Tony Etz, a respected television agent and 30-year veteran of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), passed away on March 10 in Los Angeles after a long battle with Chordoma, a rare cancer. He was 64.
Before joining CAA in 1994, Etz had a career in television production, co-executive producing several miniseries and TV movies, including NBC’s Jack Reed MOWs. At CAA, he became a top TV literary agent, holding leadership roles such as co-head of packaging. Despite his declining health, he remained active at the agency until the very end.
Etz played a pivotal role in the sale of major TV series, including Jackass, House, Lost, Rescue Me, Big Little Lies, Jury Duty, and Tracker. He also contributed to Grey’s Anatomy, Brothers and Sisters, and Band of Brothers. His longtime clients included industry figures like Paul Attanasio, Peter Tolan, and Johnny Knoxville.
Known for his sharp wit, Etz once quipped in response to a well-wishing text, “I’m still ambulatory, so I think that qualifies as well!” He even wrote his own obituary, summing up his legacy in two sentences:
“Over 30 years as a packaging agent, I was foundational in the sale of Jackass, House, Lost, Rescue Me, Big Little Lies, Jury Duty and Tracker and dozens of other shows. And I have been a proud citizen of the best city-state in the business.”
Peter Tolan, co-creator of Rescue Me, paid tribute: “As a friend, Tony is deeply mourned. As an agent, he is irreplaceable; he defended those of us who were fortunate enough to be his clients with a ferocity most of our own mothers would be unable to duplicate.”
Tony Etz leaves behind a lasting impact on the television industry and will be deeply missed.