Should New Actors Focus on Getting an Agent

The short answer is no.

In my post, Time Management, I wrote about the two most important things a new actor should focus on. But I see a lot of new actors focusing on trying to find an agent, and to be honest, it’s not important to a new actor to be represented.

I have had an agent since February of this year, but everything I have booked, I have done on my own. Of the 4 feature films and 8 short films I have done up to now; the 2 feature films and 5 short films I have coming up; all were booked on my own. Building my resume and reel up to this point had nothing to do with having an agent.

Before the strikes, my agent was getting me 1-2 auditions a week, but most of those auditions I could have found myself on Actor’s Access or Casting Networks. The only benefit my agency has granted me these last 8 months are a few auditions I could not have gotten on my own. They have access to auditions that aren’t posted publicly, but to be honest, I wasn’t ready for those auditions. It was about the 6 month mark of my acting that I felt like I was confident in my auditioning.

If you’re having issues finding casting calls, check out my posts
How to Find Casting Calls and
How to Network and Find Acting Jobs with Social Media