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by Jason Felts (Author), Richard Branson (Foreword by)
Hollywood Virgin is more than a tell-all memoir about the business of show business from the founder and CEO of Virgin's entertainment company--it's about hustle, risk-taking, sudden success, insider realizations, self-discovery, breakdowns, and walking away before you lose everything... alongside plenty of behind-the-screen shockers, celebrity stories, and yes, a bathrobe or two.
Growing up in small-town Texas, Jason Felts dreamed of being in Hollywood. He made his way to California, started his own production company at 23, was named to Variety's "Top 10 to Watch" list, rubbed elbows with famous faces daily, and rose quickly to build and lead a multi-million dollar entertainment company for Virgin, one of the world's most respected brands--so why did he walk away at such a young age?
Jason recounts how he diligently pursued opportunities in the entertainment industry, quickly working his way up from small-time, thankless jobs serving the most powerful, to becoming a key industry player himself, making incredible things happen behind the scenes that no one ever knew--until now. Join him as he spills never-told-before tea, sharing how he lost his Hollywood virginity by:
- Creating and producing the first show that put a Kardashian on TV
- Turning access into authentic relationships and partnerships with stars such as Jessica & Ashlee Simpson, will.i.am, Justin Berfield, among many others
- The origin story behind founding and running an award winning Virgin branded company--and having Sir Richard Branson as a mentor
- Pitching films and shows with names such Halle Berry, Courteney Cox, and Oliver Stone
- Being tapped as the youngest CEO (only after Branson himself) to ever run a Virgin company
- Coming out of the closet to take action publicly as a founding board member of the PULSE foundation in the aftermath of the Orlando nightclub shooting
- Planning and joining the Obama's on their first post-presidency vacation the day they left the White House, and taking the former President's life changing advice
- Alongside more misadventures, hijinks, hits and flops, and hiding from bad headlines...
Hollywood Virgin is Jason's journey of discovering what happens when you achieve more than you imagined and find that the excess isn't enough. With no stone unturned, this raw and real insider look provides a peek behind the scenes of an industry very few really know.
Jason elegantly removes the concealer off the powerful, fake, and dishonest power players at the same time he equally shines light on the authentic, selfless, or lesser known stories in Hollywood. For all those working hard towards fulfilling their dreams, learn and be inspired from his anything-but-straightforward career.
Front Jacket
IN Hollywood Virgin: Breaking Into and Out of Show Business, serial entrepreneur, producer, marketing strategist, and Virgin executive Jason Felts delivers an inspiring midlife memoir that encourages relentlessness in the pursuit of your dreams while staying true to who you are--and the ones you love--along the way.
Jason Felts was a small-town, closeted kid with big dreams that ran directly to the grit and glamour of Hollywood. Through a cocktail of hard work, gumption, positivity, and a little bit of luck, Jason eventually turned every dream into reality, even if Hollywood didn't turn out to be all it was cracked up to be.
Hollywood Virgin includes never-before-told stories about a host of famous names- including Halle Berry, Courteney Cox, Paris Hilton, the Kardashians, the Obamas, the Simpsons, and of course, the Bransons. Humor abounds as you read about the time Jason delivered royal underwear to a Queen on Necker Island and what it's like to take a spin on Air Force One. More importantly, you'll rediscover that life is worth living, not because of what you have accomplished--or will accomplish--but because of who you love and what you can do for them.
With a Foreword written by Sir Richard Branson, Hollywood Virgin is a one-of-a-kind, wilder-than-fiction story that will earn a place in the libraries of everyone interested in the entertainment industry, the nature of celebrity, and the power of perseverance. It's an inspiring story for anyone yearning to discover and be their authentic self, overcome and strive again, and find out what a life enriched with purpose is all about.
Author Biography
JASON FELTS is an entrepreneur and brand marketing strategist who co-founded and served as CEO of Virgin Produced and Virgin Fest from 2009 to 2020. Before retiring from Hollywood at age 45, he co-produced over two dozen successful films and television series, including Limitless, Bad Moms, 21 & Over, and more, and has been profiled in Forbes, Bloomberg, Billboard, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times.
