THIS INTERVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED IN 2006 – MR. LIEBLEIN SOLD ACME TALENT IN 2008 AND IS NOW AN EXECUTIVE WITH DIVERSE TALENT GROUP.
ADAM LIEBLEIN BIO:
Adam is a graduate of UCLA’s film school and began his career in production in the early 1980’s. After ten years as a producer on television magazine shows, feature films, and television commercials, he made the move to agent in the early 1990’s, and in 1993, opened Acme Talent & Literary. “My quality of life was a lot better when I worked with good people,” says Adam, so when he decided to open Acme, he sought agents that were not only well qualified and had unique philosophies on doing business, but who were also people he could work with as friends. The same feeling carried over to signing clients—Adam sought those he could befriend. “When we sign a client,” he says, “we want to know that we have a mutual respect and admiration for each other.” Adam is married to Sharon Chazin Lieblein, the Vice President of Talent & Casting for Nickelodeon Networks. Together, they have two children.
Interviewed by Kipley Wentz
Everyone believes they need one, but not everyone fully understands what an agent does. How would you describe the agents’ job? What’s the most important thing an agent does?
An agent is the one person who is licensed and bonded with the state, franchised by the various unions and guilds, and allowed to procure work for artists. Managers and attorneys are not technically allowed to do that without the assistance of a licensed talent agent. For an agent who represents actors, the majority of an agent’s job it getting actors auditions. That is the most important part of the job. Without opportunities for work, nothing else matters. The rest of the job is spent coordinating client’s schedules, negotiating contracts, collecting and processing the money, and searching for new clients.
In your opinion, what are the qualities of a great agent?
A great agent truly knows the structure of the business, has the courage and fortitude to regularly contact the appropriate casting executives, producers, and directors who can help their clients work, has excellent taste in actors and for the material presented to them, and regularly makes friends and maintains a stable base of helpful contacts within the industry. It also helps to be an excellent negotiator, and to have sources for information which can be used to make the best choices for the agency and for it’s clients. But the bottom line is that an agent has to be perceived as trustworthy and helpful. If they merely seem opportunistic, they may make money in short spurts, but they will constantly lose their best clients, and cannot achieve great success.
Seriously… everyone wants to know how to get an agent. In your opinion, is working with an agent essential to a successful acting career?
There is no way an actor can be successful without an agent. No way. Sure, some actors may find a handful of jobs without an agent. A few big stars might even spend a short period of time between agencies just using an attorney or manager to field offers, but an agent is absolutely essential to build a real career.
HOW to get an agent? That’s a loaded question. I teach classes at UCLA and with other venues like Hollywood Insider Educators in which I spend a tremendous amount of time on the subject. It’s not easy to answer quickly. To summarize my thoughts on this: Get an agent to see your work. Invite agents to a play in which you are a main character. Invite agents to a showcase. Take casting director workshops and ask them to refer you to an appropriate agent. Use all your contacts to get a referral to an agent. Don’t blindly submit a headshot and resume to a theatrical agent with and expect to get a positive response.
When is an actor ready to begin approaching agents?
When an actor has had enough training to feel confident in his/her abilities, then it is time. It may take awhile, but and actor should always continue training, showcasing, and pursuing work (plays, student films, indy films, etc) while waiting. The industry always gravitates towards talent, so if an actor is talented, and is showing his work, then agents will find him.
What’s the most effective way for an actor to approach an agent?
This is another question with too many answers. But here’s a good one: The best way to approach an agent is through a referral from someone the agent respects. Casting directors are probably the best referrals, and when they personally speak to an agent on behalf of an actor, then the agent will nearly always take a meeting with that actor.
What are the most common mistakes actors make when approaching and/or meeting with agents?
Oy. Are you asking me to write a book for you? How much time do you think I have here? Anyway… When an actor has a bad attitude, or tells a potential agent that he has had “numerous” agents during the last few years, or invites an agent to see a play where the actor has a very small role… These are some mistakes. Or how about when an actor lies on his resume, or doesn’t look like his picture, or can’t carry a conversation in a meeting. There are just so many mistakes. Just be prepared and use common sense.
In your opinion, should actors participate in “showcase” events? Is there anything that would make a showcase event more appealing to attend?
Yes, actors who are just beginning, or are looking to expand their casting director contacts, or who need a new agent, should definitely showcase their work. But there are many showcase environments that are not appropriate, and some of which are illegal. The best ones are fully produced showcases that last about an hour, is located in a nice theatre, has six to eight scenes or monologues, and the audience is composed of agents and casting directors. Other showcases that are good would include those that offer some type of teaching and workshop exercises with a casting director. Basically, if you can interact with those you are showcasing for, in a controlled environment, that makes it worth while, however, you should never expect to find representation directly from those environments. They are only a means to get an actor closer to their goal.
What are you looking for on an actors’ résumé? What impresses you?
I look for training and legit theatre credits. It shows how serious the actor is, and how long they have been doing it. I also look in the TV/Film categories, and want to see the sizes of roles and how recent the TV credits are. If someone has done ten Guest Starring roles, but none of them were produced in the last 5 years, it sparks questions and potential problems. If there are no TV/Film credits, that’s another type of problem we have to overcome before signing a client. We also look for glaring lies and poorly drafted resumes. Basically, we always look for reasons to pass. It’s easier to find a reason to say “no” than it is to say “yes.”
Beyond the résumé, what personal qualities are you seeking in the actors you represent?
That’s a very subjective question. It’s like asking someone what they look for in a spouse. Personally, when I meet a potential new client, I look for likeability. If they have talent, then I need them to light up a room when they walk in. Make friends. I want casting directors and directors to fall in love with them, and even if they aren’t right for a specific role, I want the casting director to become a fan. They must have a good attitude, be a hard worker, always be on time, always be studying their craft, and trust their agents to do a good job. Loyalty, which is only seen over time, is another quality we desire in our clients.
I often hear actors lament that if you haven’t “made it” by age 28, it’s not going to happen. Is Hollywood only for the young and the gorgeous? What are the prospects for an “older” actor in Los Angeles?
That’s mostly bullshit. There’s some truth to it, of course, but it depends on what you mean by “make it.” We’ve had clients who struggled for years, and finally hit some great roles and a substantial regular income in their 30’s and 40’s. And sometimes it can happen even later. It really is never too late to become a working actor, but it can sometimes be too late to become a “hot young rising star.” But if an actor is in this business with the only goal of becoming a sex-symbol/teen idol/hot young star, then they are in it for the wrong reasons.
I think people selfishly spread the word around Hollywood that if you haven’t made it by 28 you should get out of the business. Why? To clear the playing field. There are too many out of work actors in this business. People think that if you can discourage a bunch of them, it will be easier to succeed. Not true. It’s still going to be hard.
There is a common perception out there that once an actor gets an agent, they can sit back and wait to get famous. What are the actors’ responsibilities after signing with an agent?
An actor can never rest for long without losing momentum. Once an actor gets an agent, they must work even harder, preparing for their opportunities, and seeking more work through other angles, while keeping his agent informed. An actor with few credits should still do plays, casting director workshops, standup, improv, and go to industry social events whenever possible. Go see more plays. See independent films. Read the trades. Keep current. See at least one episode of all the new original television programs. Make notes of the actors you like, and who directed and cast each film or television show you see. Do research. Use internet search engines for the entertainment industry like IMDB.com to find out answers, and look up the background of anyone you meet with. An actor who waits at home for a call from his agent is an actor who will be dropped by that agent in six months or less.
How has “reality” television changed the industry in Los Angeles?
Reality TV. Geez. I love it and hate it. At first, it was interesting documentary work to watch, and didn’t really effect our business. Then, just prior to the potential theatrical actors strike a few years back, the networks developed a ton of reality shows to cover their asses if theatrical actors went on a long strike like they did for commercials the year before. The public loved it, and even after the strike was averted, the networks realized they could make cheap, high rated programming without actors.
Needless to say, this takes work away from actors, and commissions away from agencies. Thus, I hate it. However, there are so many more venues for original programming these days with all the cable networks, I think there are many more roles to cast than there were 15 years ago when I opened my agency. Additionally, talent agencies have balanced the financial scales by representing reality show producers, and packaging reality shows themselves. Thus, I love it.
Even though I admit to avoiding most reality shows, I find myself loving Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It’s good television, very emotional, and incredibly inspirational.
What do you wish more actors understood about building a career in Los Angeles?
I wish actors understood the business of our industry. That’s why I teach business classes for actors at UCLA Extension. If an actor understood not only that it is a hard task, and that you must work constantly for years to become an overnight success, but that it really is a business, they would make smarter choices. An actor is the president of his own company, and must know everything about how the industry works. He can’t depend on anyone else to do most of the work. Learn the union rules. What is “consecutive employment?” What is a “Schedule F” Perfomer? What are the pay rates for various media? What does “Top of Show” mean? What is a “test-option” deal? Do sitcoms pay more to series regular performers than one-hour episodics? Why? What is the difference between a casting associate and a casting assistant? What are the legal differences between managers and agents? When should an actor become a corporation? When does an actor need a publicist or an attorney, and how much do they cost?
Agents don’t have time to teach their clients all of these things. Managers should, but many managers, unfortunately, are less educated on these topics than they should be. Most actors learn by making their own mistakes. A smart actor can increase his chances for success by learning everything possible about the business of his craft.
If I’ve decided I’m going to pack up and move to Los Angeles to become an actor, what three things should I do to prepare?
First, you should have as much training as you can from wherever you come from before making the choice to move to LA. Next, you should have enough money to last for at least three years without an acting job, or be able to survive long enough to find a non-acting job that will allow you to audition and take classes during the day. Once you are here, you’re last in a line of countless struggling actors looking for agents and jobs. Good luck.