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When I came to Los Angeles, I came from New York where I already had an agent and had been working for a few years. I came to Los Angeles for a week and stayed 30 years.  
Not everyone who arrives in Hollywood has an agent or manager – quite the contrary – most don’t have either an agent or manager.  So how does an actor get an agent?  It will be the easiest or the most difficult thing in the world – sometimes both at the same time. Read the rest of this entry »

Most actors coming to Los Angeles do not have Union affiliation.  The unions that hold jurisdiction over all of Television and Film production are Screen Actors Guild (SAG) or The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).  If you want a job on a show that is signed with one of those Unions you MUST be a member to work on it.  Almost all films and scripted television falls under union jurisdiction (reality programs do not).  Some low budget independent and most student films are non-union and if you do not have a union card, those are the easiest projects to attach yourself to.  
Some links for more information:
Aftra: http://www.aftra.org/benefits/join.htm
SAG: http://www.sag.org/content/guild-information
Those sites will give you the exact requirements for membership but the bottom line is this: If you get an audition for a Union job and book it – you can join the union.  They encourage it – they want to initiation fee and dues.  

In many previous articles Beth Maitland and I have stressed the importance of being seen by industry professionals in order to get an agent or manager.  
The best way to come to Hollywood would be with representation in place.  Many New York actors arrive here with representation, and many Chicago actors also have agents who are affiliated with agencies here is Los Angeles.  Obviously those actors have a great advantage and can be sent out immediately for acting jobs. Read the rest of this entry »