Alumnus Darrell Miller took the lessons he learned at CCM and used them to become one of the world’s leading entertainment attorneys.
CCM alumnus Darrell D. Miller (BFA, 1985) has worked with some of the biggest names in music, television and film … but probably not in the capacity that is typically expected of musical theatre graduates.
After completing his studies at Cincinnati’s School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA), Miller came to CCM intent on pursuing a career in voice performance and musical theatre. Early professional experience with the Civic Light Opera (CLO) in Pittsburgh left Miller well-poised for success on Broadway.
Miller graduated from UC with honors in 1985. Tours with several national production companies followed, along with a lead role in the jazz opera Leo and an international tour of the musical The Princess and the Pea, before Miller decided to take his career in a slightly different direction.
In 1990, Miller received his Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center, and he has gone on to become one of the world’s leading entertainment attorneys, working in film, television, theatre and digital media.
Today, Miller is the managing partner of Fox Rothschild LLP’s Los Angeles offices and the chair of the firm’s Entertainment Law Department. His client list includes Academy Award-nominated actress Angela Bassett, star of the hit CBS program NCIS (and fellow Cincinnati-native and SCPA alumnus) Roscoe “Rocky“ Carroll, music mogul and film actor Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, reality television star NeNe Leakes and more.
Earlier this month, Miller received a spotlight in Variety magazine’s 2014 Legal Impact Report. This recognition follows hot on the heels of Miller’s inclusion in The Hollywood Reporter’s 2013 list of “Power Attorneys.” Next month, the Dunham Publishing Group will release his first book, The 16th Minute of Fame.
Miller explains, “In reflection, I would say that getting into CCM and performing with the CLO was my first 15 minutes of fame, but at the time, I was just enjoying the experience and praying that it would last.”
Named the National Bar Association’s “Entertainment Attorney of the Year” in 2012, Miller has made a career out of guiding performers, athletes and others in the entertainment industry through those first “15 minutes of fame” and helping them to maintain that initial success throughout their professional lives. His own early experiences as a singer and a performer have given him a unique insight into creative talent.
Miller’s book, The 16th Minute of Fame, details the serious perils that come with blindly embracing and enjoying the fleeting fun of celebrity fame and fast money. Part professional memoir, part insider’s guide to the entertainment industry and part manual for strategic career planning, The 16th Minute of Fame ultimately focuses on the pathways to a more successful life.
For Miller, that pathway and those first “15 minutes“ started in CCM’s musical theatre program at the University of Cincinnati.
You can learn more about Miller’s forthcoming book by visiting www.16thminuteoffame.com.
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