Meet Max Shifrin | Talent Manager & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Max Shifrin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Max, can you tell us about a book that has had a meaningful impact on you?
A book I read that really inspired me is called The Defining Decade by Meg Jay. Meg is a clinical psychologist who specializes in those in their twenties and uses stories from real life to provide smart and compassionate advice about these crucial years that culture has historically said don’t matter. I was recommended this book by a good friend when I was 25, and the week after I finished it I was inspired to start my company. I would encourage anyone in their twenties to read it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think what sets SGA apart is how committed we are to providing a platform for the LGBTQ+ community. Right after I started my entertainment company in 2017, one of my early business partners suggested we focus on giving a voice to the queer community through the projects we produce and the clients we manage, and even though I identify as straight I loved his idea and I’m so glad we stuck with it. The queer community is such a powerhouse of creativity and talent and massively underrepresented in Hollywood, so this strategy provided us with not just a mission and a purpose but an edge and a niche that we continue to enjoy today.

Starting an entertainment company from scratch was daunting but I wanted to be successful at it more than anything else. There’s a Napoleon Hill quote that goes, “When your desires are strong enough you will appear to possess superhuman powers to achieve.” In the beginning I was fearless. I used my lunch breaks at my sales job to go into spare rooms and make cold calls to try to generate momentum by calling agents, producers, executives, anyone and everyone who I thought could help me. I pitched them ideas and clients, and after we spoke, I sent them handwritten letters with $5 Starbucks gift cards enclosed. A lot of people were so struck by that gesture they would reach out to arrange a meeting. I learned a little kindness and generosity could go a long way to open doors.

SGA’s first project was an LGBTQ+ stand-up comedy show I pitched to the legendary club, The Comedy Store in West Hollywood. It took about 10 attempts of calling the club to finally get the booker on the phone but once I did, she was happy to give me a date since the show was LGBTQ+ which she considered “diverse.” Our first show was a massive success and the club gave us a monthly residency, which was a dream come true because I’m a huge stand-up comedy fan and even used to perform when I first moved to LA. Fortunately, I have great taste in talent, so the show remained successful and we never lost the residency. Over the next five years my show, “West Hollywood Brunch” was regarded as the top LGBTQ+ stand-up comedy show in LA and I believe almost every top queer comedian in the world has graced its stage at some point. As a comedy nerd and someone who grew up watching “Premium Blend” on Comedy Central every day before school, I feel beyond lucky to have worked with so many genius comedians while producing this show. I was eventually hired by Netflix to produce West Hollywood Brunch for their inaugural Netflix is a Joke comedy festival in 2022. I’m now developing the concept for TV with the inclusion of drag performers so you can expect “WeHo Drag Brunch” to grace your TV sets soon!

I’ve also had the pleasure of producing several feature films over the last few years including most recently the 2023 film “Love Virtually” starring Cheri Oteri, Stephen Tobolowsky, Paul F. Tompkins, and Adam Ray. Rated 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, Love Virtually is such a fun script and story and what made the project even more enjoyable is that I got to cast the film as well.

Another project I produced was the 2021 horror film, “Knifecorp”. I grew up loving horror movies and was a big Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees fan, so working on “Knifecorp” which stars horror legend Kane Hodder was a dream come true. Kane is known for playing Jason Vorhees in the Friday the 13th franchise, in which he wears his iconic hockey mask.

There are many other TV and Film projects I am developing and producing alongside my clients, including Arisce, a trans supermodel and perennial host of West Hollywood Pride. Arisce is a multi-hyphenate who writes, acts, models, hosts, performs comedy, and so much more. She is writing a semi-autobiographical script we are developing into a series with the help of a production company. Also, given her decade plus of fashion commentary and modeling experience, we are developing a non-scripted series in which she will star similar in tone and concept to the late Joan Rivers’ “Fashion Police.”

With all of this and so much more, it’s exciting that after seven years of development, SGA is just getting started.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
On the first night, we would have to go to dinner at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills and then find the best comedy lineup in town, likely either at Supernova Comedy or The Comedy Store.

For the second night, we would go out in West Hollywood, starting the night at Petit Ermitage’s private rooftop for dinner and drinks, one of the best and most fun luxury hotels in town. Later that week, Craig’s in West Hollywood and Nobu in Malibu.

Later that week, we would go on a day trip to Orange County, dunking ourselves in the ocean at Newport Beach and eating the best poke on earth at Bear Flag Fish Co.

We would wrap up the week by going out on Main Street in Santa Monica and starting at Circle Bar. They play really fun rap music which is always fun to listen and dance to.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to recognize Arisce, my client of six years who has stood by me since the inception of SGA. She is a supermodel, comedian, host, writer, actress, and most of all an amazing friend. She is one of the smartest and most talented people I know. She inspires me on a daily basis, and the world is better for having her in it.

Website: https://www.sgaent.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maxshifrin_sga/?hl=en

Image Credits
Jerod Harris
Brandon Simmoneau