I was wonderinggggg this may sound VERY silly, but is it at all possible to hire a private agent, (along the lines of someone from HH or United) as a private agent, I've heard some people have? (eg. not through HH or United) Apparently some people have & I was wondering how! Thanks.
In theory this is entirely possible. However, it is difficult to imagine how you would find the money to do this or how you would persuade someone that you were a good "risk" if you have no track record. If you wanted a private agent (i.e. someone who worked exclusively for you), then you would have to be able either to guarantee them a wage or they would have to be convinced that they would make sufficient commission from your earnings to make it worth their while.
Anyone could be your agent; however, unless they have good industry contacts, they probably wouldn't be a good agent. If they have good industry contracts, it makes sense for them to be an agent for more than one performer, so that they stand a chance of making a living. More than 85% of actors are out of work at any one time and Equity members work on average only 11 weeks in a year. An agent would find it hard to make a living with only one client. If they have mulitple clients, then it's no different from how an agency normally runs.
Thank you so much pg, a brilliant reply, as always
Well I was just curious, as I doubted that I would be accepted (as I haven't heard back for 2 weeks) by such a big agency as HH or United, but was wondering if any of the big agents like Olivia Homan or Claire Hoath would take actors in private (not through the agency) and if so, how much it would cost (would it be like an agency where they take a %age or would you have to pay them monthly, how would you contact them etc.)
Thank you so much pg
Yes, I see. It's good to think these things through. Unfortunately, if an agency isn't interested in a client via the usual channels, then they're unlikely to be interested in someone as a private client.
If you were very wealthy then you could employ a personal manager; it wouldn't necessarily mean they would be able to get you any work though!
I think it's useful, when thinking about any aspect of the profession, to try to put yourself in the position of the person or organisation you are hoping to influence or interact with. If you try to consider how you might behave, and what your priorities would be if you were the casting director or director or agent (always considering you have a business to run and limited time and money) it can sometimes help you to come to terms with some of infuriating and disappointing responses we all get! It works for me (some of the time) anyway!
Thank you so much for all your help, pg just one more question, if you don't mind
How would one approach one of these big agents as a private person out of interest?
Thank you so much:)
When you say " as a private person", do you mean, asking them whether they would take on a client not through the agency? If that's what you mean, then I think the answer honestly has to be "you wouldn't".
I mean, you could. You could just write them a letter and ask them. But, honestly, why would they take you on as a private client if they were not prepared to take you on through the agency? It goes back to what I said in my last post: think about it from the agent's point of view. There would be no reason to do so, unless you were going to be offering them shed loads of money! Even then, they would probably feel that it would be unethical of them to take you on as a private client, because they work for the agency and wouldn't necessarily have time to devote themselves to someone else outside the agency. The only reason they wouldn't take you on through the agency would be because they did not feel that you had the potential to make the agency enough money with your current level of skill/experience/employability (that's the brutal truth). That reason wouldn't change, so they would be taking your money whilst believing that you would be unlikely to make your living as a performer. (Personally, I think that many of the so-called "agencies" that charge upfront fees do exactly this - but that's another thread!).
As francescasmum says, the job you're asking an agent to do in this scenario (taking on a private client) is really a "personal manager" role. You could advertise for one somewhere like The Stage I suppose, but unless you have experience and a high profile it would only really be the charlatans who would take you on (and probably take you for a ride). You would almost certainly need to pay someone far, far more than you would have a chance of earning ! (...and I am certainly NOT advocating that you do advertise for such a person in The Stage!).
You need to find someone who believes in your potential and who will help you in your desire for a career. At this stage, it's probably better for this to be someone who knows you (and someone you can trust) who can guide you and enable you to get more experience.
You stand far more chance of representation (by a decent agent who will take in an interest in your career) by sticking to the usual route of applying to agencies and either gaining auditions with them or getting them to come and see you in a show or watch a showreel.
this may sound VERY silly, but is it at all possible to hire a private agent, (along the lines of someone from HH or United) as a private agent, I've heard some people have? (eg. not through HH or United) Apparently some people have & I was wondering how! Thanks. 
