- Michael Johnston signs with The Gersh Agency for Film/TV Theatrical representation (agents Bobby Myerow and Josh Brandis) and Brand Partnerships (agents Jacob Frederick Berne and April Tombs).
- Johnston was without an agent during the entire rollout of Obsession, which has become Focus Features' top-grossing film of all time with a $234.5 million global haul since opening May 15, 2026.
- He continues with Tash Moseley Management for management, Atlas Talent Agency for voiceover, and ImPrint PR for publicity.
- Gersh has been on an active signing streak in 2026, recently adding Alfie Williams and Hunter Doohan to its roster.
Michael Johnston has signed with The Gersh Agency for Film/TV Theatrical and Brand Partnerships representation.
Johnston had been without an agent for the entirety of Obsession‘s release, yet the film turned him into one of Hollywood’s most talked-about names almost overnight.
Directed by Curry Barker, the $750,000 indie was acquired by Focus Features out of the Toronto International Film Festival and opened May 15, 2026. It has since become Focus’s top-grossing film ever (both globally and domestically) pulling in $234.5 million worldwide. Obsession is also the first film since E.T. (1982) to post bigger second and third weekends than its opening.
Johnston plays Bear, a protagonist whose wish for obsessive love spirals dangerously. He landed the role after casting director Skyler Zurn surfaced old audition tape for director Barker. A chemistry read with co-star Inde Navarrette sealed it.
Before Obsession, Johnston had credits in Teen Wolf, indie feature Slash, and Lionsgate’s Endangered Species, solid work, but nothing that predicted this kind of breakout.
The signing puts Johnston in the hands of Gersh agents Bobby Myerow and Josh Brandis on the theatrical side, with Jacob Frederick Berne and April Tombs handling brand partnerships. Gersh has been busy in 2026, the agency recently made waves signing Alfie Williams and Hunter Doohan.
Johnston continues his long-standing relationships with Tash Moseley Management for management, Atlas Talent Agency for voiceover work, ImPrint PR for publicity, and Johnson Shapiro on the legal side.
Takeaways
This signing is a textbook example of a film changing everything for an actor overnight, and it raises some fascinating questions about how Hollywood operates.
Johnston was essentially a free agent while sitting on one of the year’s biggest hits, which means he had maximum leverage walking into any room. Gersh clearly won that room.
The Brand Partnerships add-on is equally telling, Obsession‘s cultural moment isn’t just a film story, it’s a commercial one, and Gersh is positioning Johnston to capitalize on both sides of that.
With Obsession still in theaters and breaking records, what kinds of film and TV projects should Johnston prioritize next to sustain this momentum? With both Theatrical and Brand Partnerships covered at Gersh, how quickly could we see Johnston step into major commercial campaigns alongside his film work?
