Representing Deceased Celebrities

After a celebrity passes away, his or her career can continue to grow and thrive for many more years. One agent familiar with representing deceased clients is Mark Roesler, a pioneer in the legal field of representing deceased celebrities. Some of the famous clients Roesler currently represents include Babe Ruth, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Gloria Swanson, John Belushi, and Marilyn Monroe.

According to Roesler, product endorsements take up a majority of the work when representing deceased celebrities. Roesler’s agency also creates a web site for each of its deceased clients and maintains its clients’ fan clubs.

Before Roesler created this legal and entertainment niche twenty-five years ago, a celebrity’s right to profit from and control hir or her good name died with them. Now, thanks to Roesler’s efforts, the law in most  states provides that the rights a celebrity holds over his or her image passes to his or her heirs after death.

For more information on Roesler’s representation of deceased celebrities, see Frank Devine, How Celebs Make a Living After Death, 60 Minutes, Jan. 10, 2011.

Special thanks to Adam J. Hirsh (William and Catherine VanDercreek Professor of Law, Florida State University College of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.