By Ethan Shanfeld, Matt Minton
Courtesy Images It’s the most thankless job in Hollywood. Who else but assistants keep calendars from colliding, ensure the checks clear and fix the little mistakes before they become big ones? Being an assistant means making the impossible happen: securing the hardest dinner reservation in town, rebooking a flight at a moment’s notice and babysitting egos bigger than the Hollywood sign.
But beyond the grunt work, assistants also provide invaluable creative and strategic insight, with many going on to produce, source deals or sign clients of their own. Put simply, these underpaid underlings keep the wheels of the industry turning. Here is Variety’s esteemed class of 10 assistants who go above and beyond in 2026.
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Sara Kate Baudhuin (Focus Features)
Image Credit: sara baudhuin Baudhuin reports to Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski, who describes her as “quite literally one of the most impressive, phenomenal people I’ve ever worked with.” Adds VP of corporate communications Jessica Braslow: “I’d stake my reputation on her without hesitation.” Across her nearly three years at the company, Baudhuin has become a key strategic and creative partner as well as a trusted voice in the development pipeline. Among her proudest accomplishments are helping arrange a private screening of “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” for a terminally ill fan. “Being even a small part of offering someone that kind of peace in their final days is something I’ll never forget,” she says.
