Talent Agent Devin Mann Shed His Fear of Failure

Devin Mann is an agent at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, but isn’t your typical talent agent. His personal life has thrown him curve balls that would crush anyone. Having disabled twins, the grief of losing one at age 2, and divorcing his alcoholic wife were all devastating, yet Devin still learns, adapts, and shines.

Devin comes from a family of writers and grew up surrounded by politics in Washington, DC. As a student at Columbia University, he was influenced by music and got into the art scene. In 1992, Devin moved to Los Angeles to get into the film business. With no connections, he struggled and took a job selling children’s books (which he admits to being terrible at). He got his break when he was hired at Island Records, then moved on to a commercial production company, then eventually to freelance work. After considering his options, he took an inventory of his skills and decided that he was best at speaking for people who didn’t have a voice. He applied to 100 agencies landing a job as an agent in training at a small firm in West LA. Two years later, Smith, Gosnell, Nicholson & Associates hired him away as did Innovative Artists a couple of years later. At the end of his 7-year contract, he was approached by Endeavor and has been there for 12 years. Now, he is a co-chair of his department with 9 agents and 9 assistants representing over 300 people.

Devin met the love of his life via Yahoo Dating and lives in Los Angeles. They have 2 children from previous marriages.