Working With Your Agent
A five-year relationship. Treat it like one.
Working with your acting agent is the ongoing relationship that follows being signed. A good relationship is built on clear communication, shared expectations about submission volume and type, and actor-led initiative on training and self-submission. This page covers how often to communicate, what to do when the phone goes quiet, and the practical reality that most agents have fifty or more clients and need you to manage your own career while they open doors.
What this actually looks like in practice
The short version of this work: research carefully, submit precisely, expect silence, improve the package, submit again. Most of the effort is in the research and the specificity. Volume will not save a vague submission.
Before submitting to a single agent, spend a day reading the agency's client list. Look for the shape of the list: what stage of career do they represent, what kind of work do those clients book, is the agency strong in screen or stage or both. A well-matched agency is one whose current clients look like the actor you are about to become, not the actor you are today.
Your submission package is four things: a current headshot, a short showreel, a one-page resume, and a cover letter. None of these are negotiable. If you do not have a reel, submit a ninety-second self-tape and say so. Do not hide it. Agents reward honest staging.
The cover letter is the piece most actors get wrong. It is not a CV summary. It is a short, specific argument for why you are approaching that specific agency. Two sentences on you, two sentences on them, one sentence on what you are asking for. Anything longer is filler.
Practical checklist
- Current headshot. Updated within the last eighteen months. High resolution, neutral background, natural expression.
- Showreel. Under two minutes. Strongest dramatic beat in the first fifteen seconds.
- Resume. One page. Current credits, training, skills relevant to screen, agent representation (if any). Height, eye colour, and union memberships where required by the market.
- Cover letter. Five sentences maximum. Specific to the agency. No template language.
- Contact details. A working email and phone number. No shared family accounts for adult actors.
- the United States market fit. Name the platforms you submit through (Actors Access, Casting Networks, Backstage) and your union status with SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) if applicable.
What to do with the silence
Most agents will not reply. This is not personal. Assume the silence is the response, unless you receive anything else. A single, brief follow-up after four to six weeks is acceptable. Beyond that, move to the next batch.
When you do get a meeting, you are not yet signed. The meeting is its own audition. Prepare for it the way you would prepare for a callback. See the guide on preparing for an agent meeting.
How this applies in the United States
In the United States, the primary actors' union is SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists). Most agents work through Actors Access, Casting Networks, Backstage.
The production base for the market sits across Los Angeles, New York City, and Atlanta as the three largest markets, with Chicago, Albuquerque, and New Orleans as rapidly growing secondary markets on the back of state tax incentives.. A good submission package reads as if it was written by an actor who already understands where the work is actually shot in the country, not one who has generic coverage in mind.
Frequently asked questions
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How long should I expect this process to take?
Weeks to months, not days. Agent responses are slow, and the iteration of improving your package based on what you learn is part of the process.
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Will Tingley's introduce me to an agent in the United States?
Rarely, and only where Freya has worked with you and knows your current level. We do not run a pay-for-referral model.
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What is different about the the United States market?
Platforms, unions, and submission conventions. In the United States, the working standard is SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) for union representation and Actors Access, Casting Networks, Backstage for casting platforms. The underlying principles are the same everywhere: research, specificity, and patience.
Want a second opinion on your submission?
Book a call. We will look at your reel, your headshot, and your cover letter, and tell you what we see in the the United States market.