The Art of Managing Your Manager (and Agent)

When we're first starting out as actors in the biz, it's common for people to constantly remind us just how important it is to secure an agent or manager—and quickly! In our hyper-competitive industry, anyone with solid representation is already a step ahead of the pack and should feel damn lucky to have it, we're told.

When we finally sign with reps (sometimes it feels like any old office will do) we latch onto it for dear life, even if our gut is voicing suspicions or doubts about the direction our new reps are taking. Yet we're so reluctant to pressure test the relationship because we don't want to screw up the potential for something good. We're expected to feel grateful for obtaining representation to begin with—so better not rock the boat.

This perspective, while usually well intentioned, is deeply flawed because it's driven by fear rather than intention. Constant talk of our industry being more cutthroat than ever is driving us to act impulsively and to snag whichever rep seems even remotely interested in us. It's a normal but anxiety-driven human impulse—to hop on the first lifeboat or safety opportunity.

When driven by this scarcity mindset, it’s easy to forget an important thing: Your reps are representing you. But once again, as actors, we're held to a different standard than our peers in other industries. Job interviews in the corporate world, for instance, have long been described as two-way streets: The employer seeks to determine if you're a good fit for the company, and you're sizing up the employer to suss out if they're someone you want to spend years working for. The proceedings are understood to be mutual, and working with talent reps should be no different.

Here are some Artist’s Strategy tips to get the most out of your relationship with a manager or agent.

• Be upfront. It's incredibly important to be candid and direct with your expectations before you start working with a new agent or manager. Knowing how to articulate exactly what you want from the relationship will help you avoid wasted time and career regrets down the line. That said, it's important to remain flexible. Your new reps might have specific processes for collaboration or opinions about your value in the industry. Take that moment to listen carefully. They’re not expected to conform to your working style, but that doesn't mean you can't say "thanks, but no thanks" and find someone who does.

• Stay professional. So you've finally found an office you love. Now is not the time to sit back and relax. Instead, prove to your new reps that you're a willing and able partner, fully capable of preserving your part of the professional bargain. Respond to audition requests within a matter of hours, turn in your auditions before their due date, be respectful to everybody in the office, and communicate in a style that's grateful and clear. The adage “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is as appropriate as ever when it comes to working with your agent or manager. This is, after all, your professional reputation we’re dealing with. And like a low Uber score, once it’s been dinged it’s very hard to revive.

• Be a boss. Now that you’ve built all that professional goodwill by being a team player, stay on top of your new team! That doesn’t mean bombarding your agent every day with demands and follow ups, but it does mean falling into a consistent and reasonable communication pattern that expresses your expectations and communicates what you’ve been doing. Sure, you are the one paying them, so on paper it's on your team to keep the balls in the air. But this sort of self-righteous attitude will make you a bad client very quickly. Agents and managers like to work with talent that's self-motivated and sincere. And if you want to squeeze the most out of your new manager or agent relationship, it is incumbent on you to help manage the rhythm of the work and the pace of communication. 

Most actors want their representation to do more because they want to act more. That certainly makes logical sense. But putting yourself in the disempowering position of waiting for them to do the bulk of the work without offering much guidance or support will ensure your career stays stunted. If anything, resentment will grow and the collaboration will stall. Rise above the rest and show them who’s boss. Because that’s what you (quite literally) are, right