A typical acting agent contract pays the agent 10% of what you earn on the work they cover, runs for a set term (often one or two years), and should include an out clause so you can leave if the work dries up. For SAG-AFTRA members, franchised agents are capped at 10% and the union sets the termination rules. We pulled together 35 answers from our library, from Kym Jackson, Shaan Sharma, Chris Roe and other guests, on commission, contracts and leaving.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Check your own contract, and talk to SAG-AFTRA or an entertainment lawyer about your situation.
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Kym's answer for Hollywood theatrical agents is 10%, across the board. The union backs that up: as of October 2026, SAG-AFTRA's agents and managers FAQ says no franchised agent may charge more than 10%, and an agent only gets paid when you do. Its Los Angeles commission bulletin adds that for TV, film and streaming session work, agents need to negotiate above scale, usually scale plus 10, to earn that commission.
Child actors pay the same rate, Karen Workman told us. The exception is non-union commercial work, where Kym and Shaan Sharma both said 20% is standard. More on that in our commercial acting guide.
Managers in LA usually take 10%. Kym explained that managers who mostly work with developmental clients often charge 15%, because they're spending their own relationships to get a newer actor into rooms. Nobody should charge a 20% management fee; Kym's view is that a manager who needs that much isn't getting clients work.
Her tip if you sign at 15%: ask for a clause that drops it to 10% once your total gross earnings through them pass an agreed figure. In her videos she has suggested figures from $50,000 to $100,000. See talent agent vs manager for how the two roles split.
No. SAG-AFTRA's FAQ says agents may not charge up-front fees of any kind. Kym's advice if a theatrical agent or manager asks for a sign-up fee: don't sign, and report it to the union. Reps earn their money from commission, so a sign-up fee suggests they aren't earning much from bookings. Paid background-booking services are a separate world.
Agents are territorial. Shaan said an agent only commissions the work in their market, and Kym's rule is that whoever represents you in the region where you book gets commission, even on a job you found yourself. A manager usually commissions everything, everywhere.
A new agent doesn't commission residuals from jobs booked before you signed, Kym said. With representation abroad as well as in the US, she and Darren Darnborough both described a common 7/7/7 split, so you pay 21% in total. And not every residual is commissionable, so check the union's chart and your contract.
There's no single standard. Shaan has seen one-year deals, two-year deals and handshake arrangements. Kym prefers one or two years, ideally with an out at the 12-month mark, and wouldn't want to be locked in for three.
Before you sign, read the whole thing and check the term, the commission rate and any step-down, the out clause, and the territory. If a rep wants you exclusively for the whole country, Kym suggests asking to limit it to your state so you can sign with regional agents. You also don't have to sign "across the board": Shaan said you're not obliged to join an agency's commercial division just because they rep you theatrically.
Yes, usually as it rolls over. Kym's approach is an open conversation, ideally in writing, raised 30 to 60 days before the renewal date rather than sprung at the last minute. Common reasons are dropping a 15% manager rate to 10% once your career has momentum, or bringing a bigger agency in to co-represent you alongside your current agent.
For union members, SAG-AFTRA's FAQ sets out the rules as of October 2026. On a new TV and theatrical contract, if you've had no genuine offer of work in the first 120 days, you can end it for lack of work. If you did get an offer, you wait until day 151. After that, you can end it if you haven't booked or been paid for at least 10 days of work in the previous 91 days. For commercials the later test is earning less than $4,000 from commercials, including residuals, in the previous 91 days. Renewal contracts can't be ended this way in their first 91 days.
Terminations must be in writing, with a copy to the union, and the union has a template termination letter. Leave without the right to, and the agent may keep commissioning until the term ends. For non-union contracts it's whatever your out clause says. Shaan has seen clauses that let you leave after six months without a genuine job offer, and an audition doesn't count as one.
First, check it's the agent. Kym points out that an agent's job is to get you auditions; booking is your job, and 20 to 40 auditions per booking is normal. If you're getting good auditions, work on your craft before you blame your agent.
If you do want to move, Shaan and Chris Roe both said you can meet other agents while you're still signed. Chris's advice is to talk it through with your manager first. Then give notice in writing as your contract requires.
It stings, but it's often not about you. One guest who has had 46 representatives in his career compared it to a break-up: it can come down to money or changes at the agency, and another agency has just opened up a spot for someone like you. Chris Roe listed what does get actors dropped: skipping auditions, making excuses, lying, not booking out, and disrespecting other actors.
Then get back to work on what you control. Ajarae Coleman shared how one of her clients stopped chasing reps, focused on her own projects and casting relationships, and an agent on her list reached out months later. Our guide to getting an acting agent covers the outreach.
Kym's quick check: look at the agent's top clients on IMDb and see whether they have recent network TV or recognisable film credits. Chris Roe says you'll know fast from the chemistry, as long as you both listen. And if they reschedule your first meeting once or twice, Kym says that's normal.
For SAG-AFTRA work, a franchised agent can't charge more than 10% as of October 2026. Non-union commercial agents commonly take 20%.
Usually 10%, or 15% for managers who mostly work with developmental clients. A manager asking for 20% is a red flag.
No. SAG-AFTRA says franchised agents can't charge up-front fees; agents should earn their money through commission.
One- and two-year contracts are common, and some reps work on a handshake. Whatever the length, make sure there's a clear out clause.
Often, yes. SAG-AFTRA contracts let members end the agreement in writing for lack of work after an initial period, and many non-union contracts have a similar out clause.
No. A new agent didn't get you jobs you booked before signing, so they don't commission them.
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