Interview with Brooke Tonneman - Agent, Big Mouth Talent

Rachael: So what do you do Brooke?

Brooke: I am an agent for commercial and film work for Big Mouth Talent here in Chicago.

Could you define your job as an agent?

Well, as an agent it’s my job to promote my actors to my client. That includes casting directors, ad agencies, and production companies. Getting my actors work is my main job.

How do you get your clients?

I work with all the casting directors here in Chicago and when I initially started they knew who I was. I had worked for another talent agency so that wasn’t very difficult. But I send production companies who do in-house casting packets of my actor’s headshots. I then call them and ask if they are casting anything right now, or are they working on anything that they need actors for. I really hustle, really try to get my actors out there working. I only have about 150 actors so it’s important to me that everyone is out there working and not just sitting in my files.

So you keep a small amount of actors?

Yes. I try to keep it really small so that I can get to know everyone. I think it gives me a better idea of what they are right for if I know them on a personal level. I see their shows so I can really get an understanding as to what their strengths and weaknesses are. And again, I don’t like to have tons of people in my files that aren’t working and I don’t like to have five of one type. If I have one person and I believe in them and they didn’t book it this time, I believe they will book it next time around. I hate it when people go to an audition and see five of themselves sitting there, because then they think I don’t really believe in them. I put a lot of effort and work into individual actors and I think it benefits them and me better than having tons of actors and just hoping something hits.

So, along the lines of your actors, what do actors do that you really love?

I love when they treat this like it’s a profession. I love when they are organized and responsible and on top of everything, because it makes my job easier.

Give me an example of what you like them being on top of.

Knowing where they are to be, at what time, not losing their script and not forgetting they have a booking. I have had someone forget that they had an actual booking and it’s a reflection on me and makes me look bad because ultimately I am the one who gets the call, "Where’s your actor?"

What happened?

It was pretty bad. It held up production for about three hours and the person was sleeping. So that’s what is most important for me. That people realize that this is a job, and this is my job. This is how I make my living and if they treat it like a profession, I think that they get more out of it and I get more out of it. They are more successful if they are really organized and really on top of their career. I also love when actors are not just relying on me to get them auditions, when they are out there on their own being proactive about their career. It’s all connected and if they’re being really aggressive and trying to get stuff on their own, they get more back. I hate when people just rely on me to get them work.

What is the difference between being multi-listed and going exclusive?

Exclusive is when you’re working only with one agency and multi-listed is when you’re working with numerous agencies. It’s like dating.

So when you’re exclusive, there’s a contract?

Yes, there is a contract.

I have heard actors call Acting Studio Chicago and say they don’t know whether to go exclusive, or when are they supposed to know when to go exclusive? Should they ask their agent about it and when should an actor know when they are ready to do that?

When they notice that most of their auditions are coming from one agency. That’s a good indication that maybe you should form a relationship only with that agency. And once they feel comfortable with an agency. You should feel comfortable. It shouldn’t be scary.

Would you rather your actors be exclusive?

Yes, I would definitely rather they were exclusive. I treat them like they are exclusive anyway. I have such a small core of actors and I start them out freelance. Then if I’m really getting the job done and I’m getting them a lot of work and we have a relationship, I will ask them to go exclusive or a lot of times actors will come up to me and say they want to go exclusive. I have a lot of actors that are exclusive by default just because they are only with me and I am the person who really likes them and that is a cool relationship too. I mean, I don’t think everything has to be written in stone. I have personal relationships with a lot of people that I know rely on me and I rely on them. And sometimes the paper work can be broken anyway. It’s just paper work. But I do like it when my people are only with me.

I know the city is small as far as that there aren’t that many talent agents or casting directors. So do you all communicate with each other or do theatres call you and ask you about actors?

You know, theatres don’t really call me. The only theatres I work with are Steppenwolf, Goodman, and Chicago Shakespeare. I work with the bigger theatres because the smaller theatres are non-paying and all the actors can get those auditions on their own. That’s a whole community unto itself that you don’t really even need an agent for. So I don’t work with a lot of the theatres. But I think it’s nice for agents to have relationships with one another. I don’t mind talking to other agents and I don’t think everything needs to be so secretive and competitive. If I am representing someone and they decide to go exclusive with someone else, that’s good. That’s good for their career and that agent is helping them out more than I am. I think they should go exclusive with them. It’s good to keep up the dialogue with other agents because it’s important to our community and if I have a problem with a booking and another agent had someone on the same booking, it’s alright to call that agent and say "what’s your take on this? What do you think happened?" Yes, we are competitors, but I think we are friendly competitors and I treat it that way.

Can you talk about the importance of seeing theater credits on an actor’s resume?

I think seeing theatre credits on an actor's resume shows that actor is out there doing stuff instead of just sitting around. It’s really important to have theatre credits because it shows that this is a working actor who really loves their craft and is out there doing their thing. If I just see a bunch of classes on their resume that means that that actor really hasn’t gone to the next step and taking what they’ve learned in those classes and actually implementing them into a scene and into a play. Theatre is tough. There is rigorous schedule and it’s a strong commitment and I like to see that people are willing to give that commitment.

What is the importance of having a good headshot and resume and postcards?

I think having a good headshot and resume is the most important thing. It is your calling card. I have a business card. It has my name on it and my logo-you have a headshot. That’s it. That is the first thing that every client sees before they even see your resume. If you have a heashot that doesn’t reflect you - it’s flat, it has no life - it’s possible someone might not even flip it over and look at the resume. So I think starting out with a great headshot is hugely important. Once people know who you are, you have a following, you have been back to the same places, everyone kind of has an idea of what you’ve done where your career is going, then I can submit a post-it and you’d get an audition. But initially the headshot is what gets you in the door - it's what gets you in the door at my agency for me to audition you. I get about 50 headshots a week and I flip through them. If I call them in and they don’t look like their picture I probably won't take them on. Or if their picture is really awful and I don’t see any life there, I probably won’t call them in because I just don’t have time. I probably call in two people out of the fifty I get. I’m going to call in the two actors whose headshots say they are a type that I don’t have.

What is it about a good headshot that attracts you?

Something in the eyes. Its something…you know I honestly don’t know. I know it when I see it. And I can see a really good headshot from a bad one. Sometimes I don’t even know why. It’s kind of like looking at a painting almost. I’ve had numerous agents like headshots that I don’t like. It also depends on how I’m going to market that person. If I think you are really hip and edgy and this is a young mom headshot then your picture is not working for you. It’s important that the headshot reflects what you can book and your skills.

What do you think about postcards?

I don’t know. Maybe the casting directors might enjoy when people send them postcards to remind them that they are around. I’m really indifferent to them. I don’t really care either way. I know my actors well enough that if they want to tell me something they call me on the phone. Maybe bigger agencies like it when people correspond through postcards to let them know they are in a show, or that they’ve booked something. I would rather they call me.

How do you feel about your actors calling and checking in?

I hate when actors check in. I am such a small agency that I’m often on the other line with a client and if I have to click over just for an actor to say they’re checking in, it drives me insane. I don’t care if they call me five times a day with legitimate questions like, I’m not really sure how to read this script, I’m not really sure what wardrobe applies, I forgot where I’m going. Those are all reasons why I’m here. Because I have such few actors, I know where everyone is. I give out my home number. If I need to find them, I will find them. So they don’t need to check in thinking that I’ve forgotten about them.

Say there is an actor that moves to Chicago and doesn’t have a whole lot on their resume. They want an agent and find your name in The Book. How would you like them to approach you?

Again, not to call. I’m busy on the phone trying to get the actors I work with out there. So for me, mail is the best way.

Do you tend to call in people who submit to you?

All the time. I look at everything; I do not want to overlook someone who might be great. So I really take the time to look at everything that is sent to me. It takes me about a month to get through everything and then I put them in piles. These are people that I want to call, but that may also not happen for a month because I may be too busy. So when I feel I’m going to have slow week, I’ll do a day of generals and I’ll call in all those people to audition.

What is the importance of training for actor?

I think training is very important. If you never trained to be a basketball player and just decided to join the game, you’d probably suck. Training is hugely important because it keeps your chops up and it makes you a well-rounded, functioning actor.

Rachael Patterson once said, you don’t apply for a job in a physics lab just because an apple fell on your head.

Yeah. Who would ever decide to be a surgeon without training? But people think they can be actors without it. It’s great in theory but it doesn’t work.

And it’s a constant learning process. I don’t think you ever stop learning.

No, you never stop.

When you call in an actor, how do they audition for you?

They do cold copy.

Do they do monologues?

I sometimes have them do monologues if I don’t see what I’m looking for within the cold copy. It sometimes helps me clarify if I want to represent them.

So when someone comes in to audition for you, what might be the worst thing they could do?

Not listening to me. I’ll ask them to do a piece completely differently and they will do it exactly the same way. And I think it’s because they aren’t listening. They aren’t actually listening to what I’m asking them to do. They are doing it they way they think it should be done. So it’s important to take direction and not come in with an idea and have that idea be the only idea that you can give. Be versatile.

I think a lot of actors are afraid of agents and place them in a non-human category. Talk about how an agent really is on the actor’s side and how an agent wants an actor to succeed.

Absolutely. I love it when I bring an actor on board and I think they are going to be right for something and then they book it. It’s the greatest thing, because I feel I’ve done my job and I feel like I’ve helped this person on their way to where they want to go. I’m not someone that anyone has to be afraid of. Once people know me they usually say I’m goofy. Agents are really busy so sometimes I am really short with people because I don’t have the time. But you know we’re people doing a job and we love what we do or we wouldn’t do it. And we love working with actors or else we would go into a different aspect of this field. I think actors should know agents are there to help them and to be on their side and go through this together and if you find an agent that works for you that agent is going to become a friend of yours too. Actors shouldn’t be afraid. Actors are how we make our living. It’s definitely a symbiotic relationship.

Actors gets stressed out about forming the relationship. How is it similar to any other friendship?

It’s the same. It’s definitely the same. It can’t be forced - it has to be natural. It will come naturally if the relationship is working. Like a friendship or dating. You’re not going to start out with great guns. It will slowly build.

And earn that trust.

Yes, and ultimately you will find that you feel really comfortable with your agent and you can tell them what you’re thinking. You won’t feel like you have to walk around on eggshells.

What made you want to be an agent?

I always knew I wanted to be in the entertainment field. And my major in college was Television and Film Production. But I still didn’t know specifically what I wanted to do. I just knew I had to go in that direction, but I’m not a performer nor do I want to be in the limelight. I have no desire to be on the other side, but I love being around it. I like working with actors and I enjoy helping them get where they want to be.

What’s the last movie you saw?

I just saw Spiderman. And I saw Y Tu Mama Tambien, that Spanish film about the two boys coming of age. It was good.

How was Spiderman?

Spiderman was fun-cheesy.

Do you have anything you want to say to the young actor out there looking for a start? Do you have any final thoughts for them?

Don’t give up.