Over the last decade, (yes we’ve been ‘turning over’ for 10 years) Slick Showreels have worked with literally thousands of talented actors.

It’s safe to say we know actors well and we love them very much.
We thought it would be useful for us to interview a theatrical agent and ask some of the questions that have cropped up over the years.

We headed to the heart of Soho to arguably one of the biggest talent agencies in the world. United Agents. They represent actors such as, Kate Winslet, Tom Hardy, Taron Egerton, Eddie Redmayne, Ricky Gervais, Kiera Knightley and Olivia Coleman, who thanked her agent at United in her Oscar® Winning speech earlier in 2019.

We interviewed an agent that will be kept anonymous.

Here’s what they had to say.

Slick Showreels
So… How did you become an agent?

(anonymous) United Agent
Well, I don’t think it’s one of those jobs that when you’re younger you imagine yourself doing or certainly I didn’t. In the 1990s when I was at school, I didn’t even know it existed, really. But I got into it through my first job in the industry. That was working for a small theatre company in Soho. I applied there as the administrative assistant helping out in the office, I was only one of two full time members of staff. I remember one of my tasks was helping to cast one of their plays by assisting the casting director at the time by ringing around all the agents and doing availability checks on the actors. They all sounded like they were really enjoying what they were doing, had lots of energy and were having a good time. A friend of mine at the time was working as an assistant for an agent and loving it. He mentioned he’d heard there was a job going at another agency, suggested I apply for it. So I did.
I then worked there for about 18 months and really enjoyed it, I started there as a general assistant and was promoted to assist and agent. I then heard that a senior agent here at United Agents was looking for an assistant, I went for that job… and that was 11 years ago!

Slick Showreels
Wow, so you were an assistant for 11 years?

(anonymous) United Agent
No, I worked my way up the ranks over the course of that time. You start as a second assistant, it’s an American kind of system…  you learn the ropes right from the bottom; taking phone calls, messages and then you gradually learn the ropes and work your way up. So second assistant, then first assistant and then you become an associate agent which means you’re able to start taking on your own clients whilst you’re still working for the parent agent. From that point you grow and then when it feels right for both you and the agent you’re working for, you can branch off on your own. So it’s a real gradual progression. I think it’s really important as well to learn the ropes and spend time getting to know the business and working out the sort of nuances and politics. We’re always learning on this job.

Slick Showreels
So working for one of the most senior agents at United. That must have been a real experience?

(anonymous) United Agent
Yes it really was. It’s a sort of sink or swim kind of atmosphere. I don’t think it’s quite as cutthroat now as perhaps it was back then. But you’ve still gotta grab the bull by the horns and throw yourself into it. Be dynamic and go for it, within reason but at the same time, you learn from your mistakes where you’ve been overambitious or too eager. It’s those little bits that help you to consolidate everything, so that when you eventually have your own clients you’ve got a real sense of what’s appropriate. That’s what’s funny about being a talent agent – it’s not the kind of job that there’s an instruction manual for or you can go to college to study. It’s just not like that. It’s about people, relationships and learning how to manage different situations but also the appreciation that It’s layered, it’s nuanced and responding to that and being flexible. So that’s where having all that experience as an assistant is invaluable to me now.

Slick Showreels
That leads me on to my next question. How difficult has it been to build up your contacts? When you started with your own list, day one? Were those relationships already built up, or is that something that you’re continually working on?

 

(anonymous) United Agent
You’re continually working on it. I was really lucky working for one of the biggest agents here, they obviously have amazing relationships in the industry, so you get the benefit of their reputation but then as you progress in the agency, you develop your own reputation and your own relationships with people. They’re developed over time and they change and they grow. There’s a lot of people I used to go to the pub with when I was an assistant who are now some of the most respected casting directors in the industry, so we’ve grown up together really over the last 10 years. Relationships change and evolve. You could have had a difficult negotiation at one point with somebody that resolves itself. The next time you do it, whilst you know you might have had a bit of a challenging situation, you’ve already got that shorthand and you know you can resolve it.

Slick Showreels
Would you say that most of your day is spent negotiating or is it pitching an actor, or dealing with your client list?

(anonymous) United Agent
It’s a really mixed job and I think that’s why I’ve been doing it for so long and why I continue to enjoy doing it. Whilst people think it’s glamorous, it is an office job. I’m in the office pretty much every day, I’d say, 90% of the year. You go on set visits sometimes and you go on trips and things like that but ultimately, I’m sat at my desk, every day with the phone and the computer. So in order to cope with the monotony of that, it has to be interesting and challenging. No two days are the same and I like being able to sit at my desk knowing what my priorities are for that day but also being prepared to respond to whatever comes in, whatever phone call comes in, whatever situation arises. That gives it the kind of spice and variety to keep you interested, I suppose.

Slick Showreels
For actors starting out who are thinking of approaching an agent, how much experience do they need? To approach somewhere like United? If a new actor wants to approach United is that just a no go? Is there a ladder system?

(anonymous) United Agent 
It’s a really tricky one because I guess it’s all about getting noticed by somebody who is interested in what you have to offer. It could be that you’ve done an amazing short film, that’s got a bit of recognition, or you’ve got a small part in a big feature film, or you’ve got a big part in a small feature film, you’re in a play that had a really good critical reception, or whatever it is you have to show for yourself. I guess that’s the main thing.

I think if you’re writing an application and sending your CV and you have nothing to show, no showreel at all or recognisable credits it’s unlikely that you will get a meeting, because we live in a very visual culture now and there’s nothing to see there. So I would suggest people who don’t have any formal experience even just putting down a scene or two. Well lit. Do it properly. Then at least there’s something for the potential agent to see. Don’t do anything too out there, keep it naturalistic, keep it real, keep it authentic, keep it very much in keeping with you as a person, as opposed to you know, putting on a German accent and pretending to be a spy (unless you are German of course!).

I mean I would just suggest for people who don’t have much experience at all to do something like that. Then just try and get as much experience as you can. Fringe theatre, Edinburgh Festival can be a great place to get seen. If you’re in a play at the fringe at one of the main spaces, lots of people will see that and that’s always a good calling card. There’s hundreds of things that go on at the fringe. Every year, or fringe theatres in London, or short films again can be a really good way in…
Do your homework. If you haven’t got much experience and you’re wanting to get signed by an agent, then don’t approach one of the biggest agents with the biggest client list, even if you think, wow, they’ve got amazing clients I’d love to work with them. Let’s get real. You’re more likely to be taken on by a younger agent or an associate agent who is looking to expand their list, then you are with one of the big guns. So do your homework. On a lot of the websites, it will have a list of who the staff are. You can look at the different offices and see some of the senior agents have associate agents working with them. If you haven’t got much experience and you’re looking for somebody, it might make sense to start with somebody who’s at the start of their career as well.

Slick Showreels
So you could approach United and the bigger agents but you need to try and aim for someone starting their own list?

(anonymous) United Agent
Yeah, exactly. I think it’s just, find out the younger agents who are looking to expand their list because they’re on the hunt, young hungry, associate agents who are just starting out and they want to find the next big thing, they want to find the new talent, so they’re out there scouting for people, that would be my advice, because not only are you getting into an agency like United which has got an amazing amount of contacts and a brilliant international reputation. You’d also be working with somebody who’s young and dynamic and really has a lot to prove. 

Slick Showreels
Probably 90% of actors out there have at some point written to United Agents, how the hell does United deal with the amount of submissions that must come through on a daily basis?

(anonymous) United Agent
I personally respond to everyone if I can and I’ll look quickly. What can you put in that email that captures the attention of somebody? What is it about you that you think is your USP, the thing that you’ve got to say. I’ll try and respond, usually with quite a generic response but a polite one obviously acknowledging that someone’s written in and is interested.

The reception desk deal with lots of incoming enquiries.

Personalise your approach, definitely. Find out who that agents assistant is as well, and copy them in too, so you’ve got two channels. Do your homework, why are you writing to that agent? Is there somebody they already look after that you really admire, you know, is there a client of theirs that you’ve recently seen on TV or in a film or in a play? If so, make that the first paragraph – “I’m writing to you because I’m a great admirer of your clients, so and so’s work in this”, immediately, you’ve got the attention of somebody because you’re mentioning someone they work with. Then explain why. Why do you think that person is great, why would you like a career like theres? Why do you see yourself In a similar vein or not In a similar vein or what is it about that person that you’re interested in? Some people will say “oh that’s a bit of flattery” but I don’t think it is, I think it’s a way to bridge a gap of coming from a cold calling place. 

Slick Showreels
Yeah exactly, it’s not so cold then.

(anonymous) United Agent
So I think that that’s a good thing to do, definitely. A lot of the time, actors will write an email, that’s quite generic and it gets sent out to loads of agents, which is absolutely fair enough, of course they want to do that, but just try and watch how you phrase that because in order to get noticed, you just personalising it, is definitely worth doing and doesn’t take very long. 

Slick Showreels
Do you try and keep your list more individual and not have two actors that are going up for the same thing?

(anonymous) United Agent
I think you have to really meet someone to get a sense of what they’re like and what kind of actor they are. To be honest, it can be about timing, it can be quite arbitrary. There are days when I get into the office when perhaps it’s not completely manic, someone will email in, and I’ll watch their showreel, because on that morning I happen to have a bit more time, whereas someone else who is brilliant could email one day, and I’m so busy that I barely have a chance to look at it. Make sure your email stands out and promotes you in the best possible light – and encourages the agent to take notice, no matter how busy they are. 

Slick Showreels
So a bit of luck then?

(anonymous) United Agent 
Yeah a bit of luck – I’d also say persistence, but at the same time, not too much persistence because that can then become a bit of a turnoff if you’re emailing every week. Use your common sense. But it’s all about keeping it concise, writing something that’s going to pop, making some kind of bridge between you and that agent, personalising, mentioning one of their clients 

Slick Showreels
How time consuming is it and how do you find the time to work with a new actor. I would imagine it requires a lot of work, pitching, a lot of selling? You must be quite busy looking after your high profile clients so how do you find the time for a new actor starting out?

(anonymous) United Agent
It’s about taking opportunities and using, joined up thinking in a way, so that, when you’re talking to somebody about a profile client for a project, there’s something you think that new client might be right for as well. Using that opportunity to say “oh by the way there’s this other part and actually I’ve just taken on this new actor  would you see them?”. So it’s about those relationships that you have with the casting people. If you have good relationships with casting people, they’re going to take a chance, they’re going to trust your judgement, they’re going to say, let’s give them a bash. Then that’s part of my job done, I can’t do any more than that, it’s then up to the actor in the room. It’s about seeing windows of opportunity, rather than a blanket pitch to everybody. Although we do set up general meetings with casting directors to introduce somebody to them that they’ve not met, it’s also about getting creative and being opportunistic.

Slick Showreels  
What would you say you look for in a client?

(anonymous) United Agent 
For me it’s about who they are as a whole person. I don’t want to see a performance, I don’t want to meet actorly actors. I want a whole person who is a real person, has a life outside the industry, doesn’t want to be famous, wants to do the job because they want to tell the truth, they want to tell stories, they want to communicate something. Someone who is real, who’s comfortable in their own skin. I think for me, one of the most important things for an actor is to try and be as open as possible. So when you’re going into an audition or you’re working on a project – you’re going in there with an open frame of mind. Not just professionally and  emotionally but your whole being is open to this experience so that you can inhabit the character but also do what you need to do for that writer, for that director, for that DOP. You become almost this kind of conduit but at the same time retaining your own identity, putting your own stamp on things, but being a player in a bigger picture and understanding that you are part of an ensemble. I think for me it’s really important, no matter how successful an actor gets that they remember and they respect their part in the bigger picture when they walk onto a set or into a theatre. It’s about the boom operator and the costume designer and the make-up artist. It’s about everybody working together to create something wonderful.

So for me, being humble, being authentic, being comfortable in their own skin, being real, giving a shit about stuff, that isn’t just acting and auditions and what jobs they’ve got, what jobs they haven’t. You know being connected to the world, being connected to what’s going on politically. I want to work with someone I could have a conversation with over dinner as well, someone I want to speak to and hang out with to a degree. I don’t mean best mate but someone I respect and like. And talent. Talent is that thing you can’t really put your finger on, you can’t quantify it.

Slick Showreels
What is your favourite part of being an agent?

(anonymous) United Agent
My favourite part is telling someone they’ve got a job when they really want it. When somebody’s worked really hard and you know they really want it and it’s a break for them or it’s a big part for them or an exciting new opportunity for them telling them that they’ve got the job, being the first person to tell them they’ve got it. That is one of my favourite parts.

I had that very recently, the client is 20. She got a nice part in a big feature film and she cried, she was just absolutely overjoyed and just being a part of that joyous moment of celebrating when someone’s worked hard for something. So that and then seeing somebody grow and seeing somebody blossom and develop and go from one place to another. That can take time, that can take years, but seeing somebody’s career develop in the way that they want it to, that I want it to. To be there for all the highs and lows along the way and the pitfalls and successes and being part of that journey I suppose. What else do I love? Just the relationships, just the fact that a massive part of my job is talking to people and not doing spreadsheets. It’s about talking to people about interesting things, things that I find interesting. My interests have always lied in theatre, film, television and performances and now to be able to talk about that all day for a job is quite fun.

Slick Showreels
Are you always on board with whatever the client’s wishes are or are there times where you’ve had to say “no, I don’t think that’s the right choice”.

(anonymous) United Agent 
It’s always a conversation and it’s a collaboration. I’m not in the business of telling people what to do and I never would but I’m also not the kind of person who would just sit there and go “yes sir no sir”. I’m always going to express my opinion and elaborate on that – backup why I think that’s a good idea and then ultimately it’s up to the client. I guess if I felt really strongly about something I would just advise them that I felt it’s not something that I think they should do. Ultimately I would support them if they wanted to do it. I’ve been in that situation where people have done jobs and I’ve thought “really?”. But maybe they need the money to pay the mortgage or maybe there’s other reasons for them doing it?

Slick Showreels
Have you ever had an actor on your books that just didn’t get called for anything or really struggled and if so, how have you dealt with that?

(anonymous) United Agent 
Yeah, that’s a tricky one. And yes, of course, all agents will have experiences where they’ve taken someone on and felt really passionate and empowered and ready to go and then things haven’t worked out how they wanted them to. So how would I deal with that? I guess it’s about communication, you keep talking to that client, you keep telling that client what you’re suggesting them for, you keep the lines of communication open so they don’t feel like they’ve just been dropped. Then you tell them why you think it might be that, it’s seeming hard, why it might be that they’re not getting called for things. But I think it’s just really important, as I say, to just keep them informed. Then there might be a situation where you both decide to part ways, it’s not worked out, you’ve given it a couple of years, but maybe it’s best for them if for whatever reason you’re really struggling, that they go to a smaller agency or they go to someone else, they just try a different tack, but ultimately it’s about communication and honesty and keeping them in the loop so they don’t just feel like it’s radio silence.

Slick Showreels
A lot of actors would love to be with United. How have you got most of your clients? Recommendations, letters, emails?

(anonymous) United Agent 
It’s a real mixed bag I suppose, I mean sometimes it’s a recommendation from a casting director. Sometimes it’s a recommendation from an existing client. Sometimes you’ve got a client in a show, and they’ll be someone else in that show, they’ll write to you. A lot of the time it’s through already established relationships. So actually taking someone on cold is quite unusual. There is usually some kind of link there, which probably isn’t what people want to hear. There’s drama school, taking someone on from drama school showcases, NYT, the Open Door Programme, University showcases. If you’re writing in without an existing connection it’s all about, what you’ve got to promote yourself with? What is that thing that you have that can capture the attention of the agent you’re writing to? 

Slick Showreels
How important are the tools that an actor has? Without those, how difficult is it to sell an actor?

(anonymous) United Agent 
It’s so important. You need a good headshot. It has to be clear, has to be well lit, it has to be a realistic representation of who you are, so no airbrushing, no altered colours, it’s got to look real. A photo that lets your personality shine through that’s not too posed, not too stylized. It’s really important to have a really good clear, honest headshot.

A showreel is really important tool, particularly for people starting out I think because, if you’re writing to people, you need something to show. So keep it snappy. Don’t make it too long, don’t make the scenes too long, a good variety, contrasting scenes, so you’re showing versatility. Just keep it concise, don’t do scenes longer than a minute, because the attention span of a lot of people in this business can be quite short due to the pressures of their job. Put your best stuff up front.
Make sure your CV is tidy and up to date, don’t have loads of stuff on there about am-dram that you did at school. Put a few choice credits in there if you’ve not got lots of credits, but we don’t want to know about Snow White and the Seven Dwarves at the community theatre really.  

Slick Showreels
Finally, what, what is your biggest tip for an actor who is unrepresented and searching for an agent?

(anonymous) United Agent
My biggest tip? 

Slick Showreels  
Yeah, what is the one piece of advice you’d give?

(anonymous) United Agent
Get involved, get involved with stuff, write stuff, put something on yourself, get a group of like minded people, make a short film, put a play on, take a play to Edinburgh, shoot some scenes. Get proactive. Don’t sit at home, sending thousands of emails and waiting for responses, do something that gets attention, you know, write something that is something you really want to say, make a statement with what you want to do. Capture people’s attention with it. Keep yourself healthy and fit, mentally, physically, you know, sounds like I’m giving people really basic advice here, but look after your mental health as well. Make sure that you’re not just totally focused on the business. Do other stuff – read and go to the theatre, go to the cinema, so that if you do get the opportunity to meet with an agent or anybody else in the industry. You’re right up to date with what’s the latest film that’s come out, what are the plays everyone’s talking about, what the National Theatre have just programmed, which writers have just been commissioned to do which TV series. Absorb all of that stuff, without getting obsessive, so that you know what you’re talking about. Watch things, watch TV, there’s so much amazing stuff out there now. Watch foreign cinema, get inspired. Just basically throw yourself into the world that you want to belong in whilst still keeping yourself fit and healthy.

Slick Showreels
National Theatre tickets will see a rise in sales now. 

(anonymous) United Agent
(laughing) You know what I mean though? 

Slick Showreels
Yeah absolutely. There’s so many hungry actors out there, but it can take a while to actually learn that as soon as you stop making that the only focus in your life, you’ll become more successful. Because if not, it can become boring, uninteresting and in some cases quite desperate. 

(anonymous) United Agent
Yeah, definitely. Definitely.

Slick Showreels
So many people don’t have the right tools. That is the minimum requirement for an actor right? How can an agent expect to sell you if you’re tools aren’t the best they can be?

(anonymous) United Agent 
Exactly! You have to present them professionally. They can look on our website, you can see how it’s supposed to look, emulate that. But you’re right, I always say to actors, the minute that you make peace with the arbitrary and unpredictable nature of this business and how we can only have a certain amount of control, at the beginning of a career. You’ve got to let yourself go, and if you can make peace with that and stop resisting it, you’ll find that things will go better. You’ll walk into a room and you’ve got loads of other stuff to talk about, other than what your last job was.

There’s so many things to pick up on in an audition, if you’re desperate, you’re holding on so tightly aren’t you, you’re so brittle, you can’t do your best work. It’s really hard if you’re that person and you’re really struggling and you’re really trying and you’re not getting anywhere. So the other thing I would say is, don’t take things personally. You have to look at yourself and make sure you’re giving the best account of yourself but at the same time it’s not a like a deep statement, on who you are as a person if you don’t get an audition or you don’t get the part. How could it be? Because nobody really knows.

I was on a panel a couple of weeks ago, it was really interesting sitting next to a casting director and hearing her side of the process, because I knew all of this but she was explaining how the ‘best’ actor doesn’t always get the part. Someone comes in and they’re great. But then there’s someone else who comes in and they look really like the actor they cast as the Dad or they’re just the right age or they look just right, they’ve got something and it’s not necessarily the ‘best’ actor, there are so many variables that go in to an actor being offered a role. It’s about fitting together a jigsaw and making it work. Actors may sometimes just think, “I wasn’t good enough” and it wasn’t that you weren’t good enough (hopefully!). It’s just that you weren’t quite right and it sounds like a cliche but it’s true. The way she was talking about it was with such love, admiration and respect for actors that I knew she really meant it. It’s not just a fob off, it’s true. There’s just that element of luck as well, which people don’t really want to hear. 

Slick Showreels
So true.
That’s it. Thank you so much for talking to us, that was so insightful. 

 

To get yourself ‘agent ready’ head over to our Showreel page.