How to get an acting agent: when you are ready, how to submit, and what an agent may legally charge

To get an acting agent, first build proof that you can work (training, a few credits, a current headshot and resume, ideally a short reel), then send a short, targeted submission to specific agents at licensed agencies that represent actors like you, following each agency's own submission rules. A referral from someone the agent already trusts beats any cold submission, and a real agent never charges you to sign: in California they are paid only by commission on work they help you get.

The rest of this guide covers what agents and managers actually do, how to tell when you are ready, how to build a target list from official license records, what to send and when to follow up, what to check in the contract, and the fees that signal a scam. The legal points are from California's Talent Agencies Act as published by the state Labor Commissioner; they are general information, not legal advice.

Under California Labor Code section 1700.4, a talent agency is anyone who procures, offers, promises or attempts to procure employment for an artist, and actors are named as artists. Agencies may also counsel artists on their careers. Section 1700.5 says no one may run a talent agency without a license from the Labor Commissioner, and the license number must appear in any advertisement soliciting talent (California DIR).

A personal manager is not licensed as an agent. In Marathon Entertainment v. Blasi (2008), the California Supreme Court described managers as advising and counseling artists to make them marketable and handling their affairs, and held that the Act "regulates conduct, not labels": a manager who procures work without a license violates it, and the contract can be voided in whole or in part (Supreme Court of California). Section 1700.44(d) allows one exception: an unlicensed person may act in conjunction with, and at the request of, a licensed agency in negotiating an employment contract (California DIR).

• Agents pitch and submit you to casting. On Breakdown Express, casting directors post projects that agents and managers view, and some breakdowns go only to representatives; your rep submits your free Actors Access profile (Breakdown Services).
• Managers shape the career: materials, training, which agents to meet. The court noted that managers usually charge more than agents because guild caps, generally 10% for agents, do not apply to them; the contract in that case called for 15% (Supreme Court of California).
• Which first? An agent is usually the first rep worth pursuing, because in California only a licensed agent may procure work on their own. A manager can make sense when you need career guidance and an introduction to agents, but you then pay two commissions.

Casting Frontier puts it bluntly: "Getting an agent is NOT the first step in an acting career." It advises training and building your resume first, and looking once you have shown you can book work on your own for a while (Casting Frontier). An agent earns nothing until you book, so they sign actors they can submit tomorrow. Before you query anyone, check this list:

• A headshot that looks like you now and sells one clear type. The actor headshots guide covers what casting expects.
• A one-page resume with your training, credits and real special skills. Build it free with the acting resume builder; the acting resume guide shows how to format a beginner's resume honestly.
• Footage, if you have it. Casting Frontier lists a demo reel among the materials some agents request (Casting Frontier). One or two short, well-lit scenes beat a long montage; the demo reel guide covers length, order and where footage comes from. No footage yet? A strong self-tape of a scene shows the same thing.
• Credits you found yourself. Student films, theater and non-union work booked through casting sites show an agent you can get through a room.
• Ongoing training. A current scene study or audition prep class on your resume tells an agent you are still sharpening the tools they will be selling.
• Self-tape readiness. Auditions can arrive as self-tape requests with short deadlines. The on-camera and self-tape classes guide explains what LA classes teach.

A focused list of agents who represent your type and level beats sending to every agency in Los Angeles. Acting Plan suggests starting with 20 to 30 targeted agencies and expanding only if your budget allows (Acting Plan).

1. Start with names from your network. Casting Frontier suggests asking actor friends and teachers for agent suggestions and choosing agents who handle the kind of acting you do (Casting Frontier). Note who represents actors at your level and type.
2. Check the license. Look up each agency in the Labor Commissioner's Talent Agency License Search, which also lists denied, revoked and suspended licenses (California DIR). A California agency without a license is a hard no.
3. Check union status if it matters to you. Actors' Equity members may only sign with Equity-franchised agents for theater, and members find them in the Equity Member Portal; Equity staff cannot recommend particular agents (Actors' Equity). Casting Frontier also suggests searching for local SAG-AFTRA agents (Casting Frontier).
4. Pick a person, not a logo. Acting Plan advises submitting to a specific agent rather than the agency, researching agents' names on the agency site and LinkedIn (Acting Plan). At a large agency, look for agents who handle newer talent.
5. Record each agency's submission policy. Some accept only industry referrals, some want mail, some take email (Acting Plan); agencies normally post their requirements on their websites (Casting Frontier). Put the policy, the agent's name and the date you submit in a spreadsheet.

Follow each agency's instructions exactly; where none are posted, keep the package small. Acting Plan recommends three pieces of paper for a mailed submission: a headshot, a resume and a cover letter (Acting Plan). For email, the same three things become one attached headshot, a resume PDF and a working link to footage.

• Lead with any referral. Acting Plan calls a referral "the gold standard of approaching agents" and says to name it in the first sentence (Acting Plan); Casting Frontier adds that a referral from a casting director or a client of the same agency is even better (Casting Frontier). Only name a referral the person actually agreed to give.
• Write three to five sentences. Address the agent by name, say what you are looking for (theatrical, commercial or both), point to your best recent credit or training, and stop. Do not restate your resume, describe your looks or compare yourself to famous actors (Acting Plan).
• Do not pitch by DM or phone. Acting Plan warns that agents rarely meet actors who submit over social media, and says not to call unless an agency invites it (Acting Plan).
• Make your online profiles complete. An agent who likes your note will look you up on Actors Access or Casting Networks, so fill in photos, resume and skills before you send anything.
• Follow up once. Acting Plan suggests checking in about two weeks after you submit, briefly, and never becoming a nuisance (Acting Plan). A new credit or a new reel clip is a reason to write again later.

Casting Frontier also has an Agent Finder setting on its profile's Representation page; once it is on, representatives using its Talent Finder tool can contact you (Casting Frontier). Treat any rep who finds you this way like any other: check the license before you meet.

• Classes. Fellow students, teachers and guest speakers are a natural source of honest referrals. Find an LA class by type in Arlo's class listings, and ask whether you can audit a class before you pay.
• Showcases and workshops. Some paid events put actors in front of agents or casting. In California, talent training, counseling and listing services that charge artists must use written contracts, post a $50,000 bond and allow a 10-day cancellation period (California DIR). Read our casting workshops guide before you pay for one, and never pay for one that promises representation.
• Stage work. A good role in a well-reviewed LA production gives you something to invite agents to, and a reason to write.
• Your own bookings. Every credit you book through casting sites makes the next query stronger, and some agents prefer actors who already have momentum.

If an agent is interested, expect a meeting, which may include a read or a prepared scene, and keep a contemporary monologue ready in case they ask; you can find one on Offbook. Ask how they see your type, what they would submit you for first, how they want to communicate, whether they expect you to keep self-submitting, and which other agents they work alongside.

California law sets the floor for the paperwork (California DIR):

• Approved contract form. Every agency must use a contract form approved by the Labor Commissioner, with "This talent agency is licensed by the Labor Commissioner of the State of California" printed in prominent type on its face (section 1700.23).
• Filed fee schedule. The agency must file its schedule of fees with the Labor Commissioner and post it in its office; a fee change takes effect only seven days after filing and posting (section 1700.24).
• Your money in trust. When an agency receives your pay, it must deposit it in a trust account and pay you, less commission, within 30 days of receiving it, with limited exceptions (section 1700.25).
• Disputes. Controversies go to the Labor Commissioner, and a claim must be brought within one year of the alleged violation (section 1700.44).

For stage work, Equity's agency regulations use two standard forms, Exclusive Management and Specific Engagement contracts, and prohibit any commission over 10% of compensation (Actors' Equity). Read the term, what it covers (theatrical, commercial, voice, print) and how you can end it before you sign, and have an entertainment lawyer review anything you do not understand.

A legitimate agent is paid a percentage of the work you book, and nothing up front. The California rules are specific (California DIR, California DIR):

• No registration fee. "No talent agency shall collect a registration fee" (section 1700.40(a)).
• No steering to their own vendors. An agency may not refer you to photographers, demo reel or audition tape makers, coaches, schools, casting or talent directories in which it has a financial interest, and may not take referral fees from them (section 1700.40(b)–(c)).
• No paying for representation. Labor Code section 1702 bars advance-fee talent representation: charging an artist a fee to procure auditions, employment, career management or an agent or manager. A willful violation of these rules is a misdemeanor.
• No license, no deal. A business that solicits talent must show its license number in its advertising (section 1700.5), and you can check it in the license search.

Commission is the only cost. On union work, guild caps generally limit agents to 10%, and Equity prohibits more than 10% of compensation (Supreme Court of California, Actors' Equity). For how commission fits into a year of acting income, see how much actors make. If a California agency or rep breaks these rules, contact the Labor Commissioner's talent unit at Talent@dir.ca.gov or 510-285-3397 (California DIR). Since January 1, 2026, talent agents, managers and coaches who work with minors are also mandated reporters of suspected child abuse under AB 653 (California DIR).

1. Months 1–3: train. Join an ongoing class; the beginner acting classes guide and the Price Index show what LA classes cover and cost.
2. Months 2–4: materials. Get headshots you can afford and build a one-page resume with the free resume builder.
3. Months 3–9: self-submit. Set up free profiles and submit daily to roles you fit, as in the LA casting calls guide. Log every audition and booking.
4. Months 6–10: footage. Collect clips from the student films and projects you book; cut one or two short scenes.
5. Months 9–12: query. Send targeted submissions to your list of 20 to 30 licensed agents, lead with any referral, follow up once, and keep booking on your own while you wait.

The timing is a planning guide, not a promise: some actors are ready sooner, many need longer. If nobody bites, the answer is usually more credits or better footage, not more envelopes.