from Vanity Fair

Sue Mengers

With a client list that included Ali MacGraw, Gene Hackman, and Barbra Streisand, Sue Mengers, the first superagent, ruled 1970s Hollywood with her brash, no-nonsense style. Herewith, the expert deal-maker dishes on insects, Paris Hilton, and sleeping.

Jack Nicholson

Which living person do you most admire? 
 My plumber.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? 
 There’s not enough paper …

What is the trait you most deplore in others? 
 Lack of humor.

What is your greatest extravagance? 
 Grass.

What is the quality you most like in a man? 
 That he breathes.

What is the quality you most like in a woman? 
 Forgiveness.

What do you most value in your friends? 
 Utter devotion.

Who are your heroes in real life? 
 Doctors.

How would you like to die? 
 I think I already have.

What is your motto? 
 “Tomorrow may not be another day.”

[ click to read the full Proust at Vanity Fair ]