So I Fired My Manager

Why I Wanted a Manager

After about seven months of acting in smaller, independent films, I noticed that I was mostly working with the people that knew other people I had already worked with. I wanted to move up to bigger projects, but I didn’t know how to do it because I didn’t have connections with the right people.

So, I thought about it and realized that what I needed was a manager. A manager could help me get noticed and get opportunities to meet with important people in the industry, like casting directors, directors, and producers, who could open doors for me in more significant projects.

How I Found Managers

Finding a list of managers to submit to was a bit harder than finding a list of agencies. First I did a google search, but that didn’t come up with much. Then I went to IMDb Pro and did a search. Most of the managers found in the Atlanta area were small companies or individuals, with almost no contact information. Most large, legitimate management companies are based out of L.A. or N.Y., so I extended my search and eventually came up with a list.

My Experience with My Management Company

Four management companies replied to my submissions and after some conversations, I went with TLCE Talent Management. Our initial conversation was good and they understood that I wanted a manager that had contacts and relationships with people that I did not have access to myself. T.C., the manager, also understood that I was interested in moving out of the SE area and wanted to work in other major film and TV markets. Or so I thought…

Over the next two months, I heard nothing from my manager except for the occasional casting call email. As great as it was to have another source to get potential acting work, it really isn’t the reason I got a manager and not really their job. I have agents and I get casting calls so I had that covered without a manager.

It wasn’t until after I booked the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel commercial that I got a phone call from TC to congratulate me. I decided to take the opportunity to update her on everything else I had going on; the callback for the SAG film in Seattle, the audition I did for the feature films in Houston and the UK, and the audition I did for the series in South America. Her response was surprise that I was willing to work outside the region I was in. I decided to blow it off since I just booked the commercial.

Last Wednesday, I got another email from TC that started me thinking about leaving TLCE. The email asked if I could put together a testimonial video for TLCE to talk about my experience with their company, the commercial I booked and my relationship with my manager. Since I felt I had no relationship with my manager, I replied back that I wouldn’t put together the testimonial without a phone call from TC. After 2 days, I still hadn’t gotten a response and so I sent another email. This time to the main office requesting a meeting with someone outside of TC. The email said that I was unhappy with my manager and would like to discuss other options. They replied back fairly quickly asking to outline what the issue was, and they would find someone to talk to me about it.

The next morning I wrote up an email that gave the required 30 days notice to terminate the contract and scheduled it to send at noon. Exactly 24 hours from last contact. I figured 24 hours was plenty of time for them to get back to me or to have something scheduled. Noon came, the email sent and it wasn’t until then that they immediately wrote back that they were in the process of scheduling a meeting, but to me it was too late.

In my eyes, a manager should 1) know what their client wants for their career, and 2) should communicate on a regular basis with their clients. She didn’t check either of these boxes, so I fired her and her company. I have had multiple actors reach out to me since and suggest other management companies that are better, so I plan to submit to those over the next few weeks.

Update: I found a new manager and am super happy with them. Check out the post here.