Is it frowned upon if...?

Question:You are an acting agent, and also an actress?
Could you be an agent to yourself?
What does it take to start an agency and become an agent?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: You are an acting agent, and also an actress?
Could you be an agent to yourself?
What does it take to start an agency and become an agent?

Sure you can be your own agent (ie: a free agent, or freelancer).
Most people start out that way. Honestly you don't even need an agent until you start getting so many offers for things that you can no longer manage yourself.
An agents main appeal is that they know people. That's about it. They are the ones that get buddy buddy with casting directors, do the leg work on what auditions are happening when/where, the details of those auditions, and generally do the boring paperwork side of the biz.
These are all things you can do yourself to a point. In fact it's part of every single aspect of the entertainment industry. It's simply networking.

You just need to get out there and talk to people. Being an actor or an agent go hand in hand. the skills for each are mutually beneficial.

Oh, and how to start from scratch is the big "secret" (or at least you would think it was from the lack of info being shared about it).
First thing you need to ask yourself is "What do I really want?"
If you want to be "famous", then no one can help you. People who want to be famous simply want popularity and generally want the shortest route to it.
If you are serious about wanting to do this then you have to do some reading. Google for "how to start acting", and go from there. Just read stuff for now, form your own opinions, and whatever you do DO NOT SPEND MONEY ON ANYTHING! Too many scams out there trying to take advantage of people... so just read and get all the information you can. When you are ready to "get started" you will know what to do and how to go about it.

The whole point of being an agent is the connections. Why would someone hire a person on your recommendation if they don't know who you are or what qualifies you to say someone can act? If you want to be an agent, get hired at an agency. If you want to act, get an agent. And yes, I think any director who you recommended yourself to would think you were full of it.

Well, in theory, I suppose you could submit yourself if you were an agent. I know of absolutely none that do this.

An agent is able to submit people for several reasons. First, you have to be certified by state agencies (I believe there are independent boards for both California, New York, Florida, and Illinois). Second, in order to really be worth your salt you need to become SAG and Equity affiliated which is essentially meeting a group of standards for the unions. This is called being union "franchised." Franchised agents are bound by a set of rules that allow them to represent union actors.

Furthermore, one would need to open up a business and incorporated or form an LTD. This has tax implications and requires some investment if someone is looking to open up their own agency. If you're going to join an established agency, they're going to have a problem with you submitting yourself and concentrating on your career over that of your clients.

Agents who do well have connections. That's why they're helpful. They can get you in rooms because they have working relationships with casting directors and producers. If you have none of these connections, becoming an agent yourself would seem - to me at any rate - like a great deal of work for nothing.

In short, there really is no reason to become an agent in order to "agent yourself."