Martha Luttrell dies at 80: Ex-ICM agent succumbs to pancreatic cancer

Martha Luttrell, a talent agent who worked for ICM and represented stars including Susan Sarandon and the late Sam Shepard and Waylon Jennings, died Monday at the age of 80.

Luttrell died in Calabasas, California after battling pancreatic cancer, her friend Holly Goldberg Sloan told Variety Tuesday.

Luttrell had helped guide the careers of a number of notable creatives, most prominently that of Sarandon, the 78-year-old Oscar winner who had not yet put out a statement on her social media Tuesday evening as news of her former agent's passing spread.

Among the people Luttrell represented included actors such as Stephen Rea, Judy Davis, Dereck Joubert and Beverly Joubert, and musician Don Was.

Luttrell also represented filmmakers Julie Taymor, Paul Weiland, Martin Campbell, Mick Jackson, Tony Bill and Jon Amiel, according to the outlet.

Luttrell got her beginning in showbusiness working as a receptionist for Capitol Records, Variety reported.

Luttrell was born on October 31, 1944, in Vancouver, Canada, and began her career in entertainment 'right out of high school,' Deadline reported Tuesday. 

She worked for famed late filmmaker Mike Nichols in New York City on the 1973 film The Day of the Dolphin, and subsequently moved to Los Angeles, according to  Variety.

Luttrell worked as an assistant for late talent agent Bill Robinson at his company The Robinson Agency, where she honed her skills in the business, eventually achieving a partnership position.

Their company, subsequently known as Robinson/Luttrell and Associates, was sold to ICM in 1983, and Luttrell would continue working there as an agent for a 25-year span.

Berg retired in 2008 and relocated to Aspen, Colorado, Deadline reported. 

Jeff Berg, who was chairman and CEO of ICM at the time, said in a statement, 'We have tremendous respect for Martha and what she has accomplished for the agency and her clients. After working with her for so many years, she will be greatly missed.' 

Berg hailed Luttrell as a trailblazer for women in the management sector of the entertainment industry.

'At the time she began her career there were few women in senior positions working in talent agencies,' Berg told Variety Tuesday. 'Martha made a real difference advancing opportunities for women, which is quite a legacy.'

Luttrell was a passionate advocate for her clients, a sharp assessor of material, and tenacious when brokering deals, Goldberg Sloan told Deadline, adding that the late agent threw lavish parties on Halloween, which was also her birthday.

Luttrell was also involved with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, both as a member and chair on the Academy’s Agent Group, according to Variety.

She had also been a member of UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television's advisory board, according to Deadline. 

Luttrell is survived by nephew Peter Luttrell and his spouse Dr. Stephanie White, and their two children; nieces Heather and Wendy, and goddaughter Francesca. 

In her memory, donations could be made to the Aspen Community Foundation. A celebration of her life is slated to be announced in the future, according to multiple reports.