Mike Berkowitz & Allysa Mahler To Lead WME's Restructured Comedy Crossover Group

Tori D’Angelo – Mike Berkowitz
WME

WME has announced that partners Mike Berkowitz and Allysa Mahler will lead the agency’s restructured comedy crossover group, with the goal of bringing increasing opportunities for comedy talent across touring, TV, film, publishing, digital and endorsements.

Additionally, WME has also hired Kathleen Lewis from Anonymous Content and promoted Katie Marshall to agent.

Berkowitz has led the agency’s comedy touring group since joining WME in 2018, after joining from APA, while Mahler’s background is in scripted television and talent with an emphasis on comedic voices.

null – Allysa Mahler
WME

The new team brings together agents with comedic touchpoints throughout WME with the objective of bringing more crossover opportunities to the agency’s comedic talent across different media divisions, according to the announcement.

“The comedy business today demands a 360-degree approach to servicing our clients, and we’re pleased to form this new group to bring them even more opportunities,” Berkowitz and Mahler said in a statement announcing the group. “We are excited to welcome Kathleen to the team and to promote Katie as we continue expanding and look forward to our next chapter of growth.”

Berkowitz joined WME in 2018 as a partner to oversee the comedy touring department, and his clients include Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, John Mulaney, Bill Burr, Ramy Youssef and many others. Together Mahler and Berkowitz represent Jacqueline Novak, Katherine Ryan, Marlon Wayans, Sam Jay and Sarah Cooper among others.

Mahler joined the company in 2008 and was named a partner in 2020. Her clients include Benito Skinner, Bridget Everett, Cazzie David, Diablo Cody, Josh Gad, Kay Cannon, Sabrina Jalees and Zack Fox, along with “SNL” cast members Punkie Johnson, Melissa Villaseñor, Alex Moffat and “SNL” writing supervisor Streeter Seidell.

Lewis joins the agency from Anonymous Content. She began her career at WME in the commercials department, but spent the last five years in the talent department at Anonymous Content, where she represented writers and performers including Connor Hines (“Dollface,” “Spaceforce”), Grace Kuhlenschmidt (“Search Party”), Justin Cornwell (“Havoc,” “Umbrella Academy”), Mike E. Winfield (“Stepman”), Aristotle Athiras (“SNL”, Just for Laughs New Face 2021), Camille Kostek (“Wipeout,” “Free Guy”), and many others. In this role, she also represented Anonymous Content at all comedy festivals.

– Kathleen Lewis

WME’s overall comedy business includes Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais, Amy Poehler, Loren Bouchard, Mike Judge, Ben Stiller, Donald Glover, Eddie Murphy, Adam McKay, Larry David, Maya Rudolph, Adam Sandler, Rob McElhenney, and many others.

While almost all comedians perform live, Kevin Hart’s touring history in particular looks more like one for the most popular rock bands on the planet, with sold-out arenas across the world, on a level very few artists of any genre can match.

The multimedia star was named Pollstar’s Touring Artist of the Decade (Comedy) at this year’s Pollstar Awards.

His smash “Irresponsible” tour that took place in 2017-2019 took him across the globe from London to Iceland, Singapore and Milwaukee.

His work in 2018 put him at No. 33 worldwide on Pollstar’s Top Tours Year End chart, reporting more than $50 million grossed on 66 shows. Just three years earlier, in 2015, he came in at No. 12 for the year worldwide with more than $82 million grossed on a staggering 137 shows.