We recently connected with Jayda Aslan and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jayda, thanks for joining us today. Could you share your insights on the process of acquiring an agent and how you’ve navigated the decision-making involved?

I chose this topic because I think it can be helpful for actors just getting in. When I was starting out, I had a boyfriend that had been in the business for a decade already and he helped me slip through the catch 22 of getting an agent when you have no credits. But not everyone has a built in actor mentor boyfriend, so I’ll be yours! You get out of school and you have no credits to dangle in front of agents as bait, so here’s what you can do in order of importance:

1) Get GREAT quality headshots. Like, from a professional photographer. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s the only thing you have to represent yourself as a professional actor, so represent yourself like the professionals do with professional headshots.
2) Start self submitting on Actors Access and Casting Networks. Build a body of work to make a reel. Faster, More expensive Plan B: Hire a reel service to shoot professional looking scenes for you.
3) Sign up for Agent/Manager Showcases. I got serious meetings with some of the best boutique agencies in Los Angeles this way and one of them signed me after I followed up!
4) Sign up for IMDBPro and look up reputable boutique agencies on the site. Some agents will have their personal email addresses listed. Send a VERY BRIEF email stating you are looking for rep and attach your material. I have also gotten serious meeting with strong agents this way. Asking a friend to refer you to their agent is also a fast track option if you have it.

I’ll share one personal story about agent hunting, because I was shocked when it happened and I wish I had handled it differently. I was fresh out of acting school, meeting with a reputable agent, and he had me cold read a scene with him as part of the interview. He kept stopping me every few lines, and aggressively telling me he wasn’t buying it and criticizing my choices in a non-constructive way. At one point, he even bluntly asked me if I just wanted to leave. And let me tell you, I WISH I HAD. If he thought I sucked, he could have let me finish the scene, said thank you, and let me be on my way. But clearly he was on a power trip, taking advantage of my entry level position. I knew it was wrong while it was happening, but I felt so desperate to get representation, that I swallowed my self respect and stayed seated. I was fuming and humiliated after leaving, but even worse, I still wanted him to sign me. I followed up the next week. He agreed to send me on a few auditions before signing me and I booked one of the first auditions he sent me on. It felt like redemption for all his criticism. But even after booking, the condescending, holier than thou attitude didn’t stop. I couldn’t believe bullies really existed in the industry. I thought they were just exaggerations or long extinct practices. I also had a casting director yell at me, “Stop! For the love of God stop!” in the middle of a workshop scene, in front of 30 peers. Totally unnecessary, humiliating, and just plain mean. Like, you signed up to coach actors in a learning environment with that approach??? I should have known when she walked in wearing a shirt that read, “Stop making bad actors famous” haha. Many actors left shell shocked after the first class and a few of them said they weren’t coming back. But they did, and so did I, because actors, are made to feel dispensable and that makes us feel desperate. Don’t get me wrong, there are more friendly and supportive people in the industry than not, but for some reason, when you come across one who isn’t, it gets abusive pretty fast. So if it happens to you, just breathe and know that it’s not you, they’re just an a-hole.

Jayda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was a late bloomer when it comes to acting. I wasn’t in drama in high school like the rest of the kids I went to the academy with. I got into acting because I love movies and I wanted to make other people feel the way I felt watching them. I was super shy growing up and struggled with confidence (I still do). This always makes me wonder whether I’m a good candidate for the job. It’s easy to feel imposter syndrome in this business. And yet, I’ve been acting for 16 years, but I think I just started getting good in the last 5. I work on a lot of commercials. They almost pay the bills. I’ve worked with Oscar nominated directors on commercials and A listers like Chris Pratt and Ryan Reynolds. I’ve worked on tv, film, and theater too. And while they are my preferred forms of visual storytelling work, one of my proudest comedic acting moments happened filming the “Highkey” ads with Reynolds (he wasn’t actually there, but his card board cut out was!) They gave me an extra scene the night before. I was going to be habing some cheeky banter with a cracked out “Sugar Panda,” voiced by Reynolds. It required seamless comedic timing, as we had some gags to work around because of the animation element, and not to mention I was acting opposite cardboard. First take in, I nailed it. It felt like it was written for me. The director yanked his cap off and was practically dancing around with excitement at how well it was working. He praised my acting, which we really need to hear once in a while. There can be so much self doubt about our work since most of us rarely get to work and discover what we’re capable of on an actual set. The director even asked the lighting department to light me better because “I deserved it.” I left feeling like a comedy queen, the finished spot was HILARIOUS, and you can imagine my surprise when I heard Reynolds saying my real name in the commercial. What a cool group of people. I’ll enjoy watching it and sharing it with my family and friends for the rest of my life. Sharing my work with them is what fuels me. I want to be proud of myself, but I also want to make them proud. I want to make them laugh, shiver, and cry with my work. It hasn’t been easy to book projects that I am passionate about performing in. The low hanging fruit is seldom the sweetest. I think a challenge for me is the way I look doesn’t match my personality. I have a strong, possibly intimidating set of features, when I’m actually quite demure and ethereal in disposition. You see a photo of me and think boss b*tch, but I show up and you get a mermaid haha. I’m figuring out how to better represent myself in my headshots as I type.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Yes, I wish I knew that I AM THE RESOURCE. That I am the interesting part of my acting. That I am the thing no once else can be. I wish I knew the importance of authenticity while I was being educated on the craft. I don’t think I heard the word authenticity said once in my two years at the academy. I was of the mindset then that I am not interesting enough on my own to engage an audience. I have to be someone else; someone more interesting, nuanced, complex. And what I became was a facade. I can’t remember who I heard speak about the importance of authenticity in acting first, but when I did, everything clicked.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Not hand it over to AI.

Contact Info:

• Other: IMDB: https://imdb.me/jaydaaslan VIMEO: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos

Image Credits
Headshot titled JaydaAslan42686 photo credit to Cathryn Farnsworth