There’s so much in a brand name, and Across the Board Talent Agency is taking its namesake seriously. Founded by Guy Kochlani, the agency reps union and nonunion adult and youth talent in the theater, film, commercial, and print media worlds and is currently on the search for new clients.
“The name Across the Board came about because that’s how I would pitch us to clients: We’ll rep you across the board,” Kochlani told Backstage. With offices in Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, and Tel Aviv, Israel, the agency has expanded its departments since its inception to include more actors from different mediums.
Kochlani founded Across the Board in 2008 after an entertainment career that started when a friend cast him in a movie when he was only 15 (that friend is still a client with Across the Board). He went from managing musical acts such as Boyz II Men at Universal to producing events like fashion shows before opening up his own talent agency. “I saw so many flaws in other agencies. I couldn’t go up to the big bosses and tell them to make changes, so I just did it on my own,” Kochlani said.
His Vice President of Talent and head of the theater department Todd Eskin joined the team in 2012 and started carving out his own niche at the agency. “A few months [after I hired him], he had the idea to open a theater department. I was a little skeptical because we were only in L.A.,” recalled Kochlani. “Todd said, ‘We have to think bigger: Broadway, cruise ships, national tours.’ I said, ‘I don’t know anything about that world.’ He said, ‘That’s where I come in.’ It’s been growing and growing and growing. I don’t have to be an expert in everything, I just need to bring in the best people.” The duo also decided to open a dedicated youth department at the end of 2015.
Eskin worked in theater before he transitioned into management roles, an asset for the agency. “I think it helps to understand where the actors are coming from and be able to relate to them,” Eskin said about their shared start as performers. “You’ve sort of been through it. It’s such a difficult career and has so many ups and downs. Being a part of that ourselves helps us understand what they’re going through.”
Across the Board holds open auditions for their clients. “I do this to see what potential clients will do in the room. I look at how they prepare and I get to see what they are going to do in the room if we work together,” Eskin said. “We can get lucky and see established folks, but also the undiscovered gems.”
His advice for auditioners was simple: “Do your best. Be yourself. I want you to be good. I want to like you. Relax.”
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