8 Top Acting Agencies in the UK

According to its website, CHR is looking for “diverse, highly talented individuals” selected “not only for their talents, but also for their personal qualities.” So be on your best behaviour when approaching this agency.

CHR was founded in 1996 with the goal of fostering inclusivity and taking a fresh, positive approach to the industry. Though it’s a small team of just five agents, their clients have appeared in projects like BBC One’s crime drama Shetland, the West End production of the musical Six, and numerous Scottish theatre projects.

How to contact: Email the team at representation@coulterhamiltonrae.com; Find more info here.

This agency puts diversity at the heart of everything it does, and it boasts some serious names in its client roster, including John Boyega, Simone Ashley, and Letitia Wright. Femi Oguns founded the company in 2006 with a goal of disrupting the industry. A former actor, his empire now includes a drama school, a Hollywood outpost, and a production arm. He’s a man with a plan.

How to contact: Email the team at casting@iagtalent.com or call 0203 915 3980. Find more info here.

Fancy being repped by the agents behind Josh O’Connor, Keeley Hawes, and Daniel Craig? Then you should take a look at ITG, one of London and the UK’s top agencies. Other clients include Luke Newton (Bridgerton), Ewan Mitchell, and Sophie Turner—so it’s safe to say that this team knows how to spot new, young talent. It isn’t all newbies though; ITG has also steered the careers of veteran British stars like David Tennant, Claire Foy, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Other prominent names on ITG’s list include award-winning directors such as David Lynch and Jonathan Glazer, making the agency a networking hothouse.

How to contact: Email actingrepresentation@independenttalent.com with a cover letter, CV, headshot, and show reel. If you haven’t heard anything back in four to six weeks, it means your application was unsuccessful.

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8 Top Acting Agencies in London

Since this well-established agency reps actors, VO performers, writers, directors, and designers, it offers great networking opportunities. Going for 40 years strong, the Narrow Road has 10 agents who work with 300-plus actors. Its clients work on an exciting array of projects, including the big-screen version of Wicked, the latest season of Bridgerton, and the recent National Theatre’s revival of Duncan Macmillan’s People, Places and Things.

How to contact: Send an email with your Spotlight link to representation@narrowroad.co.uk, though the company asks that you don’t spam all their agents with your details. Find more info here.

This boutique acting agency, which has been around for more than 40 years, is located in the Yorkshire town of Hebden Bridge, slap bang between Leeds and Manchester. Though NOW is based in the North, it’s keen to sign actors old and new from across the country. The agency’s talent has worked on local productions like Emmerdale, Meet the Richardsons, and Happy Valley, and also on others nationwide. Their clients have been booked on projects from major players like Disney, Netflix, the BBC, ITV, and Channel Four. Stage, screen, commercials, radio, voice acting—you name it, and NOW can help you bag it.

How to contact: Though the agency says it doesn’t “flood our books with faces,” if you fancy joining NOW’s small ranks, you can find info here.

Founded by Barbara Pemberton in 1989 in Manchester, this agency has since expanded; it’s now run by her son, Mark, and Sarah Churm. (The latter acted on shows like ITV’s At Home With the Braithwaites before transitioning into representation—so you can definitely expect an empathetic hearing.)

Pemberton has over 120 clients on its books, including Corrie star Eve Steele and US actor Antonio Fargas, who played Huggy Bear on Starsky and Hutch. The company has departments specialising in musical theatre and VO performance; but it has a particularly strong reputation in the theatre industry, especially in the North of England. 

How to contact: Send an email with a cover letter, headshot, CV, and show reel to general@pembertonassociates.com. You can find more details here.

Since this agency has bases in both Manchester and London, Northern creatives who sign with them will get the best of both worlds. Founded in 2006 by Tracey Bell, Red Door’s website says that it’s at the “cutting edge” of talent management.

It was one of the first businesses to open in the MediaCity development in Salford, putting its offices right next door to the BBC, ITV, and other leading creative organisations in the region. Red Door clients can be seen on HBO, the BBC, Sky Atlantic, Hulu, and Netflix, as well as on Manc soap stalwart Coronation Street. Red Door also kick-started the careers of notable actors such as Jenna Coleman, Lucy Fallon, Maddison Jaizani, and Malique Thompson-Dwyer. 

How to contact: If you want to join the 130-plus clients currently on Red Door’s books, email mail@the-reddoor.co.uk. Note that they only accept applicants with Spotlight profiles.

Primarily based in Cardiff, this boutique agency has been representing actors, presenters, creatives, and drag performers for over 20 years, boasting “the largest and most successful Welsh-language client list in the UK.” That said, Regan also has both nationwide and international contacts; its clients can currently be seen on BBC One’s Lost Boys and Fairies, in the Donmar Warehouse’s production of Next to Normal, and in Mean Girls The Musical. Founder Leigh-Ann Regan and her team aim to help their 200-plus clients find “fulfilling and lucrative careers.”  

How to contact: Drop the agency an email that includes a cover letter and showreel.