Colonna Brothers history

Close friend Belushi died of a drug overdose in early 1982, however, and afterwards the stunned manager came close to quitting the business.

In February of 1984 Brillstein met young manager Brad Grey at an industry convention, and when they ran into each other in Hawaii a short time later Grey proposed an informal partnership where he would learn the production side of the business in exchange for bringing in fresh talent.

In early 1992 Brillstein split the firm's ownership equally with Grey and it became known as Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, with the pair designated co-chairmen.

In July of 1993 Brillstein-Grey created a new motion picture division, which would be run by former Sandollar Productions head Howard Rosenman.

In October of 1995 Brad Grey was named CEO and chairman of the company while Bernie Brillstein took the title of founding partner.

In July 1999 the lawsuit with Shandling was settled out of court on the eve of a jury trial, with the undisclosed settlement reportedly involving the exchange of rights to TV series.

In the fall of 2001 Brillstein-Grey Management absorbed the Sarkes/Kernis management company and its 25 clients, including comedians like Andy Richter, Steven Wright, and Cheri Oteri.

In 2004 Brillstein-Grey absorbed Margaret Riley Management, whose talent roster included a number of successful screenwriters, directors, and producers.