What Talent Agents Look For Before Signing an Actor

Before signing you, an agent considers whether you’re marketable to casting directors, fill a gap in their roster and have the potential to book work.

Understanding what talent agents specifically look for is far more valuable than trying to impress them. Agents aren’t searching for perfection or an actor that fits the mold. They’re looking for clients that are talented, easy to represent and ready to work.

Key Insights

Treat your career like a business before you have representation: Training, self-submitting, maintaining current materials and having clear career goals signal that you’re ready to work.

Agents evaluate more than talent: They’re looking for actors who are prepared, professional, marketable and ready to approach representation as a partnership.

Your materials should make your casting potential clear: Strong, accurate headshots, reels and resumes help agents quickly understand your type and where they can submit you.

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What Talent Agents Are Actually Evaluating When They Meet You

One of the biggest misconceptions actors have is believing an agent’s job is to discover hidden talent and take over the brunt of the work. Signing with an agent is not the finish line, it’s the beginning of a professional partnership. As Carmen LaVia of Fifi Oscard Agency once said, “When you sign with an agent, it doesn’t mean you go home and put your feet up on the desk.”

Every actor an agent signs requires time, effort and financial investment. Before they commit to all of that, they need confidence that representing you is a worthwhile investment. They spend hours submitting you for roles, negotiating contracts, advising on career decisions and maintaining relationships with casting directors.

When they meet you, it’s more of a conversation than an audition. They’ll most likely be paying attention to if you showed up prepared, if you seem confident without trying too hard, and whether they could send you out on auditions. During a meeting, an agent is considering the future. Will it be enjoyable to represent you, the real authentic you?

The Specific Things Agents Look for in Your Materials

Your headshot, showreel and resume create your first impression. Agents look for headshots that represent the actor who will walk into the audition. They should at least communicate your casting type, and align with the kinds of auditions you might book.

When it comes to your showreel, agents understand that every actor starts somewhere. Prioritize quality over quantity, plus strong material with at least two or three scenes.

Agents will look for resumes that demonstrate a commitment to the work, even if you only have a few credits. Make sure you have a clear format, and highlight any special skills that separate you from other candidates. Be honest: over-inflated resumes stick out, and agents aren’t expecting you to have just graduated from Juilliard with 30 screen credits.

How Agents Assess Your Type and Market Fit

Actors sometimes hear the word “type” and immediately think of limitations, but from an agent’s perspective, type is a practical way of understanding where you are most immediately marketable.

Your type is not necessarily your personality, and it does not define the full range of characters you can play. If your materials are trying to sell you as five completely different actors, an agent has to work harder to understand where to submit you. A strong agent needs to be able to look at your headshot and reel and immediately think, “I know the breakdowns this actor could fit.”

They assess your type by looking at your age range, appearance, energy, presence, voice and the kinds of roles you naturally make believable. Agents use these qualities to get you through the door in your primary market. Eventually, you’ll be submitted for roles outside of your usual casting, so think about your type as just the front door, not the entire house.

What Agents Want to See in Your Training and Work History

What an agent wants to see from your training and credits is a foundation to build a working relationship from. Does your training indicate your work ethic? For emerging actors, those one or two credits from short films show initiative, and that you have already been out there working without representation.

It’s not so much about having a lot to show. Even a little can tell an agent a lot about the kind of actor you are. You might have trained at the best drama school in the country, but have you been self-submitting since graduating?

All an agent is looking for is an accurate representation of your training and work history. Show up with what you have, even if you think it’s not enough. You can keep coming back with more to show, ready for the opportunities you want to pursue.

The Professional Qualities That Separate Signable Actors

Agents also pay close attention to qualities that may never appear on your resume, but can make a significant difference. Do you respond promptly? Can you be trusted to show up to auditions on time? Are you the kind of actor that arrives prepared?

Agents also want actors who take some responsibility for their own careers. In your meeting, you should show up with an idea of the kind of career path you want to carve out for yourself. This shows an agent that you have a vision for the future and that you are building a team, rather than relying on them to do all the work for you.

The professional qualities that often get overlooked are as easy as keeping your materials updated, pursuing opportunities by self-submitting, updating your social media, and staying connected to what’s going on in the industry you want to be a part of.

How To Get in Front of Agents and Make a Strong Approach

While there is no single route to getting a talent agent, the best (and probably most successful) way is by reaching out to the agencies that might be a sensible fit for you.

Research their roster and make sure your casting type, experience and career level match what they might be looking for in a client. Then send a concise, professional submission with your current headshot, resume and reel, and a clear explanation of why you are approaching that particular agency.

To make a strong approach, be specific in your search. See if you can get a referral, or if there are acting classes or courses that produce showcases that can provide another route in.

The important thing to understand when you are looking for representation is what an agent can actually provide. As talent agent Steven Unger explains, “We can’t get actors a job. We can get actors auditions.”

Conclusion

Talent agents want strong candidates that combine talent with preparation. Actors that understand their casting type, update their materials and continue to develop their craft, even without immediate feedback from booking. An agent isn’t looking for a finished product.

Your search for representation is not about convincing an agent that you can act or that you simply want an acting career. Representation works best as a partnership, and the actors who stand out are the ones who show they are already treating acting as a viable profession. Show up in your pursuit with the confidence that you already know that you can do the work. Invite them on board the journey, and make it easier for them to say “yes.”