62. Toni Howard

Anyone who has lasted five decades in Hollywood (Howard assisted Harold Mirisch in the 1960s, then was a casting director on 1978's "Superman" and 1982's "Tootsie" before turning agent) knows something about how to stay relevant. "You should represent an actor you feel in your soul, not just someone who happens to be hot," says Howard, a fervent sports fan and politics buff.

"It should be someone you want to spend your next 20 years with." This strategy paid off this year with prestige clients like Laura Linney, who won an Emmy for HBO's "John Adams," and Michael Sheen, garnering awards buzz for Universal's "Frost/Nixon." Next year, client Edie Falco unveils her Showtime sitcom "Nurse Jackie," while Halle Berry will produce and star in the multiple-personality drama "Frankie and Alice." Client Samuel L. Jackson has several projects on tap, including Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds."