“We’re the unsung heroes—and that’s the truth,” notes Tall. “We’re the behind-the-scenes people who make things happen for our artists. But to be a great agent, you have to have a lot of patience and understanding. But most importantly, you have to want to train and be skilled enough to become an expert in all these different areas of beauty in order to really take the responsibility of guiding artists.
“One’s career, if done right, boils down to teamwork between your agent and yourself,” continues Tall. “What the agent does for the talent is as important as the talent showing up on set. It can make or break a career if an agent doesn’t properly handle an artist. I essentially am an extension of who this person is, and if I’m not handling their business properly, they don’t get the job.”
It’s not entirely uncommon for artists to jump ship—nightmare stories abound. Yet, as the agents make clear again and again, if you find the right match in an agent, you’ll know it and see your star rise—and from there, the opportunities are endless.
—Karie L. Frost
