In movies, people who want to make it as an actor tend to travel to New York or Los Angeles, leaving small-town life behind to pursue their dreams. But in the real world, there are plenty of cities where performers can level up their careers between the coasts.
Though Nashville may be known as Music City, there are a number of top-tier agencies for other entertainment professionals, including actors, voiceover artists, and directors. Here’s the cream of the crop.
The Avenue Agency
The Avenue focuses primarily on productions in Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, and Mississippi; but it also books national and international campaigns. “Our agency has been established for over 25 years. We have offices in Nashville and Atlanta and established long-term relationships with all the casting directors in the Southeast,” a representative from the Avenue told us. “Our director, Melinda [Eisnaugle], knows each one of the performers on our roster on a personal level and tailors her guidance to the individual performer and situation.”
Clientele: If you’re just starting out, that’s not a dealbreaker for the Avenue. “Performers may submit themselves for representation at any point in their career,” Eisnaugle told us. “Although seasoned actors are always welcome, we have also been known to take on actors with no experience who are willing to put in the hard work to become professional.”
If you want to stand out from the pack, don’t wait until you’ve got an agent to start booking roles, as working actors are more likely to catch the Avenue’s eye. “We are looking for actors with strong résumé credits, IMDb profiles, and reel footage,” Eisnaugle added.
How to submit: Performers interested in seeking representation should follow the directions listed on the agency’s website. The Avenue holds onto applications for several months and only reaches out to applicants it may be interested in representing.
AMAX Talent
Founded as a modeling agency in 1989, AMAX was acquired in 2009 by Maximum Artist Creative Services, which was founded by Cherylann Stephens as an artists’ agency in 2005. She’s now the owner and director of AMAX, which is one of the premier agencies in the Southeast. Its clients regularly book work in ad campaigns, TV shows, and major motion pictures. “We are a full-service agency, commission-based exclusively, and we represent models, actors and support crew,” Stephens told us.
Clientele: According to its website, AMAX is “always looking for new talent with a marketable look, a schedule that allows for availability during the week, and a great personality.” When considering prospective clients, Stephens said that she looks for actors who have “professionalism” and “spark.”
How to submit: AMAX accepts applications through its website form. A rep will reach out via email to individuals that catch the agency’s eye.
How to Get an Acting Agent The Block Agency
After opening its first office in Nashville in 2006, the Block Agency, owned by Mark Block, has since expanded to serve clients throughout the United States, with additional offices in Denver, CO, and Austin, TX. According to the company’s website, TBA prides itself on “the amount of attention we focus on each individual client to provide them with the best and most appropriate talent to make their project the best it can be.” TBA clients have secured spots in numerous film and TV projects, including “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” “Ozark,” and “Young Rock.”
Clientele: As a full-service agency, TBA represents models, actors, and influencers. Thanks to its multiple locations, TBA has connections with both local and regional productions, as well as larger national and international projects. While TBA is open to applications from both seasoned and brand-new performers, it’s a very selective agency, signing only “the best of the best,” according to its website.
How to submit: Prospective clients should email their résumé and photos, along with all of the information stipulated on TBA’s website, to theblockagency@gmail.com. The company welcomes submissions from actors and models in all stages of their careers and will contact those with promising applications within two weeks to set up a meeting.
Talent Trek Agency
With four offices in the Southeast, Talent Trek Agency has been helping shape its clients’ careers since 1982. The company has represented actors who have appeared in films and TV series including “A Man Called Otto,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and “The Walking Dead.”
Co-owner Juanell Walker told us that “TTA has had a long-standing reputation for being a reputable, fair, and honest agency, standing up for what is right for the talent. Having been a SAG-affiliated agency for 30+ years, we learned early on to make sure we take care of the talent we represent. We have always appreciated our talent and the support they have given us. We think that resonates throughout the industry, not with just talent, [but] with clients, as well.”
Clientele: “We will always take union talent. However, [with] others, it would depend on the person,” Walker said. “A few of the things representation can depend on are where the talent is located, age range, ethnicity, experience, gender, if we have several in your division or look—none of which are personal. Decisions are all made depending on the markets and the type of talent we are needing at that specific time.”
How to submit: “We always welcome submissions at any stage in a career. You never know when you will find a diamond in the rough,” Walker added. “With that being said, we don’t take everyone, regardless of the stage they are at when they submit. Interested and prospective talent should go to our website and apply under the New Talent Application area. After our bookers review the application, they will receive an email with the decision we have made regarding possible representation by our agency.”
How to Pitch Yourself to an Agent via Email Tribe Talent Management
Established in 2014 by Sherry Rhine-Padilla, Tribe Talent Management represents models and actors at all stages of their careers. When asked why she chose to call her agency “Tribe,” Rhine-Padilla said, “The industry is composed of different types of talent, just like there are countless tribes in the world. I also wanted to create a nurturing environment where our models and actors feel a sense of family…. We are truly a tribe.”
Tribe’s clients have been cast in music videos, commercials, and print and video ad campaigns. According to its website, Tribe specializes in “the development and placement of both modeling and acting through our extensive network of modeling agencies, agents, and managers worldwide.”
Clientele: Tribe is always on the lookout for new talent and occasionally posts open calls on its Instagram and Facebook accounts. While it’s primarily a modeling agency, clients frequently book video ad campaigns or even television and film roles.
How to submit: Tribe accepts submissions through its website.
If you’re an experienced actor in Nashville looking to make a leap in your career, three of the “big five” talent agencies—Creative Artists Agency, Independent Creative Management, United Talent Agency, the William Morris Agency, and Paradigm—have outposts in your city. Keep in mind that they primarily accept new clients through referrals only.
Creative Artists Agency
Each CAA outpost employs hundreds of reps specializing across a wide array of fields and have spent decades forging connections with the top studios and creators in Hollywood. So if you land representation with CAA, you’re likely to gain access to high-profile projects.
Founded in 1975, CAA takes a collaborative approach to helping its clients build their careers and brands, priding itself on being an industry innovator. According to its website, CAA is “committed to crafting precedent-setting deals and building new brands and businesses driven by our clients’ ideas, interests, and opportunities.” Some of those represented include Florence Pugh, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and Tom Hanks. CAA has offices all over the world, from Europe to Asia.
Clientele: CAA represents artists across a wide variety of fields. Agents specialize in theater, television, film, voiceover, comedy, and public speaking, just to name a few. It represents directors, producers, and other behind-the-scenes creatives.
How to submit: CAA takes on new clients by industry referral only, meaning your best bet of getting noticed is to work steadily, build out your network, and prove that you’ve got what it takes to make it in the industry.
United Talent Agency
One of the top talent agencies in the industry, UTA represents some of the biggest names in the business, including Timothée Chalamet, David Tennant, Harrison Ford, Greta Gerwig, and Awkwafina. The company was founded in 1991 in Beverly Hills; these days, it has offices all over the United States—including Nashville.
Clientele: UTA takes on clients of all stripes, from actors, writers, and directors to musicians, artists, and athletes. So no matter what your specialty or your career goals, there’s probably an agent who can help you get there.
How to submit: UTA does not accept unsolicited submissions; it takes on new clients only via referral. If you don’t know any current UTA clients who can help make that connection for you, don’t despair. Sign up for acting classes, work small jobs, build a community, and maybe eventually, you’ll cross paths with a UTA client or agent who can help you get your foot in the door. In the meantime, you’ll be leveling up in your craft and creating solid professional relationships with all sorts of people who can help you achieve your goals.
William Morris Endeavor
The William Morris Agency merged with Endeavor in 2009 to form William Morris Endeavor. WMA was one of the first talent agencies in the world, having opened its doors in New York City in 1898. Now, WME has offices in the United States, Europe, and Australia, and represents an impressive roster of clients including Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Denzel Washington, Adam Sandler, Emma Stone, Selena Gomez, and Keanu Reeves.
A representative from the agency told us that “WME’s Nashville office works with many successful artists, including Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Garth Brooks, Eric Church, Zach Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett, Dierks Bentley, and Lainey Wilson, among many others. WME’s strong country music roster has continued to shine during award season, with clients winning the majority of categories at the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Awards multiple years in a row.”
Clientele: In Nashville, WME primarily takes on musicians, speakers, voiceover artists, and comedians, although the office is constantly expanding its reach. A rep told us that “over the past several years, the agency’s Nashville office has continued to grow and now includes agents from multiple verticals of the business—including music, books, digital, sports, television, and endorsements—providing true full-service representation in the Nashville market.”
How to submit: WME takes on clients only through—you guessed it—referral.