Ari Emanuel has loomed large in the public imagination since 2004, when HBO’s “Entourage” parodied him as the archetypal Hollywood agent. Ruthless. Volatile. Greedy. A sociopath who bullies until you bend.
It’s a caricature that Mr. Emanuel has leaned into over the decades, or at least tolerated.
Until now.
Mr. Emanuel, whether intentionally or not, has been showing a very different side of himself — more purr than snarl — as a co-host of a video podcast called “Rushmore.” It’s not a full-time gig, or even a part-time one. You might call it a minor hobby. But the podcast nonetheless amounts to a striking reversal for Mr. Emanuel: After a career representing talent, he is the talent.
In each episode, Mr. Emanuel and a young sidekick, Ben Persky, who co-owns a music management agency, debate who and what defines greatness: which people, products or moments deserve to be on the Mount Rushmores of various fields (sports, video games, restaurants). The men are joined by two guests, each a titan in the field at hand.
A recent 38-minute episode found Mr. Emanuel, 64, and Mr. Persky, 35, in a Nashville recording studio debating with the country superstars Jason Aldean (“Any Ol’ Barstool”) and Luke Bryan (“Knockin’ Boots”). Who should be on the Mount Rushmore of country music?
“Oh, let’s go — this is fun,” Mr. Bryan said in his signature cornpone drawl. Mr. Emanuel laughed and clapped his hands with delight.
For people who have dealt with the combative Mr. Emanuel over the decades, this can be a bit like watching a body-swapping comedy: Who are you, and what have you done with Ari Emanuel? In contrast to his reputation, Mr. Emanuel comes across on “Rushmore” as eminently likable. He’s polite and thoughtful. He’s able to maintain his focus for more than 90 seconds. Mr. Emanuel even allows himself brief moments of vulnerability — when the armor slips, and he’s not the alpha.
While unveiling his choices for the greatest country artists ever, Mr. Emanuel seemed nervous about sharing a name. What if the choice made him look like a dilettante? None of the other guys had mentioned this person.
As Mr. Emanuel hesitated and stared at a piece of paper, Mr. Aldean and Mr. Bryan exchanged an “uh-oh” sideways glance. Finally, Mr. Emanuel spit out his choice. “I went with Willie Nelson,” he said in an almost apologetic tone.
Mr. Persky rushed to offer reassurance. (“That’s a great answer!”) Mr. Aldean did, too, noting Mr. Nelson’s strength as a songwriter.
“He got high a lot,” Mr. Emanuel said, referring to Mr. Nelson’s fondness for marijuana. “I like that about him.”
The dudes guffawed. Mr. Emanuel beamed.
After the taping, while sitting on a sofa in the studio’s greenroom, Mr. Emanuel said it would be unwise to read too much into “Rushmore.” Image polishing was the last thing on his mind, he said.
“We’re just trying to have fun,” he said.
Was the courteous and playful Ari Emanuel on display in “Rushmore” the real Ari Emanuel? Or was it an act? This certainly didn’t seem like the guy who inspired Ari Gold, the brash “Entourage” character.
“The difference is that I’m not trying to get a deal done or spin something on the show,” he said, adding that the podcast grew out of an informal game that he and Mr. Persky used to play while socializing. They became pals during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Mr. Emanuel was dating Sarah Staudinger, a fashion designer; she and Mr. Persky are best friends. Ms. Staudinger and Mr. Emanuel married in 2022.
But surely, the irony of a talent agent becoming talent wasn’t lost on him, right?
“I don’t think about it,” Mr. Emanuel said.
Was he certain about that?
“Positive!”
Mr. Emanuel’s approach to his personal brand is changing in other ways. He joined Instagram in August. (He hasn’t posted much yet.) He also has a 320-page memoir coming out in the fall.
The book, “Roll the Calls,” was written with J.R. Moehringer, who has helped people like Prince Harry (“Spare”) and Andre Agassi (“Open”) tell their stories. “Ari Emanuel is one of the most influential people in the world, but he’s also something of a mystery,” promotional material for “Roll the Calls” reads. “Now, for the first time, the agent, the mogul, the iconic power broker speaks for himself, about himself.”
Numerous people in Mr. Emanuel’s orbit attributed his shift, at least in part, to happiness in his marriage. (His first ended in divorce in 2018.) The acquaintances also noted that Mr. Emanuel had worked on himself in therapy — he’s quite open about this — and that his career had evolved.
These days, Mr. Emanuel is not exhaustively trying to build an empire. (Been there, done that.) He primarily spends his time running TKO, the publicly traded owner of World Wrestling Entertainment and Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the founder of MARI, an upstart events and experiences company. And he remains executive chairman at the William Morris Endeavor talent agency.
He has largely handed over William Morris Endeavor to lieutenants, however. This has perhaps made Mr. Emanuel more willing to moonlight as talent himself: As an agent, the last thing you want to do is upstage a client.
Mr. Emanuel said he squeezes in “Rushmore” when he can. The taping with Mr. Aldean and Mr. Bryan, both represented by William Morris Endeavor, started 20 minutes early — almost the second everyone had arrived. It lasted 42 minutes. In the end, the group selected Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, George Strait and Johnny Cash to be chiseled into stone.
“We got time to go to the bar,” Mr. Bryan said afterward, marveling at the speed.
The post-show interview for this article lasted 12 minutes. “Gotta go,” Mr. Emanuel said abruptly, as Mr. Persky trailed behind.
“Rushmore” debuted on X in September. The first episode, produced by Pat McAfee, the N.F.L. punter turned media personality, has been viewed roughly 5.7 million times. It featured Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. The group debated who should go on the Mount Rushmore of N.F.L. receivers.
Since then, Mr. Emanuel and Mr. Persky have taped 14 episodes. It’s a bro-fest: Nine episodes have involved men’s sports (boxing, basketball, football, rivalries), and the guests have all been men (Shaquille O’Neal, Reggie Miller, Bob Costas, Jimmy Iovine), with the exception of Doris Kearns Goodwin, the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian. She appeared on an episode about presidents.
Anna Wintour is scheduled to join the podcast this month to discuss fashion designers. “Rushmore” will reach an apex in May with a live taping at the Netflix Is a Joke comedy festival in Los Angeles; Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David will be the guests, and the topic will be the four best “Seinfeld” episodes.
“We’re learning as we go and, I think, improving,” Mr. Persky said.
“Rushmore” has been sponsored by Polymarket, a platform that allows its users to wager anonymously on future events, including elections and sports. Some episodes have better production values than others, with a December episode about the greatest visual artists of all time standing out as a low point; it was conducted in a tacky conference room. (The awkwardness of the episode is something to behold. Jeff Koons chose Titian, Apelles, Praxiteles and Phidias, leaving Mr. Emanuel and Mr. Persky looking like deer in headlights.)
Mr. Persky, who co-founded Mixed Management, a music-focused company, in 2010, when he was still in college, said he tried not to pay attention to the comments that “Rushmore” listeners leave online — good, bad or indifferent. (It’s a bit of all of those.)
“I’ve spent 15 years telling artists to ignore press, to ignore the criticism, because it will never make you feel good,” he said. “So I try to take my own advice.”
And Mr. Emanuel?
Let’s put it this way: With the podcasting microphone and camera off, he’s as self-confident as ever.
“As always,” he said as he strutted into the greenroom after the taping, “my list was the best.”
Brooks Barnes is the chief Hollywood correspondent for The Times. He has reported on the entertainment industry for 25 years.
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