Agent Tracey Jacobs was selected by VARIETY, the Hollywood trade paper, as a “Woman of Impact,” one of the most influential females in an industry where powerful women are still a rarity. Ms. Jacobs has represented Johnny Depp since his early days in Hollywood; in fact, it was Tracey who prevailed upon Johnny to meet Tim Burton and discuss playing EDWARD SCISSORHANDS. Johnny has often spoken of Tracey’s loyalty to him despite career choices that could drive an ordinary agent round the bend–for example, turning down blockbusters like SPEED while electing to make the little-seen (but thoroughly brilliant) DEAD MAN. “Tracey’s taken a lot of heat over the years,” Johnny told TIME’s Josh Tyrangiel last year. “She has bosses and higher-ups, and every time I take on another strange project, they’re going, ‘[…]When does he do a movie where he kisses the girl? When does he get to pull a gun out and shoot somebody? […] When is he finally going to do a blockbuster?'”

Ironically, Tyrangiel added, when Johnny Depp’s blockbuster opportunity came around, “his long-suffering agent didn’t want him to take the part” of Captain Jack Sparrow. “He was pitched the movie without a script,” Tracey told Tyrangiel. “They basically said, ‘We’re going to make a movie out of this theme-park ride. Want to do it?’ And he said, ‘Great! I’m in. I believe in the idea.’ I just thought, What idea, you lunatic?”

Today Johnny celebrated Tracey’s being named a “Woman of Impact” by publishing the following letter in tribute to her. The letter appeared as a a full-page ad in today’s VARIETY, July 29, 2005:

Darling Tracey,

Johnny

The Zone thanks Micdus for posting the text of the letter, Jacks_Effects for the TIME magazine story, and emma for posting the VARIETY article about Tracey Jacobs on the News & Views forum. We congratulate Tracey Jacobs and wish her all possible success and happiness in the coming years.