Talking with multiple actors about roles

Gohanto

Gohanto

Veteran
Probably dumb questions but I think some knowledge is definitely best when it doesn't come from bad experiences...

Anyway, what exactly is the professional etiquette for talking with multiple actors about a role. More specifically their agents. My general understanding is that sending a script to an agent isn't a guarantee on either end so if I send a script to an agent, then I can also send it to a couple others and just wait for any of them interested to reply.

And if that's the case and say your #2 actor's agent calls back first, do you just tell them that you're still waiting to hear back from a #1 choice?

Confusing comes from reading other's blogs, whereas most of my directing career I've been working with local actors directly, and just offering roles one at a time and waiting to hear back before moving on. Seems more dangerous on bigger budget films where negations could fall apart at the last minute leaving no time to find someone else and grab their interest.
 
I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not, letting the #2 choice know you're still holding out for your #1. If your #2 says he's interested, maybe delay making a final decision until you get an answer from your #1. In other words, stall the guy. Tell him you're waiting for the go-ahead from your exec, or something like that.

I don't know. It's a good question. Maybe somebody who's had more experience can give us a better answer.
 
holding out an offer and looking for interest are two very different things. you can certainly tell an agent that you are talking to other agents. Bigger agencies package, where if you go after your lead from them you have to cast other lead/support parts from them also, which is good and bad. Bigger films weigh that whole thing, should we work with this or that agency depending on their client lists. sometimes this is why you'll see talent switch agencies, so they could do a particular project. By law, if the agent has not gotten you any offers in over 4 months you can drop them.
better actors agents will not even look at your project if it is not an offer, then they can decide if they want it or not.
on a low budget project, cast the part then deal with the agent. If you can work with a casting director, or at least an acting teacher/school and cast that way.
 
oh, on that agent offer thing, you can only go one at a time. so an agent will say, is this an offer, we'll only look at it if its an offer. Then, after a few weeks, if you feel you're not getting anywhere you can talk to another agent, but you have to tell them you have an offer out to so and so but you don't think they're going to take it, otherwise you can get caught up in lawsuits. you can also put time of the essence clauses on your offer letter and that will let you push/pull drop dead dates.
 
"And if that's the case and say your #2 actor's agent calls back first, do you just tell them that you're still waiting to hear back from a #1 choice?"
In this case without any offers, tell them that you want to meet/read the actor. some actors even with minor names will not audition for an unknown producer/director so its their game, but you can hold the offer until you at least meet the person, even just for coffee. This will give you time to call #1 and say i have to know in the next two days, generate excitement that something is happening etc. then meet #1 and decide who you love.
 
Yeah it would seem to me based on my experiences in another industry that you'd at least have to let people know.

When I was going about finding a literary agent (which I did get, back in the day, same agent as who represents Leonard Maltin of Playboy / Entertainment Tonight), the proper protocol was to send a bunch of query letters to agents, I believe what I did was more than normal, I didn't know, it was my first time, but I sent out about 50 query letters. I heard back from 6-7 agents. Those were the ones requesting a book proposal. I then sent book proposals with a cover letter to each explaining that this was a multiple submission, so they understood they weren't the only agent looking over the proposal. Because of a connection I had, I ended up sending my manuscript right to an agent who wasn't among those 6-7, his secretary rejected my query (which I never told him, people get fired over things like that I'm told, lol), so he was among the other 42-43, and he read the proposal, then read the book, then made an offer of representation. So I would imagine that it's just in good taste whatever industry you are in, you want to let people know if you are in talks with other people as well. Because my book was time-relevant, I didn't have the time to send to one agent, wait for a response, send to another, wait for a response, etc. It just wouldn't have worked out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top