Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly’s agent Jay Kanter dies aged 97-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro

Jay Kanter was one of the most influential agents in Hollywood (Picture: Reuters)

Jay Kanter, the power agent who represented Hollywood stars including Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Marlon Brando, has died aged 97.

Kanter was one of the leading players in Tinseltown, later becoming a producer on the likes of Star Wars and Thelma and Louise.

He died ‘peacefully’ yesterday at his home in Beverly Hills from natural causes, his son Adam Kanter confirmed to TMZ.

Kanter’s cause of death was ‘natural causes.’

The executive started his career in the movie industry after serving in the US Navy during the Second World War.

Kanter’s first Hollywood job was at agency MCA where his longtime collaboration with his friend Brando began.

Kelly was one of Kanter’s numerous Hollywood star clients (Picture: Bettmann Archive)

Kanter helped guide Monroe’s career (Picture: Frank Povolny/Twentieth Century Fox/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

Kanter struck up a friendship with Brando after he was sent to collect him from a train station aged just 22.

He went on to represent other stars including Warren Beatty, Ronald Reagan and Gene Kelly.

Kanter got involved in production after moving to London when MCA bought Universal. He oversaw production for the studio in Europe.

He later founded his own production company with Elliot Kastner and Alan Ladd before accepting an executive role at 20th Century Fox.

Kanter (right) also represented the likes of Beatty before moving into film production (Picture: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for BHH)

Kanter was a longtime friend of Brando’s (Picture: Leo Fuchs/Getty Images)

At the studio, Kanter worked on classics including Blade Runner, Chariots of Fire, Alien and the Police Academy franchise.

His credits also include High Anxiety, Spaceballs, Young Frankenstein and Silent Movie.

Kanter was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 12, 1926. He was married three times: first briefly to actress Roberta Haynes before tying the knot to actress Judy Balaban, the daughter of Paramount Pictures boss Barney Balaban.

He married Kit Bennett in 1965 and they remained together until her death in 2014.

Kanters is survived by six children and several grandchildren.

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