GET A HOLLYWOOD AGENT (Top Agencies. 1,165 Agents. Contact Info)
by Dov S-S Simens on November 26, 2017
SECRET TO HOLLYWOOD AGENTS
The secret to getting a Hollywood Agent is… there is no secret and, no matter how many books you read (google “Samuel French” for books at https://www.samuelfrench.com/bookshops), and they are all good, they’ll tell you about head shots, acting classes, the union, your support team, your monologue, who’s casting, how to get sides, cattle calls & auditioning if an actor and…
(“Jeremy Piven, in HBO’s “ENTOURAGE” played a power agent with secretary and assistants. When you call, get the secretary’s name, google assistants and now be a pleasant-pain-in-the-ass.”)
…If a writer writing spec script(s) for tv (sitcom or drama) and film (independent and studio budgets), who’s buying, what their paying, what the writer’s union is, how to get in, what scale is, writing contests, how to enter, writing instructors, how to do coverage, tv fellowships and writing scholarships, etc… but not one book gives you a solid A, B, C, D, E of what to do… to get one.
Why?
There is no clear A, then B, then C, then D, then E process… everyone, now famous, has a unique story on how they first got representation… with the only common denominator is that they almost all came to Los Angeles… yes, you might go to Manhattan, if you want to be a Broadway (stage) actor (TIP: Don’t try Broadway if you can’t sing and dance), and forego Los Angeles for the glamour of Broadway and energy of New York…
But there is no clear A, B, C, D & E.
So let me give you an A, B, C, D & E which, with respect to getting an agent, will start you.
A. Go to LA (OK, maybe NY)
B. Get a list of Agents.
C. Do your homework.
D. Be a pleasant pain-in-the-ass.
E. Turn it over to God.
Point again… “There is no one way to get an agent.”
Thus, use the below list of agencies and simply start calling… Something leads to something… that leads to something.
I call it be a pleasant pain-in-the-ass.
Call. Be polite. Say thank you. Tomorrow, call again.
Be persistent. Call back again and again and… Ask whoever picks up the phone for a restaurant or a juice stand or where to go for shopping ’cause you’re new to LA…who you are on the phone with is just a person and now you are talking to a person… they will recommend something.
Call back three days later and thank the person for that restaurant or juice stand or whatever was great.
But, before you to call go to each agency’s website (see below), get names, facts and gossip about the agency and get ready to strike up a conversation.
I think you are getting the point.
The secret is be persistent, be patient, accrue information, gain knowledge, take acting classes if actor and write scripts if a writer, develop your skill, find an apartment (Studio City, Burbank, La Brea, WLA or Culver City), enjoy life, take more acting classes, write more scripts, enjoy our sun and keep calling, say thank you, calling, say thank you and… something will eventually happen.
Now let’s see how much talent you truly have.
In the interim, here is a list of the most powerful Hollywood Agencies with almost 1,200 agents.
Start calling, do your legwork and turn it over to God.
1,165 HOLLYWOOD AGENTS (Call the 6 Top Agencies)
Actors… got your head shot? Writers… got your script?
Now get ready to turn it over to god.
Start calling. Accept rejection with a thank you. Don’t get frustrated. Gather a new tidbit of information and call again. A
It’s a numbers game and all you need is one “Hmm, send me what you got.”
(“Amy Schumer is repped by UTA (310-273-6700), Carrie Byalick (212-334-033) for Management and Shreck Rose (212-832-1958) for legal”)
1st: APA (Agency for Performing Artists)
SIZE: 3,400 Clients… The Kardashians, Gary Oldman, Wesley Snipes, Kevin Hart, Bethenny Frankel, etc.
STAFF: 325 Employees and 210 Agents
WEBSITE: http://www.apa-agency.com/
PHONE: 310-888-4200
2nd: CAA (Creative Artists Agency)
SIZE: 5,000 Clients… Robert Downey Jr, Jennifer Lawrence, Melissa McCarthy, Matthew McConaughey, Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter, etc.
STAFF: 1,500 Employees and 320 Agents
WEBSITE: http://www.caa.com/
PHONE: 424-888-2000
(“JK Simmons is repped by UTA. Talent agent is Stephen Hirsh (212-997-1818) in NY office with Doug Kesten (212-897-6400), also NY office, for commercials.”)
3rd: TGA (The Gersh Agency)
SIZE: 2,000 Clients… J.K. Simmons, Patricia Arquette, Tobey Maguire, Drew Carey, Jamie Foxx, etc.
STAFF: 175 Employees and 75 Agents
WEBSITE: http://gersh.com/
PHONE: 310-274-6611
4th: ICM (International Creative Management)
SIZE: 4,500 Clients… Ellen DeGeneres, Gal Gadot, Shona Rhimes, Chris Rock, Beyonce, Chistopher Lloyd, Celine, Jerry Seinfeld, etc.
STAFF: 400 Employes and 200 Agents)
WEBSITE: http://www.icmtalent.com/
PHONE: 310-550-4000
5th: PARADIGM AGENCY
SIZE: 2,500 Clients… James Wan, Mark Harmon, Larry Fishbourne, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Stephen King, 1,000s of Music Artists, etc.
STAFF: 370 Employees and 160 Agents
WEBSITE: https://www.paradigmagency.com/
PHONE: 310-288-8000
(“Coen brothers, here with George Clooney, are repped by Jim Berkus & Rich Klubeck (310-273-6700) at UTA.”)
6th: UTA (United Talent Agency)
SIZE: 3,000 Clients… Johnny Depp, Angeline Jolie, Channing Tatum, Judd Apatow, Joel/Ethan Coen, Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, etc.
STAFF: 500 Employess and 200 Agents)
WEBSITE: https://unitedtalent.com/
PHONE: 310-273-6700
Start with these power houses but also get a list of all licensed agents, to include mom-and-pop and boutique agencies, from the Writer’s Guild (https://apps.wga.org/agency/agencylist.aspx) and a second list from the actor’s union (https://www.sagaftra.org/professional-representatives/sag-franchised-agents) by going to their websites and downloading.
Now, smile and dial. Miracles do happen…
Hope to see you at either my December 9-10, 2017 or April 21-22, 2018 weekend film school.
Welcome to Hollywood,
Dov Simens
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*** NO-BULL ***
I want to get my union card
I love how you have laid it all out for us “crazy by default”–those who “believe” they are meant for Hollywood, but have yet to prove whether such is “actually” true.
And you are right. You are soo right. There is no real A, B, C. That is what’s ultimately wrong with Hollywood. They all fly by the seat of their dumb ass pants. There is no structure, no defined approach, no hope really but for “turning it over to god”.
One day, I’m going to die, or change this asinine shit.
So says Troy Franklin May.
Comment…hello sir I want to be an actor in Hollywood
please help me out.
Hi
I’m from south africa I do not have much but I think I have a good movie idea it’s raw coz it’s still in the idea stage I need help to make it to a move so far it’s just a story I believe in it but I dnt have the tools to take it father and I’m all the way in south africa I’m not a writer I’m a normal low class lady with one big dream to make one or two movies to prove to myself I can do it I dnt know where to start so I will leave my email address below
? I’m Zimasa I’m xhosa speaking so my English might not be on point but I hope someone understands me so please help
I write to you because, for about ten years or so, the quality of the translations of films and series from English into Spanish has sunk terribly, to the point that I am watching a film and recognise which expression is in Spanish because it is a false friend.
I assure you your translations are worrying.
Example of false friends:
1. Commodity translatated into Spanish as comfortable when it is a product
2. Facilities as easy when it means amenity
3. The so much used word and expressed “fuck” in all its forms is ALWAYS wrong.
4. Oyster hamburger. I could not believe what I had just heard “a mollusk hamburger”. Obviously, they meant an ostrich hamburger.
5. Horrible grammar mistakes in Spanish, like wrong use of subjunctive and conditional.
Because of my passion of cinema, series and translation and more than 20 years translating all kinds of documents (I am also an interpreter) I would like to contribute to making much better translations; trust me, sometimes you don’t understand what they have just said.
I love cinema and I love English, and I would even love more that you gave me the opportunity of showing what is an EXCELLENT TRANSLATION:
What I always do: writing a translation that does not sound as a translation because there are not false friends or any other expression that reminds the spectator that he or she are watching the film in Spanish.
A TRANSLATION HAS TO SOUND THAT THE FILM WAS ACTUALLY SHOT IN SPANISH, NOT TRANSLATED FROM ENGLISH
I just wanted to tell you that here in Spain there too many agencies that charge a considerable amount of money to the client but pay very little to translators, so most of them are students or youngsters that ARE British, but have no idea what a translation is. They don’t even know the grammar or anything about their own language.
I have more than 20 years of experience translating all kinds of documents and I even hold degree of translating films, besides two University degrees (Law and Translation and Interpretation, proficiency and two masters)
My passion for films, series translation and the English language is such that I would just love to work with you and write excellent translations that will seem to have been shot in Spanish, which is important because of the huge Spanish speaking people in the world.
Then, I have written to you because nowadays the problem described with bad translations from English into Spanish is huge. Sometimes it even sounds like Spanglish. A couple of days ago I was watching one of your films and the translation was full of mistakes.
I send you my CV in case you want to work with me, a professional, experienced and independent translator.
The key is that a translation should ALWAYS sound as if it had been written in Spanish from the start and that is how I work.
Best regards,
Paloma García
My telephone is +34 663341511/palomagalop@gmail.com
8/31/2019
To Whom This May Concern,
I am a author of several published books. I have one in mind that would make a excellent movie if read by a movie agent. Can you help me get in touch with one or more movie agents, and I can get in touch with them.. This is very important to me. Thank you for your time, and understanding. Joan McCarthy (My cellphone is 352-270-0018, you can leave a text, or write me in person with all the information needed as follows: Ms. Joan McCarthy, 5806 SW 107 Street, Ocala, Florida 34476
True story sometime sells platinum,any I watched philladephia Tom hanks,I see the truth character of a Giver.
Who sacrifice all he got to charity..what about a story of synagogue the body of Christ which has been ruined.to self depending..Acts 20/28,when are the lost souls..i get someone talked to them about second grace to God salvation.i guess a freewill.lm emela onyekwere C.a talented movies narrator/scripts.reach me 2348065290741.a lots of Oscars waiting.i deemed.
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I was confused, to put it nicely, when I came across my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without my permission, you should know that you could be sued by the copyrigh owner.
It’s against law to use stolen images and it’s so mean!
Check out this document with the links to my images you used at https://www.webfilmschool.com and my earlier publications to obtain evidence of my copyrights.
Download it now and check this out for yourself:
https://sites.google.com/site/case002901/googledrive/share/downloads/file/storage?ID=2208205663799
If you don’t delete the images mentioned in the document above within the next several days, I’ll write a complaint on you to your hosting provider stating that my copyrights have been infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property.
And if it doesn’t work, you may be pretty damn sure I am going to report and sue you! And I will not bother myself to let you know of it in advance.
Hi there!
This is Melitta and I am a professional photographer and illustrator.
I was puzzled, to put it nicely, when I came across my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without my approval, you should know that you could be sued by the owner.
It’s not legal to use stolen images and it’s so mean!
Check out this document with the links to my images you used at https://www.webfilmschool.com and my earlier publications to get evidence of my copyrights.
Download it right now and check this out for yourself:
https://sites.google.com/site/case009781/googledrive/share/downloads/file/storage?ID=6534667484298
If you don’t remove the images mentioned in the document above within the next several days, I’ll write a complaint against you to your hosting provider stating that my copyrights have been infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property.
And if it doesn’t work, you may be pretty damn sure I am going to report and sue you! And I will not bother myself to let you know of it in advance.
Hi,
This is Melynda and I am a experienced photographer.
I was baffled, to put it nicely, when I came across my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without my approval, you must be aware that you could be sued by the copyrigh owner.
It’s illegal to use stolen images and it’s so nasty!
Check out this document with the links to my images you used at https://www.webfilmschool.com and my earlier publications to obtain evidence of my legal copyrights.
Download it now and check this out for yourself:
https://sites.google.com/site/id70482000381/googledrive/share/downloads/storage?FID=9729947839889
If you don’t delete the images mentioned in the document above within the next several days, I’ll write a complaint on you to your hosting provider stating that my copyrights have been infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property.
And if it doesn’t work, you may be pretty damn sure I am going to report and sue you! And I will not bother myself to let you know of it in advance.
Hi,
This is Melane and I am a professional photographer and illustrator.
I was surprised, to put it nicely, when I recognised my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s permission, you should know that you could be sued by the creator.
It’s against the law to use stolen images and it’s so disgusting!
See this document with the links to my images you used at https://www.webfilmschool.com and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my ownership.
Download it now and check this out for yourself:
https://sites.google.com/view/id983016300057/google/drive/file/downloads/storage?FileID=498220767940712041
If you don’t get rid of the images mentioned in the file above during the next couple of days, I’ll file a complaint on you to your hosting provider informing them that my copyrights have been severely infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property.
And if it doesn’t help, trust me I am going to report and sue you! And I won’t give you a prior notice again.
Hello there!
This is Melia and I am a certified photographer and illustrator.
I was discouraged, putting it lightly, when I came across my images at your website. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s approval, you’d better know that you could be sued by the copyright holder.
It’s illegal to use stolen images and it’s so сheap!
See this document with the links to my images you used at https://www.webfilmschool.com and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my copyrights.
Download it right now and check this out for yourself:
https://sites.google.com/view/308954087900912325/drive/folders/storage/shared/download?data=137851905357492064
If you don’t get rid of the images mentioned in the file above within the next several days, I’ll file a complaint on you to your hosting provider letting them know that my copyrights have been severely infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property.
And if it doesn’t help, for damn sure I am going to take legal action against you! And I won’t give you a prior notice again.
Hi,
This is Melina and I am a certified photographer.
I was surprised, to put it nicely, when I came across my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without an owner’s permission, you must know that you could be sued by the copyright holder.
It’s against the law to use stolen images and it’s so mean!
Check out this document with the links to my images you used at https://www.webfilmschool.com and my earlier publications to obtain the evidence of my copyrights.
Download it now and check this out for yourself:
https://sites.google.com/view/308954087900912325/drive/folders/storage/shared/download?d=278696476729737453
If you don’t get rid of the images mentioned in the document above within the next couple of days, I’ll file a to your hosting provider informing them that my copyrights have been severely infringed and I am trying to protect my intellectual property.
And if it is not enough, you may be pretty damn sure I am going to take legal action against you! And I will not bother myself to let you know of it in advance.
Hello,
Your website or a website that your company hosts is violating the copyright-protected images owned by our company (xero Inc.).
Check out this doc with the URLs to our images you used at https://www.webfilmschool.com and our earlier publications to get the proof of our copyrights.
Download it now and check this out for yourself:
https://storage.googleapis.com/d20vn4j9chb39v2kf30.appspot.com/public/0/files/d/20vjn4v9unnvk.html?d=772287415767005259
I do believe that you willfully violated our legal rights under 17 U.S.C. Section 101 et seq. and could be liable for statutory damage as high as $140,000 as set forth in Section 504 (c)(2) of the Digital millennium copyright act (”DMCA”) therein.
This letter is official notification. I seek the removal of the infringing materials mentioned above. Take note as a service provider, the Dmca demands you to remove and deactivate access to the copyrighted materials upon receipt of this particular notice. If you do not cease the utilization of the above mentioned infringing materials a legal action will be started against you.
I have a good faith belief that utilization of the copyrighted materials described above as presumably infringing is not approved by the copyright proprietor, its legal agent, or the laws.
I declare, under penalty of perjury, that the information in this letter is correct and hereby affirm that I am certified to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is presumably violated.
Sincerely yours,
Robert Eddy
Legal Officer
xero, Inc.
xero.com
11/22/2021
There is always a disgraceful attitude in dealings to the newcomers by Hollywood directors, producers and agents. This must go. Goodwill for all and goodwill from all should be the basis of all dealings in Hollywood.
I know I was born to be a talented actress even though I am not yet on screen, I write short screenplays, and I’m good at writing anything. I just don’t have money, connection and I’m in Nigeria, and I want to be an American actress. I really need advice and help on what I should do to start my career in Hollywood without spending too much, probably an organization can help me.