EXCLUSIVE: Verve has promoted veteran MP Lit Agent Valarie Phillips and Talent Agent JR Ringer to Partner.
Said co-founding Partners Adam Levine and Bryan Besser, “We are so proud to announce the promotions of Valarie Phillips and JR Ringer to Partner. They are the very definition of a Verve agent, embodying Verve’s values and strengths, bringing an entrepreneurial approach and standard of excellence to championing and elevating creative careers that have longevity and cultural impact. They have also distinguished themselves by espousing Verve’s team-driven approach, and we know their addition to our Partnership will continue to propel Verve forward as the agency embraces innovative expansion.”
Joining Verve in 2024, following stints at the now-defunct A3 and Paradigm, Phillips has more than two decades of experience representing writers for film and television, as well as directors and actors. Her elevation to Partner reflects her longstanding leadership, dedication to mentorship and advocacy, and her impact on building enduring creative careers.
Over the years, Phillips has helped guide the careers of notables including writer Guy Busick, who has two films releasing in 2026 (Scream 7 and Ready or Not 2); Eric Tuchman, showrunner of The Handmaid’s Tale; and Kenny Ortega, who this year celebrates the 20-year anniversary of his Disney Channel franchise-launcher High School Musical. Her client roster also includes author E. Lockhart (We Were Liars) and directors Laura Terruso (About My Father), Sasie Sealy (Lucky Grandma), and Tina Mabry (The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat).
An outspoken advocate for women in the entertainment industry, Phillips has mentored numerous up-and-comers throughout her career. She has also worked as a mentor to high school students in Los Angeles, served as a Big Sister of America, and, as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has mentored Academy Gold Star Mentees navigating their first years in the business.
“Having spent more than two decades building creative careers through an ever-evolving industry, joining Verve two years ago has been incredibly meaningful,” Phillips said. “Verve is uniquely innovative and deeply goal-oriented on behalf of its clients. I feel fortunate to work alongside such a collaborative and driven team, and I’m honored to join Verve’s Partnership and play a role in shaping the agency as it grows into the future.”
Ringer joined Verve as a talent agent in 2022, after 12 years at ICM, tapped by Head of Talent, Sean Grumman, to play an integral role in building and expanding the Talent Team. Among his clients is Josh Hartnett, who’s enjoyed a career resurgence while in partnership with Ringer, with upcoming projects including Amazon MGM’s Verity and a Newfoundland-set series for Netflix, which he will star and exec produce. There’s also Sean Bean, who stars opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in Focus Features’ psychological drama Anemone and has a leading role in MGM+’s Robin Hood; Burn Gorman, who will next be seen in Chloe Okuno’s Brides for Neon, Jumanji 3 for Sony, and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Digger at Warner Bros.; Foundation star Lou Llobel, who will next be seen in André Øvredal’s Passenger for Paramount; and One Piece star Taz Skylar, whose film Monitor premieres this year at SXSW.
Ringer also reps such next-gen talent as Bloodaxe‘s Levi Miller, Dark Matter‘s Oakes Fegley, Tomb Raider‘s Jack Bannon, and Ransom Canyon‘s Lizzy Greene. Additional clients include Tony winner Dan Fogler (House of the Dragon), Andy Allo (Prime Video’s Upload), Olivia Thirlby (Law & Order: Organized Crime, Archangel), Rodrigo Santoro (The Son of a Thousand Men, Westworld), Michael Dorman (Patriot, Territory), and Tony Revolori (Roofman). Most recently, he signed clients January Jones (Mad Men) and Emory Cohen (Marty Supreme).
Ringer observed that “Verve offers a completely unique type of agency representation for artists,” adding, “I look forward to continuing that thoughtful, passionate, client-first approach to our current and future clients as part of the Verve Partnership.”
English (US) ·