As you work your way down the power ladder, you'll find A-list agents. Unlike actors and directors, this level of Hollywood hierarchy is marked by companies more than individuals, but there are notable exceptions.

The top ten agencies are (in alphabetical order):

• Agency for Performing Arts (APA)

• Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

• Endeavor Talent Agency

• The Firm

• Gersh Agency

• Innovative Artists Talent & Literary Agency

• International Creative Management (ICM)

• Paradigm Talent & Literary Agency

• United Talent Agency (UTA)

• William Morris Agency (WMA)

In 1950, talent agent Lew Wasserman was representing actor Jimmy Stewart. In an unprecedented move, he negotiated Stewart a guaranteed percentage of the returns of his 1950 movies Harvey and Winchester '73 in addition to his actor's regular fee.

Thirty years later, Michael Ovitz turned Creative Artist Agency (CAA) into Hollywood's thousand-pound gorilla by repeatedly securing first-dollar gross deals for many of CAA's clients. This meant the talent received a percentage of the total box office dollars, rather than a cut of net profits, which were often promised but never materialized due to unscrupulous accounting practices.