How to Get an Agent or Manager

Getting representation is one of the most talked-about goals in an acting career — and one of the most misunderstood processes. Actors spend years chasing agents and managers without a clear strategy, wondering why nobody responds.

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First: Are You Ready for Representation?

Before you pursue an agent or manager, ask yourself honestly whether you have what they need in order to sell you.

An agent's job is to submit you for auditions and negotiate your contracts. A manager's job is to guide your career and, in practice, often to submit you as well. Both are in the business of selling actors to casting directors.

If you can't be sold yet, because your materials aren't strong, your type isn't clear, or your skills aren't at a professional level, then representation won't help you. It will just expose your unpreparedness to people whose opinions matter.

Before you pursue representation, you need:

A strong headshot. One that communicates your type immediately and makes you look like a specific, castable character in film and television, not just an attractive person.

A professional resume. Clean, honest, formatted correctly. Even if your credits are thin, a well-organized resume signals professionalism.

A reel. Even if it's composed of self-tape auditions rather than professional footage, having something on camera is better than nothing. A strong audition tape that shows you working honestly is a legitimate starting point. For more, check out the BLS Reel Building Service.

A clear sense of your own casting. Before anyone can sell you, you need to know how you should be sold. What roles are you right for? What's your type? Where do you fit in the market? If you can't answer this clearly, a career guidance session can help.

Agents vs. Managers: The Actual Difference

The distinction between agents and managers has become increasingly blurry in practice. Here's what's generally true:

Agents are franchised and regulated. They are legally permitted to submit clients for auditions and negotiate contracts. They typically take 10% commission on union projects, and often up to 20% on non-union.

Managers are less regulated. They're technically not supposed to submit clients for auditions, but many do. They're supposed to take a broader guiding role in your career, though not all do. They typically take 15% on union projects.

In practice, many actors have both an agent and a manager, and the relationship dynamics vary widely. Some managers are more active submitters than some agents. Some agents are more career-focused than some managers.

The distinction matters less than the specific person and what they're actually willing to do for you.

One firm rule: any agent or manager who charges you money upfront, before you've worked a job with them as your rep, is a red flag. Legitimate representatives are paid only when you are paid. Walk away from anyone who charges registration fees, photo packages, or any other upfront costs as a condition of representation.

How Cold Submissions Actually Work (Spoiler: They Pretty Much Don't)

The traditional method of mailing headshots and resumes to every agency in town and waiting for a call is largely ineffective. Most unsolicited submissions go unread. Agents and managers receive enormous volumes of materials and have no incentive to prioritize actors they've never heard of, seen, or been told about by anyone they trust.

This doesn't mean never submit cold. It means understand what you're doing: you're playing a very long odds game and should not expect responses.

What Actually Works

Referrals (The Most Effective Path)

If you know an actor who has representation you respect, a referral from them is the single most effective way to get your materials in front of an agent or manager.

The key is how you ask. Don't put the actor on the spot by asking them to vouch for you professionally as that's a significant ask and many actors will feel uncomfortable saying no directly. Instead, ask something smaller:

"Would it be okay with you if I reached out to your agent and mentioned that we know each other?"

This is easy to say yes to. It costs the actor nothing. And it's enough to get your submission noticed, as a name they recognize at the top of a cover letter changes how quickly it gets opened.

If the actor wants to do more and actively vouch for you, that's their choice to make. Don't ask for it directly.

TalentLink and Repunzel

Two platforms specifically designed to connect actors with representatives who are actively looking:

TalentLink (available through Actors Access) puts your materials in front of agents and managers who have opted in to receive actor submissions. They're genuinely looking. Some BLS students have found representation this way.

Repunzel functions similarly as a paid platform connecting actors with representatives seeking talent.

Neither is a guarantee, but both put you in front of people who are open to finding new clients, which is more than you can say for cold submissions to agencies that aren't actively looking.

Industry Showcases (With Caveats)

Showcases where actors perform for agents and managers do occasionally lead to representation. But approach these carefully.

Some showcases are genuinely well-attended by representatives who are actively looking to sign new clients. Others are attended by agents who show up to collect their check and aren't signing anyone. The showcase organizers rarely tell you the difference and there's no fool-proof way to find out.

Before spending money on a showcase, research: Who are the specific agents and managers attending? Can you confirm whether they've signed actors from this showcase before? What's the track record? If you can't find concrete examples of actors who got signed this way, be skeptical.

Building Your Career and Letting Representation Find You

This is slower, but it works. As you accumulate credits, build your reel, develop your online presence, and get seen in student films and short films that screen publicly, you become easier to find and easier to pitch.

Agents and managers pay attention to casting notices. If a casting director keeps bringing you in, representatives notice. If you're in a short film that gets into a respected festival, representatives notice. If you have a self-tape that gets passed around, representatives notice.

Building the career without waiting for representation to start it is both a valid strategy and one that puts you in a stronger position when you do pursue reps as you come in with something to show, not just a headshot and a dream.

What to Have Ready Before You Pursue Representation

When you do submit, whether through a referral, TalentLink, or a showcase, have everything in order:

Your best headshot (properly sized, formatted for digital submission)
Your resume (attached to the headshot, one page, honest)
Your reel link (even an audition tape reel is fine at this stage)
A brief, professional cover note. Not a life story, not a pitch, not desperation. One or two sentences about who you are and why you're reaching out. If you have a referral, lead with it.

Know Your Type Before You Pitch

This bears repeating because it's where so many actors fall short.

Before anyone can sell you, you need to know how you should be sold. What kinds of roles are you right for right now? Not eventually, not in five years, but now. What's your cast-able type at this point in your career?

Actors who know their type are easier to represent. Agents and managers can pitch you more confidently when you already have a clear answer to "what is this person right for?"

Actors who insist they can play anything are harder to represent, especially at the beginning. "I can play anything" is not a pitch. It's an obstacle.

You can expand your range later. Start with what you are.

What to Expect

Even if you do everything right, most submissions will go unanswered. Some will lead to general meetings that don't result in representation. Some will lead to "we're not taking on new clients right now." Some will lead to "the team doesn't think it's the right fit."

None of this is personal. Agents and managers have specific rosters with specific needs. They may already have someone who looks exactly like you. They may not be actively signing. They may genuinely like your work and still not be able to place you.

Rejection from representation is not a verdict on your talent or your future. It's a business decision about what they can sell right now.

Keep your materials sharp. Keep building your career. Keep pursuing the work. Representation follows a career in motion more reliably than it creates one.

The Bottom Line

Have professional materials before you pursue representation
Know your type
Referrals are the most effective approach, but ask carefully
TalentLink and Repunzel put you in front of active representatives
Approach showcases with research and skepticism
Cold submissions rarely work but don't hurt
Build the career as representation follows careers in motion
Never pay upfront fees to any representative

And if you're unsure what your type is, what your materials need, or how to approach your specific situation strategically, a career guidance session at BLS is designed for exactly this.

Looking for a Coach?

At Braden Lynch Studio, we offer:

Weekly Acting Classes:

Small groups, Psychology-based technique, Supportive, collaborative environment
In-person (Reseda, CA), $300/month (4 weeks)

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Includes Audition Prep for TV/Film, Theatre, and College, plus Audition Taping, Self-Tape Reviews, and Accent Coaching
In-person (Reseda, CA) and Online worldwide, $150/hour or $550 for 4-hour package

1-on-1 Growth Coaching:

Includes Craft Development, Career Guidance, Coaching for Booked Roles, Reel Building, and Accent Coaching.
In-person (Reseda, CA) and Online worldwide, $150/hour or $550 for 4-hour package

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