The way you approach someone can determine how that person sees you. If I go up to a gorgeous woman at a party and make a lewd comment, that conversation is going to end as quickly as it started. Or let’s say I sit down for a job interview and I can barely express myself with complete sentences. That’s going to end just as badly.
Agents are approached by actors all the time, and nine out of 10 times, it’s a submission from someone looking for representation. And we judge those people by how they choose to present themselves.
My finger always darts for the delete key when a submission has bad grammar, missing punctuation, or inappropriate acronyms like LOL or IMHO. Those blunders tell me all I need to know about the cut of that actor’s jib. And no, being young is not an excuse for ignorance.
Even worse, I often get emails from actors looking for commercial representation. I work in film and television, not commercials, and that distinction is easy to find. So those submissions highlight the sender’s laziness. And who wants to sign a lazy actor?
One of the nice things about the entertainment industry is the lack of formality. We work in a business where everyone calls each other by their first name, even when they don’t know each other. So if you’re sending a submission to an agent, it’s perfectly fine to address that person by their first name. But you know what’s not fine? Starting the submission with “Dear Agent.” That really rubs me the wrong way.
READ: The Résumé Mistake You Should Never Make
When you approach an agent, you have to be confident, but you also have to know where to draw the line. I remember getting a submission where the actor proclaimed I was one of 10 lucky agents he had chosen as his possible rep. I passed. After all, it’s not like the guy needed me. He had nine other options.
Another common mistake is comparing yourself to famous performers. Just the other day, I was approached by an actor who said he was just like Ryan Gosling but better. And one woman claimed she was the perfect mix of Emma Stone and Gal Gadot. What kind of bizarre Frankenstein monster is that?
You should also be careful about how you list your “accomplishments.” Actors always brag about things that mean absolutely nothing to agents, like being in a short film that won an award at a festival in the middle of nowhere. Or starring in a web series that has fewer views than your average cat video. I’d rather hear about your training or stage credits than nonsense like that.
Last but not least, save the negative energy for your therapist. If you’re making a change, there’s no need to trash your former agent, even if he or she deserves it. We can get into all that when (and if) we meet.
So when all is said and done, keep your approach simple. If we have someone in common, open with that. If we don’t, just give me the basics. And never go beyond a couple of paragraphs. A submission is not an opportunity to share your life story.
Have a question for Secret Agent Man? Ask him on the Backstage Community forums!
