What do you do with an English degree? If you’re Richard Lovett, run Hollywood.

In an age of AI and algorithms, Richard Lovett '82, is still betting on the power of connection and a good story, well told.

Lovett, global entertainment mogul and longtime head of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), returned to the University of Wisconsin-Madison as part of the Leadership Speaker Series. From his Milwaukee roots to representing some of the biggest names in entertainment and sports, Lovett credits his success to grit, vision and kindness-and doing what you love.

"Being an English major was the smartest decision I ever made," Lovett told a packed room of mostly students at the Gordon Event and Dining Center on the evening of Oct. 23. He emphasized that careers built on passion can lead to lasting impact, but he also cautioned that isn't always enough. Breaking into a competitive field also takes grit-and relentless effort.

After being, in his words, "aggressively rejected" from advertising, Lovett started in the CAA mailroom and made sure he was always "the first to show up and the last to leave."

He earned the trust of screenwriters by reading every script and matching them with the right opportunities. "Eventually," he said, "the writers wanted me to represent them. And then the actors did, too."

Hollywood, the Wisconsin way

Lovett detailed his unconventional path from UW-Madison to CAA mailroom to the top of the entertainment world and joined Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of storytelling in an AI-era, service in leadership and the importance of hard work and open dialogue.

"[CAA] is an extraordinary place," Mnookin said. "And Richard Lovett is an extraordinary Badger."

CAA represents top-tier talent across entertainment and sports-from Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep to the Obama family's production company and major brands like Mattel and Harley Davidson. Yet, Lovett stated that its foundation is built on trust, service and community.

He credits his Wisconsin upbringing- notably a Northwoods summer camp he attended- for instilling in him those same values.

Creating a culture of trust in a cutthroat industry like Hollywood is no small feat. At CAA, Lovett accomplished it by encouraging employees to prioritize one another-returning colleagues' calls and responding to internal requests first. "This serves our clients better," he said. "But just as importantly, it establishes trust. So, everyone who encounters each other in the hallways at CAA knows they can trust their colleagues."

He added: "When you take good care of each other, good things will happen."

Show me the mission

But Lovett's story hasn't been a straight, smooth path to success. At 30, he was feeling empty, miserable and adrift when a self-help book suggested picturing his own funeral-and what he hoped others might say. The exercise led to a weekly volunteer stint at a local high school.

Soon after, as part of CAA leadership, Lovett questioned the company's lavish holiday gifting tradition-a stark contrast to the under-funded school where he'd been spending his free time.

"We're never doing this again," he said of the company's closet full of scarves and sweaters, totaling more than $200,000 worth of inventory.

Instead, he suggested the agency make donations in clients' names to charities. Lovett set up entertainment's first philanthropic organization. Today, CAA supports causes from education to environmental action to voting rights.

"To lead is to serve," Lovett said. "It gives mission and purpose to everything. You have to stand for something more than just making money. You have to try to do good, too."

Be aggressive … about kindness

As the conversation turned to social connection, Lovett talked about something he called "the trust gap"-a rising cynicism he fears is eroding the ability to have constructive conversations.

Having spent decades in Los Angeles- a place he described as "a company town, where success can look like a dozen different things, most of them superficial"- he's seen how easily disconnection can take root and urged students to engage openly with those who think differently.

"We all agree on most of the most important things," he said. Lovett encouraged students to approach each other-and the broader world - with generosity. "Get to know people where they are," he continued. "These [divisive] issues aren't even part of their daily lives."

Lovett urged students to embrace a simple but powerful principle: "Treat people how you want to be treated. Be aggressive about that idea."

Go long

Like everywhere else, AI is rewriting the rules of the entertainment industry. Lovett called it a "seismic shift" that will "change everyone's world and lives."

AI video generation is one such example. "Sora went out in the world without any care around who owned the IP," he said. "They break things and then just apologize later."

He urged students to avoid generative shortcuts in their own learning.

"The actual shortcut is the long way," he said. "Use your unique voice. Express yourself in the most authentic way. Write what you are passionate about. That's the shortcut."

Yes, and

Even as the conversation tackled some big issues, Lovett kept the mood light with reminiscing about his days at UW-Madison, from playing Pac-Man at the KK to refusing to wear a hat in winter because it would mess up his signature mullet.

He closed with some additional, wide-ranging advice for the students in attendance.

"College is a unique time," he said. "You have so much freedom right now - time, bandwidth. So, say yes as much as possible to as much as possible."

And, in a theme that resurfaced throughout the evening, Lovett noted that inspiration can be found nearly everywhere, but it only "happens when you show up every day."

"You all know so much," he told the audience. "Your advantage is to be willing to work really hard."