Jon Mercedes(1948-2013)
- Executive
- Actor
- Writer
Jon Mercedes III is a multi-talented creator, writer, producer and
executive in the entertainment industry. He is currently chairman and
CEO of Fiesta Studios, President of Entertainment Consulting Services
and President and CEO of Mercedes Entertainment, and has worked in the entertainment industry for 25 years as a writer/producer. His experience in film and television is substantial and varied; he has been a producer, writer, production executive, personal manager, publicist, nightclub owner, publisher, and entertainment consultant.
His professional career as a writer began in 1975 when he started developing stories and screenplays. In 1976 he sold his first script and joined the Writers Guild of West America. He also wrote for the Canadian hit game show Party Game, hosted by Jim Perry, and ghosted for several celebrity novelists.
In 1978, Jon became a staff writer for Paramount and ABC's Happy Days and spent a year working alongside director/producer Jerry Paris and executive producer Garry Marshall. In the same year, he founded two companies, Mercedes/Cohen Management and United Public Relations. Both companies were partnered with personal manager Paul Cohen and they went on to represent many television stars for management and publicity. Two years later, he started The Mercedes Company, a firm representing television stars and behind-the-camera talent.
His debut as a film producer was with the short feature film Pale Horse, Pale Rider based on Katherine Anne Porter's Pulitzer Prize winning short story. He was associate producer on four films for Action International Pictures, and in 1973 served as executive producer and artistic director with the Mercury Players, a repertory theatre company. Jon was also executive producer for the New Playwrights Foundation, a theatre group dedicated to new writers and has produced over 15 plays in Los Angeles.
Jon attended Los Angeles City College and UCLA where he was a film major. He wrote, directed, produced and acted in over twenty student films. In addition to all his professional activities, Jon is an active member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Hollywood Radio & TV Society, the Independent Feature Project West, the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America, West. He also served as Chairman of The Latino Writers Committee of the Writers Guild of America, West for three and a half years, with Moctesuma Esparza as Vice Chair during 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994. He is also President of The Screenplay Readers Company, a story analyst and creative executives firm which provides coverage for independent production companies, literary agencies, directors and producers. He also served a 2 year term at Esparza/Katz Productions where he was Vice President of Development and Creative Affairs.
In Las Vegas, he teamed-up with producer/manager Tony DeLauro and co-produced his first live stage show, starring Chubby Checker and comedian Marty Cohen at the Sands Hotel.
Mercedes has also represented some of the top Latinos in below-the-line areas including Bob Morones (Casting Director), Joe Aubel (Production Designer) Sylvia Vega -Vazquez (Costume Designer) and Ken Diaz (Make-up Artist) and has produced and staged over 50 Latino stand-up comedy nights at Hollywood's legendary comedy clubs, The Improv and The Comedy Store. These shows led to the creation and development of the Latino Comedy Olympics Competition and Festival which took place in California in 2003.
His professional career as a writer began in 1975 when he started developing stories and screenplays. In 1976 he sold his first script and joined the Writers Guild of West America. He also wrote for the Canadian hit game show Party Game, hosted by Jim Perry, and ghosted for several celebrity novelists.
In 1978, Jon became a staff writer for Paramount and ABC's Happy Days and spent a year working alongside director/producer Jerry Paris and executive producer Garry Marshall. In the same year, he founded two companies, Mercedes/Cohen Management and United Public Relations. Both companies were partnered with personal manager Paul Cohen and they went on to represent many television stars for management and publicity. Two years later, he started The Mercedes Company, a firm representing television stars and behind-the-camera talent.
His debut as a film producer was with the short feature film Pale Horse, Pale Rider based on Katherine Anne Porter's Pulitzer Prize winning short story. He was associate producer on four films for Action International Pictures, and in 1973 served as executive producer and artistic director with the Mercury Players, a repertory theatre company. Jon was also executive producer for the New Playwrights Foundation, a theatre group dedicated to new writers and has produced over 15 plays in Los Angeles.
Jon attended Los Angeles City College and UCLA where he was a film major. He wrote, directed, produced and acted in over twenty student films. In addition to all his professional activities, Jon is an active member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Hollywood Radio & TV Society, the Independent Feature Project West, the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America, West. He also served as Chairman of The Latino Writers Committee of the Writers Guild of America, West for three and a half years, with Moctesuma Esparza as Vice Chair during 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994. He is also President of The Screenplay Readers Company, a story analyst and creative executives firm which provides coverage for independent production companies, literary agencies, directors and producers. He also served a 2 year term at Esparza/Katz Productions where he was Vice President of Development and Creative Affairs.
In Las Vegas, he teamed-up with producer/manager Tony DeLauro and co-produced his first live stage show, starring Chubby Checker and comedian Marty Cohen at the Sands Hotel.
Mercedes has also represented some of the top Latinos in below-the-line areas including Bob Morones (Casting Director), Joe Aubel (Production Designer) Sylvia Vega -Vazquez (Costume Designer) and Ken Diaz (Make-up Artist) and has produced and staged over 50 Latino stand-up comedy nights at Hollywood's legendary comedy clubs, The Improv and The Comedy Store. These shows led to the creation and development of the Latino Comedy Olympics Competition and Festival which took place in California in 2003.
