For actors today, it is comparable to that ancient quest for the Holy Grail, or the timeless pursuits of liberty, happiness-or Mr. Right. But procuring the representation of a talent agent is arguably the most daunting of these tasks, at least for your average struggling performer in Hollywood. It is a quest that has taken actors down myriad paths, but almost always with the same end: hands thrown up in frustration and the cry of that age-old lament, "How do I get an agent?"
Unfortunately, there is no specific formula for landing representation. Perhaps it is better to understand what doesn't work, bearing in mind that each actor is different, and what may or may not work for one may offer resounding success for another. In the end, you're on your own to absorb all the following advice and somehow make it work for you. Hey, we never said it would be easy.
Back Stage West spoke with a number of actors and agents who discussed their experiences in this town, where agents are as essential as cars, it seems. Their paths to representation have taken many turns and their successes were a product of trial and error, picking the brains of those who went before them-and, as many admitted, luck.
First Blood
Marnie Andrews met her first commercial agent, Neal Altman of Abrams Artists Agency, at a casting director workshop in New York. The actress, who works primarily in theatre on both coasts, has appeared in many guest spots, recurring roles, soap operas, as well as a few independent films. She is also a member of the Colony Studio Theatre and the Classical Theatre Lab.
"I was also doing a showcase at the time, which [Altman] came to see," Andrews recalled. "He liked my audition and called me in."
She obtained her first theatrical agent-one who submits an actor for film and television work-by doing another showcase in New York. Through a friend who was an assistant at a talent agency, Andrews was able to audition for the role of Dr. Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation. "I'd been called back for everything I'd auditioned for, so it brought me to the attention of a heavy-hitting agency that said, "You're getting called back so much we think we should sign you,'" Andrews said of her first legit agents, whom she chose not to name.
Andrews said that hiring someone to do her regular postcard mailings helped in obtaining a great deal of work. "I would tell her who I wanted to send them to-casting directors, agents-because I was terrible at that," she admitted. "I always had a project I was working on that I could tell them about-directing, a one-woman show. The work always comes first," she added. "I don't just say, "Hi, hire me.'"
Seasoned Broadway performer David Dukes is now making a living in television and film. But with so much experience under his belt, he is still uncertain about the effectiveness of agents. And, as he can attest, "When you turn 50 in this town, agents have to do more than submit you."
Dukes, who started his acting career in San Francisco, emerged from the repertory theatre movement of the 1960s. His first agent saw him in a staging of Charley's Aunt at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. Currently with William Morris for commercial work and Agency for the Performing Arts for film and television, Dukes was with ICM for 23 years. The agents worked, but the agency didn't, he said. "If it's a big agency, your primary agent has an area of expertise, but you absolutely rely on other agents to represent you," Dukes said of the large-size agencies.
Stage-trained actor Rick Worthy found himself forging his career in Chicago before making his way out West. However, his story of finding his first agent in the Windy City is equally enthralling.
"I went to downtown Chicago, picked up the Yellow Pages, and looked under the heading Theatrical Agencies. I zeroed in on one that was nearby. I walked in to the office of Phoenix Talent. Lou Johnson was the manager," he remembered. "I knocked on his door, and there's this big, tall guy sitting there, and he says, "Come in.' I said, "Hi, I'm Rick Worthy, I'm new in town, and I'm looking for an agent.' He looked at me like, Where did you come from? This is not how you do business. So I said, "Just let me do two monologues-one classical, one contemporary-and if you don't think I'm worth your time, I'll gladly leave.' I did the two monologues and he signed me up that day."
Worthy, whose credits include TV roles on The Magnificent Seven, Star Trek: Voyager and Deep Space Nine, as well as film appearances on Star Trek: Insurrection, The Trigger Effect, and While You Were Sleeping, attributes his initial success to luck, timing, coincidence, persistence, and "a belief that I was worthy of where I wanted to be," he said.
Having decided from the outset that he wanted to end up in Los Angeles doing film and television, his Chicago agents set up several interviews for Worthy on his week in L.A. Recalled the actor, "I ended up renting a little rundown motel room and a little rent-a-beeper thing and waited for it to go off. I got a few calls and ended up working with Silver, Massetti, Szatmary, which is where I am now."
Ranking the difficulty of getting an agent right up there with giving birth, Worthy recalled meeting another struggling actor his first week in Los Angeles: "He said he had been here for seven years. I told him I had a couple of interviews set up with agencies, and he said, "Wow, that's great, I'm still trying to get one.'"
The Right Choice
Indeed, these actors also have their share of horror stories about the business, but it's important to note that each of them maintained a level of determination to remain true to their goal of being working actors. Actress Julia Campbell, whose numerous television and film appearances include roles on Martial Law, The Practice, and Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, never fell victim to the traps of working with Hollywood agents.
Campbell did a few commercials through her very first agent, who signed her from an interview conducted at the conservatory at Webster University in St. Louis. She then went on to win the national Irene Ryan award, recognizing excellence in acting, at the Kennedy Center, giving her exposure to top members of the industry, including a head of development for ABC in New York, who put her under contract at the alphabet network. Consequently, she signed with the J. Michael Bloom Agency, where she stayed for two years.
After doing two soap operas in two years on both coasts, Campbell was offered a very lucrative role on the daytime drama All My Children. However, she was more concerned with doing film and nighttime television. "My agent told me some people are supposed to do soaps for their career and some people can translate," she recalled. "He said I'd never translate." Campbell disagreed.
This prompted Campbell to drop J. Michael Bloom and go out solely through her commercial agency, Talent Group, Inc., and she soon booked several commercials for director Brian Gibson. That led to her appearing in a sitcom, Women in Prison, where she met her current agent, Jonathan Howard of Triad.
"Two cast members had the same agent [Howard]," she recalled. "He came to every single taping and took really good care of them. And he asked me if I would ever like to change agencies to let him know." Unrepresented at the time, she signed with him 11 years ago and has been with him ever since. "He was really human in an inhumane arena," she said.
Character actor Patrick Richwood, whose film credits include the blockbuster Armageddon and television appearances on Garry Marshall's series Nothing in Common, JAG, and Coach, along with numerous commercials, finds himself without a theatrical agent at the moment. But, he said, it all supplements his work in theatre. Having spent 10 years doing theatre in New York, Richwood eventually came to Los Angeles, where he was set up to meet with the Bauman/Hiller Agency through a referral by a manager he met through some agents in New York. Sound confusing? Bauman/Hiller loved his work, signed him-and he never heard from them again. Several agents later-all of whom "didn't have the same sense of where I wanted to go with my work"-Richwood was being contacted directly by casting directors who found him through his commercial agent at Talent Group, Inc.
Though he works steadily in theatre, he is still in search of an agent. "I'm looking for an agent who's not so hugely massive that all they see are demographics," Richwood insisted. "An agency the size of Paradigm is more likely to say no to me because I'm not in my early 20s, so I'm not the new discovery of the year. A midsize agency more interested in the actors they represent is more likely to take me because of what I can do, my marketability," the actor observed.
Richwood is a good example of an actor who has played by the rules, gotten referrals, showed his reel, and yet is still without an agent: "I have no agent because when I sent my reel to the 15 or 20 agents I targeted that were recommended by casting directors, I talked to those agents, and they loved my work, but they passed on me." However, Richwood remains hopeful. "I know there are still plenty of agents I want to talk to."
The Other Side of the Desk
Along with hope should come knowledge of the business. Knowing how other people made it is helpful in figuring out how you can succeed in signing with an agent. Agents and actors alike have a great deal of advice on how to procure representation. However, it seems easier to eliminate what doesn't work. Most agents, especially those at larger-size agencies, agree that blind submissions-sending a picture and resum to every agent in the phone book-is not the way to go. Many suggest getting a referral so that your picture and resum comes across an agent's desk with some priority.
Bob Preston, an agent heading Cunningham, Escott, & DiPene's youth division, offers encouraging news (if you're young) on how his agents see new talent. "We have an open call on the first Monday of every month from 6-6:30 p.m., and anyone aged 3-18 is welcome." But his agents don't stop there. They attend showcases, local theatre, scout at high schools, and pay special attention to producer and casting director referrals. His agency also accepts mail submissions.
"Our division is development, so we're open to people without credits. People have to start somewhere," said the agent. Though the agency has a very established theatrical department, Preston prides his agency on being accessible to neophyte actors. "A good agent believes in his talent more than they believe in themselves, and we're more than willing to take a chance on a new client we believe in."
To that end, Preston and his associates eagerly visit acting classes because "those are the dedicated kids, who have made a commitment to the business, and are serious about their acting career," Preston noted. He tends to shy away from overnight success stories, though.
"The ones you see in the grocery store, the mall, on the street-those aren't the clients you're looking for, because they didn't come to you, so they don't have the commitment or dedication," Preston said. "But, you can't expect to come to L.A. for a week and expect something to happen; you have to come out here for at least three months or you have to move here."
Preston imparted some of the most common advice: Get involved with showcases and don't submit photos unless they truly represent the way you look when you walk in that door-apparently a rule that actors often break.
If you're not appearing in a full-on play, you can still entice an agent to see you perform by participating in a showcase. But as with anything in this industry, the potential for illegitimate practices in classes offering showcases is high. Portia Scott Hicks, Preston's associate, offers advice on how to tell the pros from the cons. "The key is looking at the material being produced. It's so important for the actor to not just show up and pay," she said. Often, classical pieces and familiar, previously produced material will give the agent a sense of the actor's capabilities.
Conceding that mailings and solicitations are cumbersome to weed through, Hicks insists that the No. 1 way to be seen is to produce your own show that showcases your talent. She recommends putting up a night of one-acts or joining a theatre company. The most important thing is to be seen live, but keep it short.
"If you're designing for the agent market, you want to give a slice of life. Put the business part of the show on, during lunch, in-and-out in an hour, because in the first three minutes you know," she said of judging actors' performances. What gets the agent to the showcase? Hicks enumerated many variables, including who's attached to the project, producers, directors, marketing, anything that lends credibility to the show. This requires the actor to learn about reputable showcases and other sources for networking.
Guerrilla Tactics
Tony Chargin, an agent at Metropolitan Talent, a midsize agency, said that you must have the talent to back up the connections you make, giving equal importance to both skills: training and networking. The majority of Chargin's clients were brought in on manager or casting director referrals, but others he has seen on sets he has visited, or has simply seen their work, which has piqued his interest.
"I tend to stay away from people who aren't proven at all," Chargin said. "I'd rather have someone who's been on a few auditions, so I can gauge their talent, talk to the people they've auditioned for, and get referrals that way."
Citing that the most difficult part of his job is getting the other agents in the company to agree to represent an actor, Chargin related the circumstances surrounding the first client he signed, Kelly De Martino.
"She had great training, but not a whole lot of credits. When she came to meet me, she was really punked out, wearing big club shoes at 11 in the morning. I was 25; I didn't care. The other agents saw her tape and agreed to meet with her. I told her to dress down, and she came in there wearing combat boots and a black slip. I thought it would be awful, but everybody liked her. She had a great meeting. It opened my eyes early in my career that you can do things differently and succeed, even in a room with a bunch of stuffy agents at 11 in the morning," he mused. "She had very few credits but we signed her off her training and how nutty she was in the room, and it worked."
Chargin encourages actors to take risks, but emphasizes the importance of knowing who you are and taking risks because they fit your personality.
He also said he sees showcases and local theatre he is invited to, when he has the time. However, Chargin is a strong proponent of actors doing a play not only because of the invaluable industry exposure-"Agents do pay attention to people they like in plays"-but also to maintain their mental well being. "You get beat up in class, but doing a play helps you keep perspective with a built-in support group of fellow actors actually acting, and immediate gratification from the audience," he said.
All the actors interviewed echoed the agents' advice on doing a play for its many benefits, noting that their own agents often attend plays and showcases. Richwood suggested an assertive campaign in trying to get an agent: "If you can make a reel, it helps a lot. For me, it's being persistent and aggressive. I just treat it like an acting assignment. I would fax my resum , call and introduce myself, but it's been easier for me because I've asked casting directors if I could send a reel to an agent, then I would follow up and ask if they saw the reel. But if you don't have a reel, find out if they do general appointments."
In order to get an interview, Richwood insisted, actors have to "drop the idea that [agents] are these big, important people. Get rid of the fear and ask for what you want, but be polite and persistent about it."
Once you get the meeting, your work has begun all over again. Said Richwood, "Know what you want and be able to talk about it intelligently, if asked. Don't be intimidated, listen-because you're creating a better opportunity for yourself. It's not about trying to impress them. It should be about presenting yourself as a commodity in an industry. Most agents would say, "We're just people, we don't have the magic key.'"
Richwood's ostensibly guerrilla tactics may be too aggressive for the unfocused actor, but, he admitted, it takes guts to get an agent. "Think about the agency you want to target and do everything you can to be effective without offending anyone," he said. "I could send my resum , or I could drop it off with the receptionist, and maybe the door will open and I could introduce myself to the agent."
Starting Small
One path to take in your quest for an agent may be to seek a small-size or boutique agency as your first. Said Mimi Mayer of Angel City Talent, who has signed clients from showcases, referrals, and blind submissions, "Look for new agencies and new departments opening up. A brand new agency is going to be hungry to establish itself."
However, she opined, on the downside of being a small agency: "When we've helped develop someone's career, the larger agency grabs them. That's why I'm reluctant to take on beginners, because it's just heartwrenching when they move on to a big agency after all that time you put into developing their career."
At the same time, agencies like Angel City attract less experienced actors who were lost in the mix at larger agencies. "There's no competition at our agency," asserts Lorri Herman, partner at Angel City. "Our roster is small enough that everyone is on our A-list." Added Mayer, "When you're new, you need someone to answer your questions. The larger agencies don't have time to do that."
When looking for an agent, it's important to spot red flags, most notably agents who advertise for clients. It's best to get an agent who is licensed by the state as well as SAG-franchised. Unfortunately, the first "agents" actors may be exposed to are ones that are just out for a quick buck, requiring upfront fees and photos done by their photographers.
You should never pay to be represented. Agents are regulated to receive 10 percent of money you make on a job; they are not paid before you work. To check on the reputability of a SAG-franchised agent, you can view client lists at SAG. And of course, if someone purporting to be an agent asks you to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, i.e. asks you to take a seat on the "casting couch," that's a sure sign to run in the opposite direction.
To Mail or Not To Mail
Beyond dodging con artists and fly-by-night agencies, there are other things to avoid in trying to procure a reputable agent. Marnie Andrews suggested contacting agents only when you have something going on that they can see you in. "Unless they can see something you're doing, they won't have any way to judge your work," said the actress.
Perhaps the most common way actors try to contact an agent is through blind submissions. Most actors and agents agree that this is an expensively futile practice because most agents don't have time to look through hundreds of pictures and resum s. "I'll look at the resum ," agent Chargin admitted, "but if there's not enough on it, there's not much I can do. If you've got a body of work to warrant an agent at a certain level, you should have the contacts to get to the agent in a different way."
However, blind submissions are more fruitful when trying to get a commercial agent, because, according to agent Lorri Herman, they do pay closer attention to submissions. This could be attributed to the fact that commercial casting is heavily based on a look, one that can be gleaned from a good headshot.
Agents also discourage actors from sending gifts, especially before they've even sent a picture.
Undoubtedly the most annoying thing an actor can do is call an agent without any pretext, referral, or previous meeting with the agent. Said Chargin with a laugh, "That's the quickest way to be put on my list of people I never want to hear from again. You don't feel good about having to toss out a bunch of submissions, and you feel even worse when you have to talk to the people." But he is quick to add that he never wants to offend anybody he speaks with on the phone. Worthy agreed: "It's a breech of an unspoken code of how to conduct business."
Finally, when you do get on the phone with someone at the agency, be polite to everyone, because you never know if you're speaking with a secretary or the agents themselves. And be sure that if you are rude to an assistant the agent is going to hear about it.
Talking with actors who do have agents may prompt you to ask them to put in a good word for you. But the actors who spoke with Back Stage West have all made recommendations to their agents, the majority of which were turned down.
Chargin said, "I don't think I've ever signed anyone from a client recommendation. Usually they send a friend. So many actors are grasping at straws that I'll talk to them and give them some advice." However, agents Mayer and Herman at Angel City place a lot of confidence in their clients' suggestions. "Rarely do our clients refer people to us if they aren't really awesome," Herman said. "We take those very seriously."
Getting your first agent may mean signing with the first one who shows any interest, barring that they're just in business to separate you from your money. According to actor Dukes, "At the beginning you've got to get somebody. But once you get to a point when you can choose, you should find someone who agrees with you about where your career should go. You don't want just a booking agent."
Getting an agent first means being seen, doing plays, showcases, showing a quality demo reel, anything to exhibit your talent as an actor. A picture and resum alone doesn't open the door. Referrals can sometimes swing the door wide open for an actor to talk to an agent, but paramount in your goals should be focusing on your craft. Only good work will prove that you are worthy of signing.
And remember that it's sometimes easier to get a commercial agent first, one who could then refer you to a theatrical agent. And consider just targeting small upstart agencies. Or get a manager and get a referral that way. One thing's for certain: Agents certainly aren't going to find you sitting at home. So it's up to you to put yourself out there and open some doors. BSW