Who Was Jay Kanter? Know About The Film Producer And Agent To Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe As He Passes Away At 97

Jay Kanter, an agent for famous Hollywood celebrities like Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, and Grace Kelly, passed away on Tuesday.

By Marita Pinto

Published on Aug 07, 2024 | 10:48 AM IST | 51.6K

Image Courtesy: Getty Images

TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains references to an individual's death.

Jay Kanter, a powerful Hollywood agent who represented the biggest celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, and Grace Kelly passed away on Tuesday at 97. Kanter was also the inspiration for Jack Lemmon's role in the iconic Billy Wilder movie The Apartment. On the morning of August 6, Kanter passed away quietly in his Beverly Hills home, surrounded by his loved ones.

Jay Kanter began his career at MCA under Lew Wasserman's mentorship while serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was only 22 years old when he was ordered to pick up Brando from the train station. After that, they became friends and Brando became a longtime client.

Kanter moved to London with his family to manage production for the European studio after MCA acquired Universal Pictures. Later, the studio closed its European operations, and Kanter, along with Elliott Kastner and Alan Ladd, Jr. (Laddie), founded a production business.

Favorite of powerful Music Corporation of America mogul Lew Wasserman, Kanter also produced films including the Elizabeth Taylor vehicle X, Y, and Zee (1972), spent seven years in England in the 1960s approving European motion pictures for Universal, and maintained a long-standing business relationship with Alan Ladd Jr. at Fox and MGM.

The films he worked on include Thelma and Louise, Julia, Blade Runner, Body Heat, Norma Rae, Chariots of Fire, Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Alien, The Right Stuff, Turning Point, and the Police Academy series, among other masterpieces and Academy Award winners.

Jay was born on December 12, to a Jewish family, in Chicago, Illinois. His son, Adam Kanter of Independent Artist Group, said his father lived his whole life with "integrity and kindness." He was married three times: first for less than a year to the actress Roberta Haynes, then to Judy Balaban, the daughter of Barney Balaban, the former president and honorary chairman of Paramount Pictures.

Following that, Kanter married Kit Bennett Kanter, his 49-year-old wife, with whom he lived until she died in 2014. He also lost Victoria Kanter Colombetti, his daughter, during his lifetime.

He is survived by children Dustin (and Debra) Bernard, Tom Bernard, Cydney Bernard, Amy Kanter (and Bob Thiele), Adam (and Brooke) Kanter, Michael (and Erica) Kanter, and their grandchildren Jason (and Andie) Colombetti, Matthew Colombetti, Owen Thiele (Jared Ellner), Sophie Bernard, Charlie Foster, Hannah Kanter, Kit Foster, Cleo Kanter, Grayson Kanter, and Ryan Kanter.

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