EXCLUSIVE: Echo Lake Entertainment has added two new talent managers and one new lit manager to its management division.
Based in New York, talent managers Julian Ramirez and Lauren Feinstein join after many years at Lasher Group. Samantha Starr, a veteran literary manager based in Los Angeles, joins after an extended stay at Circle Management + Production.
As a duo, Ramirez and Feinstein co-represent a roster including Kevin Kane (Law & Order: SVU, Life & Beth), Francis Benhamou (Prayer for the French Republic, Black Rabbit), Olli Haaskivi (Oppenheimer, The Big Cigar), Alfie Fuller (Deli Boys, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), and Noah J. Ricketts (Fellow Travelers, The Great Gatsby). They add to a New York team that includes head of production and veteran producer MaryJane Skalski (American Animals, The Visitor), and that will also now include Shiva Kaya, who has relocated after being promoted from intern to talent department coordinator.
Born in Bogotá, Colombia and raised in Denver, Colorado, Ramirez’s other clients include Karen Rodriguez (The Hunting Wives, Spider-Noir), Susan Heyward (The Boys), Tony Award nominee Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer (Spamalot, Beetlejuice), Gil Perez-Abraham (The Batman), Ankur Rathee (Best of the Best), Hunter Emery (The Hunting Wives), Meghan Leathers (Bad Shabbos), Gotham Award nominee Babetida Sadjo (Our Father the Devil), Kevin William Paul (The Baker’s Wife), Andrew Garman (The Holdovers), and Caroline Neff (Let the Right One In).
A passionate advocate for meaningful representation in the arts, he’s a collective member of The Sol Project, an organization that advocates for the producing of work written by Latine playwrights in the American theater.
“I’m very excited by the strides Echo Lake is taking to be innovative and inventive in this quickly-changing industry while prioritizing creativity and artistry,” said Ramirez. “I am very proud to be joining the visionary team at Echo Lake, all whom are already making it feel like home.”
A Long Island native, Feinstein began her career at The Lasher Group in 2015, over her decade there, working on the accounts of Academy Award winner Alan Arkin, Connie Nielsen, Peter Friedman, and others. She also reps artists across TV, theater, and film, including Danny Deferrari (Shiva Baby, Oppenheimer), Molly Hager (Five Days at Memorial), Renika Williams-Blutcher (The Sex Lives of College Girls), Jimmy Smagula (Spamalot), Cecil Blutcher (Hightown), Erin Neufer (Fellow Travelers), Rafi Silver (Fallout), and Jeremy Beloate (The Voice, Midnight).
“When seeking out a home for the next chapter of my career,” Feinstein told us, “I was drawn to Echo Lake’s spirit of mentorship, collaboration, and creative partnership. It’s exactly the kind of environment I hoped to find for this phase, and I’m thrilled to be joining such an exceptional team.”
Lit manager Starr will continue to represent an eclectic roster of storytellers, including playwrights, authors, and directors from the commercial and music video space, many of whom she helped transition into TV and film. A New York native and graduate of the University of Michigan, she began her career in features at Columbia Pictures and television at One Two Punch Productions before discovering that her passion lies in management. Her clients include Colin Tilley (Eye for an Eye, Canyon), Jessica Huang (10 Things I Hate About You musical adaptation), Ester Lou (Diarra from Detroit), and Sigrid Gilmer (Genius) and Tom Donaghy (Star).
“I am thrilled to join Echo Lake and continue to support bold, voice-driven creators as well as work beside such a wonderful group of managers and producers,” Starr said.
Doug Mankoff, CEO of Echo Lake Entertainment, added, “Sam, Lauren and Julian are the kind of positive, team-oriented people we want on the Echo Lake team. And we are excited to work with their incredibly talented clients!”