Agents are the people who get you into rooms you cannot get into alone. Most union film and television roles are released through breakdown services that only agents and managers can see, which is why this question comes up so early in an acting career. The answer is mostly about getting ready before you ask, and then asking the right people in the right way.
What does an acting agent actually do?
An agent submits you for roles, pitches you to casting directors, books your auditions and negotiates your pay and terms when you land a job. In exchange they take a commission on the work. They make money when you make money, and not before.
Think of an agent as a salesperson with a roster. A theatrical agent (film, television and theater) and a commercial agent are often different people, sometimes at different agencies, and plenty of actors have one of each. In the US an agent's legal job is procuring employment, which is the main thing that separates them from a manager; here is the difference between a talent agent and a manager.
Do you need an agent to start acting?
Not to start. Student films, independent features, fringe and community theater and a lot of non-union work are cast through open submissions on casting sites such as Actors Access, Backstage and Casting Networks, or their equivalents where you live. Many actors book their first credits that way, and those credits are exactly what an agent looks at later.
Where you do need one is union film and television. Most of those roles go out to agents only, and casting directors rarely pick up self-submissions for anything larger than a small part. So you need an agent when the work you want sits behind a door only agents can open, and when you are ready to walk through it.
What you need before you look for an agent
An agent often decides within a minute, so everything they see has to be finished. At minimum:
- Headshots that look like you now. A theatrical shot, and ideally a commercial one. Here is what makes a good acting headshot.
- A clean, honest resume. One page, laid out the way the industry expects; see how to format an acting resume.
- Footage. A short reel if you have on-camera credits. If you do not, one or two well-made self-taped scenes. Footage is usually the first thing an agent clicks, because it answers the only question that matters to them: can this person act on camera? See how long an acting reel should be.
- Training. Ongoing classes or a degree. Agents want to know you are working on the craft between jobs.
- Some credits, or a reason to meet you. A few student films, a play, a showcase. A short list is fine. It shows you are already doing the work.
It also helps to know your type, meaning the roles you would be cast in today by someone meeting you for the first time. Agents think in terms of which casting offices they can send you to. An actor who can say "I play the tired young nurse, the best friend with a secret, the junior associate who knows too much" is far easier to sell than one who says they can play anything.
How to find agencies that fit you
Submitting to every agency in town is the slow way. Build a list of twenty or thirty that make sense for you and spend ten minutes researching each one.
Size. Large agencies represent established names and rarely sign newcomers without a major credit or a strong referral. Smaller boutique agencies are where most actors find their first representation. A boutique agent who returns your emails will do more for you than a famous agency that forgets you exist.
Their roster. Look at who they already represent. If they have three actors who look like you and play your roles, they may not need a fourth. If they have a gap, you might fill it. Many agencies show their clients on their website, and in the US IMDbPro lists who represents whom.
Legitimacy. In the US, California and New York both license talent agencies, and SAG-AFTRA keeps a list of agencies franchised to represent its members. In the UK, Spotlight's contacts listings and Equity's advice on agents are good places to start. In Canada and Australia, ask ACTRA or MEAA's Equity section which agencies they know and trust.
How to submit to an agent
Read each agency's submission instructions and follow them to the letter. Some use an online form, some take email, some accept new clients by referral only and a few say plainly that they take nothing unsolicited. Ignoring the instructions is the quickest way to be ignored.
For an email, keep it short: who you are, why this agency (one specific sentence), what you have done lately, and links to your headshot, resume and footage. Three short paragraphs at most. Something like this:
Hi Dana, I'm an actor based in Chicago, recently out of a two-year conservatory program. Your roster is strong in drama and I don't see many actors in my lane: late twenties, working-class, comedy with an edge. I just wrapped a supporting role in an independent feature and played the lead in a new play at a storefront theater this spring. My reel, headshot and resume are linked below. Thank you for taking a look.
Use links, and attach large files only if the agency asks for them. If you hear nothing, that is the usual answer, and it is a "not now" more often than a "never." Write again when you have something new to show: a booking, a new tape, a good review.
Referrals, showcases and bookings
A referral from someone the agent trusts gets your submission read. That might be a current client of the agency, a casting director who has called you in more than once, or a teacher who knows the agent personally. Ask only people who have seen your work and can honestly vouch for it.
Showcases are the traditional route out of training. Drama schools and graduate programs in the US and UK often end with a showcase for agents and casting directors, and for many agencies it is a main source of new clients. Outside school, some studios run workshops where you pay to perform for, or take a class with, an agent or casting director. They are legal in many places, regulated in some (California has specific rules) and opinion on them is divided. If you go, treat it as a chance to be seen doing good work. You are never buying representation.
Your own bookings are the third route. An actor who books a job through self-submission and then writes to agents saying "I just booked a co-star role and need representation to negotiate it" has given them a very good reason to call back.
What happens in an agent meeting
If an agent is interested, they will invite you in or meet on video. Expect a conversation: what you have done, where you trained, which roles you see yourself playing, which shows you watch and would love to be on. Some agents ask you to read a short scene or do a monologue, so have one ready for each kind of work they would submit you for.
Ask your own questions. How many clients do they have? Who would you deal with day to day? How do they like to be contacted? What would they submit you for first? Vague answers to those tell you something.
If they offer to sign you, you will get a contract. Read it, and ask about the length of the term, the commission on each kind of work and how either side can end the arrangement. If the agency is not union-franchised, it is worth having someone experienced read the contract before you sign.
Red flags: how to spot a fake agent
A legitimate agent earns money only when you do. They take a commission on work they help you get, commonly around 10% for union work in the US and sometimes more for non-union, commercial or print work. Norms differ in the UK, Canada and Australia, so ask what the usual rate is locally. They do not charge you to join.
Walk away from anyone who asks for a registration fee, a fee to put you on their website, payment for classes as a condition of representation, or who insists you shoot headshots with their photographer at your expense. Be wary of anyone who approaches you in a mall or a direct message promising quick work, and of anyone who guarantees bookings. Nobody can guarantee bookings. Some US states, California among them, have laws aimed at talent scams and advance fees; if an offer feels off, ask your union or your state's labor office before you pay anything.
More questions
How much does an acting agent cost?
Nothing up front. A legitimate agent is paid a commission, a percentage of what you earn on jobs they help you get. In the US that is commonly around 10% for union work and can be higher for non-union, commercial or print work. Norms vary by country and by contract.
Can you get an agent with no experience?
It is possible, but hard. Agents sign actors they can submit tomorrow. With no credits, strong self-taped scenes, real training and a clear sense of your type can be enough for a smaller agency, especially outside the biggest markets. Many actors book a few independent credits on their own first.
Do agents sign actors without a reel?
Some do, particularly for theater or commercial representation. For film and television most agents want to see you on camera. If you have no footage from real projects, one or two well-shot self-taped scenes of a minute or two each will show them what they need.
How long does it take to get an agent?
There is no standard timeline. Some actors sign out of a showcase within weeks; others submit for a year or more before getting a meeting. Keep working in the meantime, because every new credit or tape is a fresh, legitimate reason to follow up.
Should you get an agent or a manager first?
For most actors starting out, an agent, because the agent submits you for work and negotiates it. Some managers take on newer actors and help them get signed by an agent, which can be useful, but you will then be paying two commissions.
Does your agent need to be local?
Usually it helps. Agents submit mostly for work in their own market, and many productions prefer local hires to avoid travel costs. Self-taping has widened the map, but most actors are still represented where they live and can get to a set.