A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend Jazz Fest in New Orleans. I’ve been there before and it remains one of my favorite American cities. The people are friendly. Their food is amazing. And no one in the French Quarter has ever handed me a headshot.
When I’m in the Big Easy, I always pick up a dozen beignets at Café du Monde for me and my friends. This year when the kind lady behind the counter handed me my order, she smiled and told me she had thrown in an extra one as lagniappe. (It’s pronounced “lann-yap.”) I wasn’t familiar with the word so I asked her about it and she explained it was a term from Louisiana that means “a little something extra.”
Lagniappe is one of my new favorite words, right up there with commission and three-picture deal.
This business can be hard on creative people. That’s why it’s important for agents and other industry types to go above and beyond what we’re required to do. This approach would certainly make life easier for every actor out there.
Like just the other day, I was surprised when one of my clients didn’t get a callback for a role that I felt was a perfect fit. When I checked in with the casting director, we had the following conversation:
CD: She played the character with too much anger.
SAM: But that was just a choice. Did you give her an adjustment?
CD: No. I was running late. There wasn’t enough time.
These are the kind of situations that drive an agent mad. The actor in question is a skilled performer with impressive training. If the casting director had given her a little something extra, like direction, I’m sure she would’ve nailed it.
Here’s something you might not know. When an actor starts earning over $100,000 a year with the expectation of making the same amount over subsequent years, the actor should consider forming a loan-out corporation as a way of saving on taxes.
I represent a young man who recently found himself in this position because he booked a series regular role on a series with a high probability of running for several seasons. Naturally, his manager told him he needed to incorporate. And that’s all she did. No specifics, no referrals, nothing. So this poor kid spent a week trying to figure out the process and find the right accountant. When he finally came to me for help, I put him in touch with a guy I know who took care of everything.
That manager could’ve saved our client a week’s worth of stress if she had bothered to go the extra mile. And she’s a good manager with plenty of experience. If I had to guess, she was probably overwhelmed that day and the thought never crossed her mind.
The same thing has happened to yours truly. I’ve passed on actors without giving them a reason and I’ve dropped clients without explaining why. I’ve also cut conversations short when it might’ve been more supportive to listen a little bit longer. Well, enough is enough. From now on, in the spirit of New Orleans, I’m going to do my best to throw lagniappe in the face of every performer who crosses my path.
Laissez les bon temps roulez!
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