GETTING STARTED
What Qualities Do Talent Agents Look for in Child Actors?
BY JENN BOYCE
FORMER HOLLYWOOD TALENT AGENT & FOUNDER OF THE HOLLYWOOD PREP
When I was meeting a child for the first time, I wasn’t sitting there with a checklist thinking, “Okay…cute? Check. Talented? Check.” 😂
I was looking for that something.
And the funny thing is, that “something” doesn’t look the same in every child.
Think about some of the child actors we’ve watched over the years. Shirley Temple had that huge bubbly charisma along with her singing and dancing. Hilary Duff had this wonderful relatability. Jodie Foster had an incredible maturity and depth at a very young age.
They weren’t the same—and that’s the point.
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“I was looking for what made THAT kid special.”
-Jenn Boyce
Sometimes You Know the Minute They Walk Into the Room
Addison Riecke is a perfect example.
I found Addison at an acting school in New Orleans, and the minute she walked into the room, I knew I wanted her.
She was confident.
She was bubbly.
But more than anything, she was completely herself.
She wasn’t trying to give me the “right” answers. She wasn’t trying to be what she thought an Agent wanted her to be.
She was just Addison.
And that’s what sold me.
Confidence Doesn’t Always Mean Being the Loudest Kid in the Room
Then there was Cedric Joe.
Cedric was completely different.
He wasn’t this huge, bubbly personality bouncing off the walls. 😂
He had this wonderful quiet confidence about him.
He listened.
He was engaged with us when we spoke to him.
He was kind.
And there was just something about him that made us fall in love with him.
Cedric went on to star in Space Jam: A New Legacy, play Emmett Till in Women of the Movement, and now he’s a series regular on Netflix’s Nemesis.
And that’s such a good example of what I mean when I tell parents:
There isn’t one personality we’re looking for.
Addison’s bubbly confidence worked because it was authentically Addison.
Cedric’s quiet confidence worked because it was authentically Cedric.
What sold me wasn’t that they behaved the same way.
It was that I believed them.
So What Was I Looking for as a Talent Agent?
I wanted to see your child.
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Are they listening when I’m talking?
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Can I see the wheels turning when I give them a note?
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Are they engaged in the conversation?
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Can they take direction?
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Do they have confidence?
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Is there something about them that makes me want to keep watching?
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And yes, if your child starts telling me ALL your family business while you’re sitting next to them completely mortified…
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I’m probably loving it. 😂
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Because now I’m getting to meet the real kid.
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That’s what I wanted. Not a perfectly coached little actor giving me the answers they thought I wanted to hear.
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I wanted a real kid with something special who also happened to be a good actor.
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And if you’re starting to wonder whether your child is ready to meet with a Talent Agent, or if it’s even time to start looking for representation, I’ve got you covered!
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I break down when it makes sense to start looking for an Agent and what parents should know before taking that next step.
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Jenn's
Take
There isn’t one personality we’re looking for.
Addison’s bubbly confidence worked because it was authentically Addison.
Cedric’s quiet confidence worked because it was authentically Cedric.
What sold me wasn’t that they behaved the same way.
It was that I believed them.
