What is the best method to showcase your talent to a talent agent? Is it a monologue? Is it a staged scene? Is it a cold reading scene? Is it a real demo?
The answer depends on the actor. It’s a case-by-case response because each actor has a unique background. For example, if you are a veteran actor with great credits and demo material, then by all means let your demo do the talking. If you’re a child actor or young adult actor, you may not have credits or demo footage because you’re just starting your career. Maybe you have a great stage presence and charisma that fills a room. Then you might want to get in front of talent agents so they can experience your charisma.
If you’re basically a newbie or have limited credits, the agent will be based primarily on your appearance, your training, and if you have any experience on set.
In recent history, only one in three talent agents asked you to bring in a scene or monologue, and today, it’s even fewer, so you probably won’t be asked to do that. But they may ask you to read some “copy” for a commercial or possibly give you a scene to cold read with them. They hardly ask for staged scenes in their offices anymore.
Good, bad, or indifferent, they mostly make it through your interview, look now and if other things on your resume convince them that you probably know what you’re doing.
Understand that your interview is extremely important.
Any talent agent worth their salt puts a lot of emphasis on the way you interview. I believe in the adage, “the way you do anything is the way you do everything.” If you lack “personality,” a sense of self, “star quality,” and charisma in your interview, why would a talent agent assume you would bring these qualities to an audition with a casting director?
This is just the fact of the matter for the actors making their way into the “Hollywood food chain.” This does not mean that you should not work at your craft. In fact, your job must be so impressive that you can shine and stand out in just two lines.
One final tip:
If you’re willing to take a risk and have a lot of confidence, then offer to do a monologue for the agent, he might drop you. Then blow them up again! Take off their socks!
If you want to do that, choose a light-hearted and entertaining monologue that shows off your talent and is a character you could play on TV. Make sure the monologue is light – DON’T do Shakespeare and DON’T do a super dramatic breakup scene – wrong time and place.
Make it 2 to 3 minutes long. Be very well prepared. Make sure it’s super cool and surprise them. You only get one chance to make a first impression. It starts with great headshots, then ends with a great acting monologue.
The truth is, agents and casting directors always hope that the next actor they meet will be the one they’ve been waiting for! If you don’t have the tape to show them you’re The One, show them live and in person, right in front of their very eyes.
And that’s the truth about it!