How to Find a Talent Agent

A talent agent helps coordinate your acting career, and receives a commission for doing so. Talent agents are required to get most auditions in L.A., but they're usually not required to get auditions in New York.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pagers
• Answering Machines
• Cellular Phones
• Headshots
• Photographers
• résumé paper
• résumé software

1. Go to your local theater arts bookstore and buy a directory of the local talent agents. In L.A., for example, you could go to Samuel French; you can also subscribe to the Ross Reports.

2. Look through the descriptions of the specialties that agents cover, such as children, models, character actors, leading women or leading men. Target the agents who fit your type.

3. Find out if any of your friends or contacts know the agents you're targeting or are represented by them. Ask about their experiences, and ask if they can give you a reference.

4. Submit your headshot and resume to the agent, with a brief cover letter introducing yourself.

5. Follow up with a phone call and a postcard.

6. Send invitations to all of your performances to agents whom you have targeted.

7. Perform in a "showcase" (see glossary), but select carefully. Many showcases involve a fee, so find out in advance which agents will attend.

8. Be persistent but not obnoxious. Send postcards every two to four months updating the agents on your activities.

9. Prepare a monologue. When an agent calls you into her office, you will probably be asked to do a monologue or cold reading. Dress in a flattering but professional manner, and bring headshots and resumes.

10. Thank agents for interviews, and if they don't choose you this time around, keep in touch and don't take it personally; they can only take so many of each type of actor at a time.

Tips & Warnings

• Persevere, and keep a positive attitude.
• Network, shmooze, meet people in the industry, and ask for help, advice or references. Who you know is very important.
• Never go to secluded offices, or other secluded destinations, unaccompanied.
• Don't pay any fees up front; agents only get paid a 10 percent commission off your wages when they get you an acting job.
• Make sure any agent you target is franchised by the Screen Actors Guild. Call the Screen Actors Guild for details.

[hlbroeker]

on 10/26/2009 If you're looking for a kids agent - www.childreninfilm.com - you can contact agents and managers directly through this site and read the ratings and recommendations from other parents - the only site of its kind!

on 6/11/2007 If they called you to come in, it's them that is interested in you. So be casual and don't be nervous, you only get one shot and cold readings are very important.

on 11/22/2005 There are a couple of exercises that you could do, such as turning off a TV and standing about 6-8 feet away from it and saying your lines while looking at the blank TV screen. Cold reading determines your career with most casting directors.

on 11/22/2005 Usually when you are at a professional audition, the first 2 seconds is all the time you really have, you may act a god but it really about how you look and if you dont look right for the part they just wont really care how good you can act. I know it dose sound very unfair but its true, when you are in a professional acting scene you are selling your looks more than anything. Also if you are just getting into the professional scene it more than likly take 25 or more auditions before you even get a part, so what Iam saying is that dont think you are a bad actor if you dont get a role after your 5th or 10th audition, your part will come, but it may take a while.

on 11/22/2005 When introducing your self and while performing make eye contact, if you look at the goround while introducing your self it shows weakness