Last week my manager set me up a meeting with a well known agent. While speaking with my management they instructed me to be myself and to run the meeting like I would want it to go. They also told me to lie and say that I was 23 and not 24. All day I sat around contemplating the fact that I had reached an age in my career where lying was necessary. Although the more I thought about it the more it didn’t seem like something I felt comfortable doing. I think that for me the type of relationship I want to have with my agent and my career is one of honesty and one that is going to represent me to the most accurate degree.
So the meeting was going very well as far as those meetings can go. I have been in a lot of those meetings where the agents just blow smoke up your ass telling you how much they will work for you or they are totally pretentious assholes. This meeting however was less like an interview and more like a friendly conversation. Then the other partners came in and explained that they have been around for a long time and represent mostly older clients but are now considering taking on a few younger and newer clients. Then they looked at my resume and were excited that I had done some of the jobs I had done. Then the major question came. When I said I was 23 they were stunned. I don’t look old or anything….at least I don’t think I do, but they did not expect me to say that at all given my resume and the success of the so far conversation. Then they told my manager that I was too young or “green” as she put it. But after thinking about it the age thing was clearly the killer.
I am not at all upset. I think that the right representation for me will be just that. I am confident in my work and my self and don’t hang myself up on things like that too much. It does, however reiterate the importance of going with your gut in matters like these, and any for that matter. Lesson learned.