Zimmer: UTA canceled Oscar party to protest Trump travel ban
Jeremy Zimmer · Hollywood CEO: How to Look Powerful in Any Room | Jeremy Zimmer · Apr 9, 2026 · at 1:04:04
Jeremy Zimmer, co-founder and former CEO of United Talent Agency (UTA), explains how the agency took a public stance when an Iranian client was barred from entering the U.S. for the Oscars.
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“We represented this, ah, boy, I'm embarrassed, I can't remember his name, a fantastic Iranian director who directed a movie called The Separation. And we represented him, and he was nominated for Academy Award, and this is in the first Trump presidency where he had did the Muslim ban. So he was not allowed to come to the United States for the Oscars because he was banned from entering the country. And we had, we traditionally have an Oscar party. We canceled our Oscar party that year. And instead we had a rally for against the Muslim ban and in support of our client and the Muslim community.”
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