Is it absolutley neccessary to get an agent to pursue an acting career?

Question:Is is mandatory? Is it best? is it possible without one, if so, how?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Is is mandatory? Is it best? is it possible without one, if so, how?

New actors pretty much always start without an agent and even once they have one still often need to submit themselves for projects. But the ones that do have agents get looked at a bit closer. Once an actor is established and if they are living in a area where it would warrant having an agent then of course it benefits you to have representation. But I am talking about good representation, not the schools posing as agents ones. And until you have some credits under your belt you most likely won't be signed with them.

I have worked in casting offices on both coasts and can tell you that the top casting directors will throw away most headshots that are self submitted. But when you are talking about smaller cities then it is not always necessary to be signed with someone.

But if we are answering your exact question: "Is it absolutely necessary to get an agent to pursue an acting career?" then the answer is simply no you don't need one if you are just beginning to pursue a career but once you are established enough to know the importance of needing an agent you will see that it is mandatory to have a successful career and yes it is best and yes you can have an acting career without one, just not one where you will be able to survive off of your meager paycheck.

No, I thought it was the way to go, but its really not (IN SOME CASES) Most are just out to screw you over later on. It is possible without one but it is really hard and time consuming. My suggestion is just to start off with one, and go from there.

no, but it would be smart to get someone to represent you at first then once you get some solid gigs you can go on your own... that's something you really need to feel out.

Agents work for some types but are really bad for others, that's a tough question to anwser...

To answer your question as specifically as you asked it, the answer is no. It is not ABSOLUTELY necessary to get an agent, BUT it sure is helpful and at some point, you will definitely want to have at least one agent.
You will be hard pressed to find good roles without one.
Though it is possible to get acting work without an agent. The better you are at marketing yourself and the more you understand the principles of business, you will have a greater chance of finding acting work.
Have a look at some of the things you could do to get work on this page: http://www.actingcareerstartup.com/self-...

Good luck,

Tony

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No. Bill Murray doesn't have one.

But they're not a bad idea. Just make sure you're wary of scams if you seek one out. (Never pay money upfront. It's definitely a scam then).

Build up a resume with community theatre and that sort of thing first, then a little later you might want an agent who can get you more work.

If you're in NY or LA, yes. That's the only way actors get auditions for the big movies and tv shows that actually pay enough to make them a "working actor".
However, an agent is not something you start out with. You try to get representation after you've had enough training and experience to actually be marketable. So, get into some classes and do some community theare. Don't worry about an agent.

The answer is no. It's not absolutely neccessary, but it is very important.
Agents provide auditions for you, they know where to start for new actors. That's why it's so important...
It'll be very difficult if you don't have an agent... Very difficult.