Your “Entourage”

Well if Adrian Grenier can have one, so can I. Right?

Your personal entourage is extremely important. I bet if you sit down right now and make a list, there is a very good chance you have half a dozen people in that list already…if not more. Think about it. Let’s start with the easy ones. You probably have a hairdresser, a beauty therapist, an acting teacher… Yes? Well there are three people in your entourage already. Maybe you have an agent, a voice over agent, an accountant? There are three more. And perhaps you have a favourite DOP you love working with?

You forge relationships, often without even realising it, that can become long term and can contribute to your long term acting career. And sometimes, while these people we stumble upon may seem insignificant at first, they can go on to be massively important. For instance, just recently a wonderful makeup artist I know came to mind when a director friend of mine was looking for someone to help with his production. Karla is massively talented and I can’t wait to work with her again. She’s part of my mini Entourage. That means Karla is someone I recommend to others, and someone who I want to work with again and again (I do have other wonderful makeup artists in my toolkit as well – to the other makeup ladies I know and love who might be reading this…

Harry doesn’t know it but he’s in my entourage!

It is equally important to remember that your entourage doesn’t stop at who you’ve hand-picked to keep on speed dial on your iPhone. Not one bit. It occurred to me recently that YOU are on other people’s mini-speed-dial-O-for-awesome-entourage-lists as well. Those relationships you’ve been forging and working on and all that support you’ve given is points in the karma bank when you get speed dialled about a job, opportunity, audition, or even a favour. It’s all swings and roundabouts in the way of creative land.

My most successful acting mates, in my personal experience, are the most humble and sincere. They don’t boast, carry on or big themselves up. But they do genuinely receive offers with open humble arms and if they ever decline something they are as courteous and polite as the Queen. See, they get it. And we all should. People aren’t here just to be walked over, used or trodden on. And thinking you can just “get in touch” with someone when you need to is about as transparent as cling wrap.

If you have spent all that time building your entourage, then play by the rules to keep them. Be the person you see in others. You know her, that humble girl that exudes equal amounts of charm, charisma and kindness. I guess the other point to note is that if you don’t do this, while you might think others are in your entourage, they may not be so forthcoming when the time comes for them to answer your call.

So why not drop one of your contacts an email today and just say, hey I saw your work in such and such and you were amazing!

p.s. yes I know that entourage typically is defined as “A group of people attending or surrounding an important person.”** Umm you ARE that important person. Der!

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* Photos thanks to Foter: happykiddo [dead] / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND
** Definition by Dictionary.com