How do you get an agent?

Question

I love to act (I've done some school skits and a couple short student films) and would like to get an agent, but I have no idea how to do this because I know no one in the entertainment field. I've asked professors but they were not helpful.

How do I sign up for one? For example; the William Morris Agency? Or suggest any other good agents?

Answer 1

Well you can't really "sign up" for one. You need to get a mailing list of all the legitimate SAG/AFTRA talent agencies in your city. Then create a professional resume, take a good headshot, and write a cover letter. After you get those essentials, you'll have to do a mass mailing to all of the agencies. Most of the professional agencies have websites so you can check out their policies on whether or not they're get back to you and how long it'll take, but I say it'll be about 2-3 weeks before you get some sort of notification, either negative or positive. And then, after seeing how many calls you get you might have to make some adjustments, like get a new headshot or do some more work to build up your resume, network some more. After you send it off, you can follow up and pray.

Answer 2

It depends on which city in the USA you live. Talk to other actors about the procedure for getting an agent in your city.

Ask your actor friends how they found an agent. In large cities, such as New York, some talent agents go to the theatre to look for up-and-coming talent, that they may want to represent.

The William Morris Agency, mainly, represents celebrities.