Jerry Weintraub - When I Stop Talking You

George Clooney and all those guys can do spot-on Jerry Weintraub imitations.

All that fun we had making Ocean's is captured in the film. You can feel it. It's on the screen. When the movie opened in the summer of 2001, it was a smash, the biggest hit of my career. More important, it started my friendship with a group of actors, Pitt, Clooney, Damon, whom I've come to regard as family. These men are just as important to me as Sinatra and the Colonel were. I travel with them, sit with them, listen to them, love them. They are like my children. I learn from them, and I hope they learn from me, and have fun-developing true friendships, later in life, well, it's one of the great things that can happen to a person. It's like a third act when the third act works. It's a blessing. (I should also mention Bruce Willis here. He did not star in these movies, but he is a feature player in my life, a great artist and friend, another one of Jerry's kids.)

Life is strange. I used to be a kid, sitting at the feet of giants, hanging out with the last of the old-timers. Now, all of a sudden, I am the old-timer, the alter cocker who's been around forever, has known everyone and seen everything. When I look back, I see key moments. Because I did not want to go into the jewelry business. Because I would not wear tights. Because I did not want to return the messages on the call sheet. I see patterns, too. Whenever I felt the urge to obfuscate, as when Lew Wasserman asked, "Were you on the WATS line last night?" I told the truth instead. I asked if I did not know. I listened when someone else was talking. I sold with joy, so my products were fun to buy. Most important, I was never afraid to fail, which meant I was never afraid to try. I was never afraid to look silly, which meant I was never threatened by a new idea. I see the road ahead, too, a stretch that bends into the undergrowth. I do not know what will happen there, but I do know, whatever it is, I will rush to meet it with joy. This is, after all, a Jerry Weintraub Production.

If there were true justice in the world, I would be saying thank you every day, from the moment I get up till the moment I lie down-that's how lucky I've been, how many great people I've known, how much goodness I've experienced. In place of that-I would like to say thanks for several years, but I have dinner reservations-I have listed some of the people who have meant the most to me:

Key Friends and Players, People So Unusual They Fit

in No Category or Box; I Was Lucky to Walk the Earth

at the Same Time as All of Them

Bryan Lourd: He's a friend and confidant. There has never been another agent like him. He is one of a kind, and truly important in my life and in the lives of Hollywood 's biggest stars.

Bernie Yuman: We talk every day, and it's the part of the day I look forward to most. There is, in fact, not a moment when I am confused about who Bernie is-my friend, one of the best, and a man who I know loves me, and who knows I love him, dearly.

Mike Meldman: I was never interested in development until I visited Mike's golf courses-he builds the best in the world. He's a friend who makes it fun, and is the reason I am in the real estate business.

Steve Roth: This kid, this friend, this talented agent and businessman, lives around the corner, which keeps my life interesting. I want to thank him for use of his lawn-he knows what I mean.

Gerald Parsky: He saw me through the toughest time in my career, and got me away not just whole, but with a huge settlement. Thank you!

Paul Bloch: I have worked with him and admired him for more years than can be counted… He handles all the press and PR that I get credit for. He is one of the great ones.

Steven Soderbergh: I know he's in the book, on one of those pages where I recount some adventure, but he's been so important in my life I wanted to mention him again. And there-I just did.

Diane Sawyer: If I owned a TV station, this is who I would hire first. She is what owners in the sports world call a franchise player, an absolutely stellar talent.

Ken Ziffren: My lawyer, my confidant, my friend. Thanks for keeping me out of jail (that's a joke).

Harvey Gettleson: He can read a deal like Gretzky reads the ice: Thanks for your guidance, expertise, and friendship.

George Schlatter: George produced some of the most important shows and television events ever, many with me. I admired him long before we met. I appreciate everything he's done.

Leonard Goldberg: We had a film company together for a time, but imagine what would have happened if we started together when we were kids. We would have made billions!

Rich Cohen: Without him, no book. We had lots of fun, and will have lots more. Thank you.

Tommy Armour, who has been like a son to me. I love him. Some of my best times in life are on the golf course with him.

Jonathan Karp, Cary Goldstein, and the team at Twelve: For helping me share my journey with the world.

Jessica Goodman, Dan Fellman, and the rest of the team at Warner Bros., and of course Kim Pinkstaff, who help me get it done.

Diana Jenkins: When I met Diana she was in her thirties, very young and beautiful, and still, I felt as if I was meeting Auntie Mame. She is wonderful. I hope I know her forever.

Lisa G.: You know who you are, and you know how much I love you.

Of course I want to thank my brother, Melvyn; his wife, Linda; and their family: Abby, Matt, Sofia, Richard, Meredith, and Jack. My children: Michael and his wife, Maria; Julie; Jamie and her husband, Jacoby; and Jody. My grandchildren, all of whom have names that come right out of the Bible, just like they do: Sarah, Rachel, Joseph, and Ari. My nieces, Keira and Kyla, and their parents, Mitchell and Donna. I love you all, and I am proud of you. Every generation bigger and stronger than the last, that's what I say.

Actors I Have Worked With

Casey Affleck

Karen Allen

Dan Aykroyd

Kevin Bacon

Ellen Barkin

Kim Basinger

Ned Beatty

Ralph Bellamy

Joey Bishop

Karen Black

Ronee Blakley

Jim Broadbent

George Burns

James Caan

Scott Caan

Sid Caesar

Mickey Callan

Keith Carradine

Vincent Cassell

Jackie Chan

Kyle Chandler

Geraldine Chaplin

Chevy Chase

Don Cheadle

Michael Chiklis

Julie Christie

George Clooney

Robbie Coltrane

Sean Connery

Tom Courtenay

Tom Cruise

Timothy Daly

Matt Damon

Beverly D'Angelo

Tony Danza

John Denver

Michael Douglas

Charles Durning

Shelley Duvall

Bob Einstein

Ethan Embry

Peter Falk

Ralph Fiennes

Albert Finney

Josh Flitter

Andy Garcia

Teri Garr

Henry Gibson

Isabel Glasser

Scott Glenn

Jeff Goldblum

Elliott Gould

Steve Guttenberg

Gene Hackman

Thomas Hulce

Eddie Izzard

Eddie Jemison

Martin Kove

Shelley Long

Jon Lovitz

Bernie Mac

Ralph Macchio

Lee Majors

Noriyuki "Pat" Morita

Michael Murphy

Craig T. Nelson

Wayne Newton

Marisol Nichols

Al Pacino

Brad Pitt

Donald Pleasence

Shaobo Qin

Randy Quaid

Carl Reiner

Paul Reiser

Molly Ringwald

Emma Roberts

Eric Roberts

Julia Roberts

Mickey Rourke

Jaden Smith

Elisabeth Shue

Henry Silva

Paul Sorvino

Sylvester Stallone

Rod Steiger

Daniel Stern

Sharon Stone

George Strait

Barbra Streisand

Hilary Swank

Richard Thomas

Uma Thurman

Lily Tomlin

Susan Tyrell

Lesley Ann Warren

Bruce Willis

Oprah Winfrey

James Woods

Joanne Woodward