how long do I wait for a response from the agencies I sent my headshot?

Answer 1

At the agency where I worked we responded immediately, by telephone, to actors that interested us.

We threw away headshots of actors that had weak resumes, no quality acting school, no strong acting credits, no lead roles in plays at quality theaters, and unprofessional headshots, typographical errors on the résumé.
Each agency is different. They may not have a need for your "type."

Answer 2

All these answers are all great, but there is one element that has not yet been addressed: Be sure you are sending to the RIGHT agencies. If you are 20 and sending to an agency that only handles child actors, your headshot will go in the wastebasket with no response. Same if you are an actor and send to a modeling-only agency. Also make sure that the agency in question accepts unsolicited headshots, or yours may go in the trash without even being opened!

Answer 3

Wait until you get another acting credit. Then update your resume, write a short cover letter that will grab their attention (in a good way), and send it again with your headshot. Persistence is the key. Eventually you get called. Until then, keep working and taking classes. Get lots of experience! Remember, Sylvester stallone rewrote ROCKY more than 300 times longhand before MGM finally picked it up.

Answer 4

I must resoundingly agree with the top answer. I did a workshop with Bobby Lambert (one of the casting directors for Days of Our Lives and an Alumni of my acting school) and he told us that after you send in your initial head shot, be persistent, but not desperate or demanding. Always polite. If you get cast in a show, send them a little letter saying "Hi, Just wanted to let you know that I'm currently in "blah blah" at the "blee blee theatre". I would love if you came to see the show. hope to hear from you soon, so and so". Get creative. Send them a Christmas card with your head shot in it. "Seasons Greetings. I was just thinking about you guys and still hadn't heard from you. Just thought I'd wish you a merry Christmas" He said one group of 6 friends got some money together and got him a pad of stationary with all of their head shots on the letter head. Just be creative.

On the converse, be careful not to spend all your money being creative. Don't go getting a golden statue of yourself made and delivered to the audience or anything like that.

Answer 5

Don't hold your breath, you'll turn blue.

You want to get noticed by an agent, send them your W-2s or 1099s from theater and commerical jobs and write a cover letter like this:

Last year I made $15,000 in film, print and live stage work. I'm looking for someone to help me add another zero to that amount.

Agents work off commission only. So they are going to work with those who make them money.