plan,” he said. “We saw our role as building a long-term strategy on their behalf.”
