What is the best method to show 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 is a case-by-case response because each actor has a unique experience. For example, if you are a veteran actor with great credits and demo material, then by all means let your demo reel do the talking for you. If you are a child actor or young adult actor, you may not have demo credits or images because you are just starting your career. Perhaps you have a great stage presence and charisma that fills a room. Then you may want to put yourself in front of talent agents so they can experience your charisma.
If you are basically a newbie or have limited credits, the agent will be based primarily on your appearance, your training, and whether you have any on-set experience.
In recent past history, only one in three talent agents asked you to bring in a scene or monologue, and today it’s even fewer, so they probably won’t let you 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 scenes prepared in their offices anymore.
Well, bad or indifferent, they are mostly governed by your interview, look now and if other things on your resume convince them that you probably know what you are doing.
Understand that your interview is extremely important.
Any self-respecting talent agent puts a lot of emphasis on how they interview. I’m a believer in the adage, “the way you do things is the way you do everything.” If you lack “personality”, a sense of yourself, “star quality” and charisma in your interview, why would a talent agent assume that you would bring these qualities to an audition with a casting director?
This is just a fact for the actors who are making their way into the “Hollywood Food Chain “. This does not mean that you should not be working at your craft. In fact, your craft should be so spectacular that you can shine and stand out in just two lines!
One last tip:
If you are willing to take a risk and are very confident, offer to do a monologue for the agent, they may allow it. Then blow them! Take off your socks!
If you want to do that, choose a lighthearted and entertaining monologue that showcases your talent and is a character you could appear in on television. Make sure the monologue light fare … DON’T do Shakespeare and DON’T make a super dramatic breakup scene – at the wrong time and place.
Make it last 2-3 minutes. Be super well prepared. Make sure it’s super cool and blow them up. You only get one chance to make a first impression. It starts off with big headshots, then you finish it off with a great acting monologue.
The truth is, casting agents and directors are always hoping that the next actor they meet is the one they’ve been waiting for! If you don’t have the tape to show them that you’re the one, show it live and in person, right in front of their eyes.
And that’s the truth about it!