What a talent agent really does

The life of a talent agent isn’t as glamorous as it’s made out to be; it’s hectic, it’s fast, it’s very cut throat, but it is all in all, fun.

A talent agents’ job is to represent actors and actresses on their roster and make sure they’re going to as many auditions as possible in order to land paying gigs. As agent’s we send actors off to their auditions and when they book those job, we make sure they are paid accordingly. All reputable Canadian agents are registered under ACTRA, the actor’s union.

An agent’s job is a very busy one, we manage our actors by making sure they know where their auditions are, who they’re auditioning for, how much they’re getting paid, and sometimes payment has to be negotiated. Agents are constantly having to babysit their clients and make sure headshots are being updated when significant body changes are made. As agents we are constantly meeting with producers, casting, and directors at times, to make sure our actors have the best chance to be seen by said individuals, to possibly have a better opportunity at booking a job. As much as people think we live glamorous lives, that is far from the truth. Our lives are spent in meeting rooms, planes, and cars; all in the hopes of letting our clients live those kinds of lives. Sometimes when clients don’t represent us in the best light, we have to be able to sit down and have that tough conversation with them, and see whether or not the partnership is worth continuing. When determining whether or not someone is talented enough to be represented by me, I tend to look at their resume; and see what kind of acting training they’ve had, either from universities or established acting/theatre/film schools. Making sure that someone has an established resume, will determine how professional I can expect them to be on auditions. All in all, being an agent is about babysitting.