Hey Audition Hackers! After doing some research on the Internet, I could not find a practical article on how to get an agent for acting. That’s why today we are going to talk about proven ways to get one. In Depth. Using discussions I had with my agent, other agents and with actors that currently have representation, my goal here is to bring to you a step-by-step guide to find an agent. And if you don’t directly find one with this guide, I’ll give you pointers to keep increasing your chances to get signed.
I. Get Outstanding Headshots.
Your headshots are the first thing that the casting director is going to look at, so you have to get them right! Spend some time researching photographers for Actors and find one that makes amazing headshots. Those headshots should :
- Be of the highest quality possible
- Show your face extremely clearly
- Represent your personality
- Feature different types of mood and atmosphere to showcase your versatility
Here are good examples of excellent photographers at an affordable price :
For each and every photo that you want to keep for future use, make sure that it does validate those criteria. Be honest with yourself about it, and if you need to, ask your friends! This is one of the most important parts of this guide so make sure you are hard on yourself with that. It has to be absolutely gorgeous! It will help you to get an agent even without experience.
II. Get a Superior Showreel.
If you have some good performances caught on camera, put the very best of them together in a short video, ideally no longer than 2.30 min. You can use a free editing software like clipchamp.com which is very easy to use. But if you are not happy with what you have on camera already, drop it! If you don’t think it’s great, do not take the risk that a potential agent thinks the same when watching it.
If you don’t have anything on camera already or do not want to use existing footage, don’t worry! What you can do is pick an excellent monologue of your choice and perform it in front of a camera. If you are willing to spend 40 pounds, you can use self tape services like selftapeauditionlondon.com. They will help you record your monologue at a professional level. If you don’t have the money for that, you can use your own phone, but the quality has to be good enough so that we can see and hear you without any difficulty. Get it on a tripod, use a neutral background, keep your head and shoulders within the frame, and go for it! Choose a modern monologue that you feel very comfortable with, and keep it nice and short.
III. Select Agents from this Well-Renowned UK Acting Agencies List.
The list below features many of the most respected UK acting agencies, from the biggest ones to the most accessible ones. Depending on where you are in your career and where you are located, you can adapt the acting agencies you will target. Here we go ! (Credits : bit.ly/2QwmMla)
London Acting Agencies
Top Tier
If you’re starring in a TV series/award-winning film, these are the guys for you. They’re the best and only represent the best.
United Agents | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Tom Hardy, Eddie Redmayne, Annabelle Wallis
Conway van Gelder Grant | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Benedict Cumberbatch, Helena Bonham-Carter, Sally Hawkins
Curtis Brown | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Sheridan Smith
Independent Talent | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Orlando Bloon, Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz
Hamilton Hodell | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Mark Rylance, Tom Hiddleston, Ben Whishaw
Clients Include; Rupert Friend, Michael Caine, Nicholas Hoult
Clients Include; Michael Fassbender, Daniel Kaluuya, Maxine Peake
Gordon & French | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Riz Ahmed, Charlene McKenna, Andrew Garfield
Artists Rights Group (A.R.G) | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Daniel Radcliffe, Liam Neeson, Freddie Highmore
Tavistock Wood Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Charles Dance, Naiome Harris, Dominic West
Creative Artists Management (C.A.M) | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Ray Winstone, Martin Freeman, Ben Hardy
The Artists Partnership | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Idris Elba, Emily Blunt, David Thewlis
Markham Froggatt & Irwin | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Emma Watson, Dominic Cooper, Rory Kinnear
Lou Coulson Associates | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Hugh Jackman, Cillian Murphy, Andy Serkis
Julian Belfrage Associates | Spotlight
Clients Include; Daniel Day-Lewis, Dan Stevens, Judi Dench
Bloomsfields Welch | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Luke Perry, Caroline Flack, Lucy Liu
Top-Mid Tier
For the up and comers [think co-stars in film,TV,and theatre]/famous actors that don’t want to be lost in the madness of the top tier. If you’re very lucky sometimes they pick up relatively new actors.
Emptage Hallet | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Ed Westwick, Emilia Clarke
Michelle Braidman Associates | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Stephen Dillane, Frank Dillane
Benfield and Ward | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Tupele Dorgu, Mark Evans
Identity Agency Group (I.A.G) | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; John Boyega, Malachi Kirby
Angel and Francis | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Nigel Cooke, Jeff Hordley
InterTalent | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Alfonso Ribeirio, Vinnie Jones, George Takei
Hatton McEwan Penford | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Jeremy Irvine, Kathy Burke, Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Waring and McKenna | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Sebastian De Souza, Bebe Cave
Clients Include; William Thomas, Ciara Baxdendale, Will Thorp
Denton Brierley | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Gerran Howell, Remy Beasley, Elinor Crawley
Olivia Bell Management | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Thomas Doherty, Ben McGregor, Doutzen Kroes
Shepherd Management | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; John Bradley, Olivia Cooke, Ian McElhinny
Jonathan Arun | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Greg Austin, Sean Maguire
Lee Morgan Management | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Pollyanna Mcintosh, Edward Peel, Bobby Rainsbury
Hatch Talent | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Oliver Phelps, Daniel Anthony
Simon & How Associates | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Charlie Blackwood
Gardner Herrity | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; David Collings
The BWH Agency | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Alexa Davies
Beresford Management | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; April Pearson
Grantham Hazeldine | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Alex Reid
The Markham Agency | Website | Spotlight
Clients Include; Holly Hayes
Mid Tier
Hit and miss really (they pick up whoever they want). These are the guys that start giving you the real opportunities [think guest roles in big shows].
Payne Management | Website | Spotlight
Scott Marshall Partners | Website | Spotlight
Polly’s Agency | Website | Spotlight
Global Artists | Website | Spotlight
Sally Hope Associates | Website | Spotlight
AHA Talent | Website | Spotlight
Eamonn Bedford Agency | Website | Spotlight
Byron’s Management | Website | Spotlight
Burnett Crowther | Website | Spotlight
Pemberton Associates | Website | Spotlight
Gavin Barker Associates | Website | Spotlight
BBA Management | Website | Spotlight
Stopford Agency | Website | Spotlight
A & J Management | Website | Spotlight
Shepperd-Fox | Website | Spotlight
JPA Managment | Website | Spotlight
Mondi Associates | Website | Spotlight
Wintersons | Website | Spotlight
Roxane Vacca Management | Website | Spotlight
JAA London | Website | Spotlight
Stanton Davidson | Website | Spotlight
RKA Talent | Website | Spotlight
Morwenna Preston | Website | Spotlight
Vivienne Clore Artist Management | Website | Spotlight
Brown, Simcocks and Andrews | Website | Spotlight
Emma Engers | Website | Spotlight
Galloways | Website | Spotlight
Sharon Henry | Website | Spotlight
Claire Hoath Management | Website | Spotlight
Middleweek Newton Talent Management | Website | Spotlight
Williamson & Holmes | Website | Spotlight
Feast Management | Website | Spotlight
McLean-Williams | Website | Spotlight
Nina Lee Management | Website | Spotlight
Langford Associates | Website | Spotlight
Lowy Hamilton | Website | Spotlight
Nancy Hudson Associates | Website | Spotlight
Marcus & McCrimmon | Website | Spotlight
GDA Management | Website | Spotlight
Katie Threlfall Associates | Website | Spotlight
Rebecca Blond | Website | Spotlight
Stevenson Withers | Website | Spotlight
Mrs Jordan Associates | Website | Spotlight
Low-Mid Tier
If you’re just starting out, and London based, give these guys a shot. Those are the people for you if you want to get an agent without previous experience.
Nic Knight Management | Website
Macfarlane Doyle | Website
Shane Collins Associates | Website
Gregg Millard Management | Website
Dennis Lyne | Website
Williams Bulldog Management | Website
Billboard PM | Website
Core Mgmt | Website
Keddie Scott | Website
James Foster Ltd | Website
Amber Personal Management | Website
Regional Acting Agencies
Manchester/Liverpool
The Narrow Road Company | Website | Spotlight
Lime Management | Website | Spotlight
Julie Fox Associates | Website | Spotlight
David Daly Associates | Website | Spotlight
WGM Talent | Website | Spotlight
Wales
Emptage Hallet | Website | Spotlight
Mark Jermin Management | Website | Spotlight
Regan Management | Website | Spotlight
The North
Northern Lights Management | Website | Spotlight
Amanda Andrew Agency | Website | Spotlight
Janet Plater Management | Website | Spotlight
DJW Talent | Website | Spotlight
Northern Ireland/Ireland
MacFarlane Chard | Website | Spotlight
The Lisa Richards Agency | Website | Spotlight
Scotland
Lovett Logan Associates | Website | Spotlight
Hunwich Hughes | Website | Spotlight
Coulter Management | Website | Spotlight
IV. Research each and every Acting Agency you selected.
For every single acting agency that you are going to reach out to, take the time to make some thorough research on them. Try to answer those questions :
- What types of actor do they have on their books?
- What jobs do those actors get?
- What vibes/values does the agency give away ?
If you can answer those questions, it will help you in finding the agencies that you like the most but moreover it will give you a lot to work with when you write to them.
V. Prepare a Personalised Message and Shoot !
Agencies do know that you probably did not write only to them. However, they want you to make them feel like you really want to be one of their actors and not one of another agency . Therefore, try to show in your email that you know about them and their actors. But also and even most importantly, insist on the one thing that makes you special in their eyes. Maybe you’re an amazing musician? Or master a specific accent? Or you are very athletic? Anything that makes you different and is interesting for them, put it down. That will help you to get an agent in the UK.
Here is an example of an email you could send :
Hi Mr/Mrs X,
My Name is John Doe and I am really impressed by the jobs such as X, Y, Z booked by some of your clients. I am an actor that can do X and I have noticed that you currently do not feature actors with that kind of skill in your books and looking at shows like Y, I know that it could be of use for you.
You will find attached my photo and below a link to my showreel. If you enjoy watching it, I would be delighted to have a conversation with you.
Kindest Regards,
John
VI. Ok Great. But…What if I do not get an acting agent following that guide?
Do Not Despair!
Unfortunately, there are a 1000 reasons it could not have worked out and there is no need to blame yourself or think that you are not good enough! There are many other ways that you can be in control and try to be seen by an agent. You don’t have to wait for them!
Below are ways to be seen if you don’t directly find an agent :
MonologueSlam
MonologueSlam is a monologue competition where you rehearse a one or three minute monologue and do it in front of a professional panel at an audition. In the audition you often have agents in the panel, and if you get selected, you will perform your monologue in a professional theatre in front of directors, casting directors and even more agents. You should definitely have a look at it. Even if you don’t get selected or signed, it is a fantastic opportunity to meet like-minded actors and network !
Facebook Groups.
There are dozens of Facebook groups out there that can help you find jobs that will get you started, and one great example is Actors UK. Join as many of those as you can and be ready to respond faster than anyone else ! The things you want to keep an eye on are casting calls that include your specific characteristics.You will waste time if you apply for things vaguely fitting your profile.
Mandy, Starnow, Backstage.
Those websites will feature a listing of different job opportunities and will have you complete a profile and pay a certain monthly fee in order to see the listing. Different actors have different experiences with those but I would say that it is for you if :
- You want to get started and are ready to invest a lot of time searching
- You are willing to pay a monthly fee in order to see the listings
- Your are ready to take the time to personalise your application to every single job
Acting Courses.
If you are willing/able to invest time and money in an acting class, do it. You will meet loads of different people, learn the craft, and have the opportunity to try things out without the fear of not getting it right. An acting class like Identity will give you a chance of meetings loads of other actors, train part time and do performances in front of a live audience where agents might scout you.
Create your own work.
I put that one at the last position because it is arguably one of the most challenging. But also one of the most rewarding. Today, there are numerous ways for you to write your own :
- One man show
- Play
- Short film and more…
It does take some very hard work to get it produced. It takes some time, learning, networking, but it is possible ! Once you get to do all of the other things above you will start having conversations with people that can help you get your written work to the next level, meaning having you performing your writing. At the beginning it can include :
- Submitting it to writing competitions
- Performing it in scratch nights
- Submitting it to local pub/theatres
This will help your work to be seen. Invite your friends, family, the actors you know, and ask them to bring people. If you keep on hustling it could come together much to your surprise. It might be a long process that could take up to several years in total therefore it is definitely worth starting now ! Eventually it could help you to get an acting agent in the UK.
There it is, you have a comprehensive guide on how to get an agent for acting. And even if you don’t directly find one, I can guarantee that if you do some of the things above, you will make progress in your career. Good luck, and let me know if you get any luck applying those !
AUDITIONHACK 
GREAT TIPS AXEL!
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Thank you David!!
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