Who was Larry Auerbach? USC School of Cinematic Arts Associate Dean and senior leader at William Morris Agency dies at 95

Larry Auerbach, associate dean of Student Industry Relations at USC School of Cinematic Arts and a longtime agent at William Morris Agency (WMA), passed away at 95. The news was confirmed by a representative of Auerbach's son David, to The Hollywood Reporter, adding that he died on Saturday, November 23, 2024, at his home in Beverly Hills, surrounded by his family.

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Auerbach worked for over four decades as an agent at William Morris. He was dubbed as the man with the golden Rolodex" and represented actors, musicians, and artists. This included talents like Alan Alda, Elvis Presley, and Sammy Davis Jr. After leaving WMA, Auerbach joined USC, helping students realize their Hollywood dreams for twenty-five years.

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Larry Auerbach booked Elvis Presley's first and last TV appearances

Larry Auerbach began his career working part-time sweeping floors at William Morris at the age of 15 when he was still in high school. According to an article by the Hollywood Reporter published on November 23, 2024, he went from a mailroom assistant to an agent by 19, the youngest in the agency's history.

Auerbach started as a personal appearance agent booking gigs for comedians and musicians. He launched the WMA's rock music department before he took over the agency's film division in New York before moving to Los Angeles to head the television department in 1975.

Through his 47-year-old career at WMA, Larry Auerbach put together movies like The French Connection, Fiddler on The Roof, Moonstruck, and Last Tango in Paris. His TV shows included The Cosby Show (also helped create), The Patty Duke Show, Sing Along with Mitch, One Life to Live, and That Girl.

Auerbach repped for talents like Alan Alda, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Agnes Nixon, and prolific TV producer Aaron Spelling. According to a report by Variety, Auerbach booked the first and last national TV appearances for Elvis Presley—his 1956 debut on CBS’ The Ed Sullivan Show and his 1968 comeback special Elvis for NBC.

The Brooklyn native left WMA in 1992. According to an article announcing his retirement from USC (published by In Motion, an annual magazine by the USC School of Cinematic Arts), Auerbach was looking for a career in producing after leaving WMA, but Dean Elizabeth Daley requested he take up a position of executive director and associate dean of Student Industry Relations.

Auerbach told the publication:

"There was a little story in the paper that I was leaving William Morris, and Dean Elizabeth Daley called me and asked if I would get lunch."

He continued:

"I knew USC had a great reputation, but I had no idea I was stepping into a second career. Dean Daley wanted to get the School, and the kids, an agent. That’s what they offered me. That’s what I did. The talent was there. What they needed was someone to pick up the phone.

Larry Auerbach helped connect students with professionals within the television and movie industry and retired from USC in 2018. Auerbach's passing was preceded by the death of his wife of 56 years, Carole, who died in 2010.

Larry Auerbach is survived by his sons David (a former programming executive at Warner Bros. and Telepictures), Bruce, and Stephen; six grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter. A memorial service would be held in his honor in the upcoming weeks.