Beth Swofford places accent on prestige

CAA agent reps Brits Sam Mendes, Guy Ritchie

By ANTHONY D'ALESSANDRO

Possessing a client list with a decidedly foreign accent, CAA motion picture agent Beth Swofford continually demonstrates a knack for luring filmmakers to Hollywood from across the Pond.

Having jumpstarted the Stateside careers of U.K. helmers Sam Mendes and Paul Greengrass, Swofford recently navigated Hertfordshire native Guy Ritchie away from picaresque U.K. shoot-'em-ups to the more stately and universally recognized "Sherlock Holmes" without losing his characteristic edge.

Knowing that Warner Bros. topper Jeff Robinov was a fan of Ritchie's, Swofford kept an eye out for the right vehicle that would complement the director's high-octane style.

"When I discussed 'Sherlock Holmes' with Guy, he knew exactly what he wanted the film to be from the start. He immediately wrote an outline and even an opening scene which everyone loved," she says.

Her latest Brit signing is BAFTA and Cannes award winner Steve McQueen ("Hunger"). She also assisted in guiding Stephen Daldry's "Billy Elliot" musical to Broadway, where it won 10 Tony Awards, including best director.

The latest coup for Swofford and her fellow agents was landing "Titanic" helmer James Cameron as a CAA client -- no mean feat, since it was the first time in 15 years that the filmmaker had been repped by an agency.

"Because I have made films, I have some idea of what filmmakers need in order to do their best work," says Swofford, a USC film school alum.

That applies to actors as well. One of the few on-camera performers Swofford reps is Sandra Bullock, whose "The Proposal" turned out to be the actress-producer's highest-grossing film, with $159 million domestic.

No matter what dark clouds loom in this tumultuous economic climate, Swofford sees the glass-half full.

"The trick is not to overreact and be so conservative that creativity is stifled," Swofford says. "This is a job for dreamers and storytellers and not for doomsayers."

IN A NUTSHELL

Job title: CAA motion picture agent

Mentor: Judy Scott-Fox, the William Morris agent who trained Swofford. "She taught me lessons I relearn every week."

Career mantra: "Be curious and open to new experiences. And never stop learning."

Leisure pursuits: "Seeing art and traveling.

Philanthropic passions: "I am on the board of MOCA in Los Angeles and PS1/MOMA in New York."