Episode 16 / Shea Kofkin-Hansen, BBA Management
/by Roj Whitelock
London-based photographer and HSM Associate Member
Shea, an agent with BBA Management, talks about how her love of creativity led her to being an agent, the importance of honest working relationships and how persistence can be key in the face of rejection. Shea reflects on the highs and lows of being an agent and some of the shared struggles with actors.
Note: View on YouTube for captions.
"No, we want to showcase that. That difference is what’s going to get you cast. In a world where AI can create anyone to look like anything, and where we can generate the perfect human on screen, why would we copy that in real life?"
Shea Kofkin-Hansen
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Political Science To Creative Magic
Yeah, so yes, currently I’m an agent at BBA Management in London. I didn’t always know that this was necessarily my path, which is kind of how you fall into the best things, I feel like. I grew up dancing, doing musical theatre, writing, being very creative, and playing the flute. I was always surrounded by music and theatre and the love of that world. My dad was always filmmaking, and my mum being a writer as well, so I was very supported in that sense of things.
When I was younger especially, I used to want to be on the stage. Then as I got older, I realised maybe my passion didn’t fall there necessarily, but it still fell somewhere creatively. I just didn’t know where. I went to university for a Political Science degree, very unrelated. I was very passionate about that subject, especially going to school in the States. Moving to London opened up a whole new world for me. I find the city so ridiculously inspiring, and as cringey and corny as it sounds, it really is a place of opportunity and dreams to be made. On a whim, I started applying to internships, apprenticeships, and part-time jobs in all kinds of creative fields. I was in a rut. I was working in hospitality and just didn’t know what was next. I landed a summer internship with MSFT Management based in North London, and it just clicked. I realised this was it. This was how I was going to surround myself with creatives and pursue creativity in this industry without having to be the person on the stage. That’s kind of how it came about. I worked with them for about a year part-time while still working hospitality and looking for full-time roles in agenting, with all that experience under my belt and this new love for a career I didn’t even know I had an entry into. Now I’m with BBA Management in Central London in a full-time agent position, and it’s still just the beginning, but it’s really exciting. I love being exposed to this industry in this capacity, as I never expected I would be.
Staying Open Minded
I think our biggest obstacle is just having a closed mind. If I had just had one path — “this is what I’m going to do” — who knows where I’d be. I think following your dreams is really important, and following your heart is really important, but life happens, and it’s going to hurt so much more if you don’t have some flexibility in your expectations. Like I said, when I was younger especially, I was going to be the person on the stage. As I grew up, I realised I didn’t have to be the person on the stage. I’m happy to be around other people on the stage too. If I had planned for this to happen, it probably wouldn’t be happening. I think that’s true of a lot of things in life in general. A lot of artists and creatives become so tunnel-visioned on one dream, one image, or one idea of success that it takes away all the fun, as well as the passion, at the end of the day.
Be Honest
In terms of a client and agent relationship, I think it has to be based on pure transparency and genuine authenticity. If you’re both beating around the bush about what you want, what you can do, and what’s important to you, then it’s not helping anyone. For example, asking a client, “Can you sing from this range to this range?” and they say yes, then you get them a self-tape and it turns out they can sing, but not quite that range — there’s no point. You’re not trying to impress me. You’ve already impressed me; that’s why I signed you. I’m trying to help you, and you should also be trying to help yourself.
Transparency is such a big thing, and it’s so lacking these days, especially in the creative and entertainment industries. Having a close relationship with your agent is important for building yourself, your relationships, your credits, and all the important things, because it does come down to business at the end of the day. Tell us how it is so you can tell the world how it is. That’s what’s going to set you apart. Authenticity is major in an industry that’s all about scripts, costumes, makeup, prosthetics, and everything else. A lot of clients think they have to continue proving themselves beyond the tape and within their working relationships as well. Like you were saying with headshots specifically — “I want to cover this, I want to cover this.” No, we want to showcase that. That difference is what’s going to get you cast. In a world where AI can create anyone to look like anything, and where we can generate the perfect human on screen, why would we copy that in real life?
Try. Then Try Again. And Again.
One of the things I picked up on — and I know so many graduates already do this — is that there really is value in continuing to reach out to agencies. You Google agencies in London, pull up all their emails, and send mass emails saying, “Please come to my showcase,” “Please come to my one-man show,” “Please come to my pub theatre show.” Whatever it might be — keep doing it. You’re going to get no responses. You’re going to get rejections. You’re going to get people who say they’ll come and then don’t. Unfortunately, that’s life. That’s auditions. That’s everything that comes with the industry you’ve chosen to be a part of. But it does work. A lot of agencies have interns, junior positions, and assistants. A lot of the time, these emails go straight to them, and they do have a say in going to these shows. For example, I’m not sure if I was an intern or a junior agent assistant at the time, but an invitation came through from a graduate. She’d written this show, she was performing in it and directing it, and I thought, “Wednesday evening, why not?” I love watching local theatre especially.
I went along, saw her, and spoke to her after the show. It was absolutely brilliant. I came back to the office the next day and said, “I know we’re not supposed to be signing anyone, but she can sing, she can write, she’s personable — you need to see this.” My senior agent at the time said, “You’re right. We can’t sign anyone, but we don’t have anyone who can sing like this. We don’t have any playwrights like this. Bring her in.” And we signed her. We never would have if she had just reached out with her Spotlight link. We probably would have put it on a spreadsheet and said, “When our books open, we’ll take a proper look.” But it was the invitation — and the twenty-something junior assistant wanting to go to a show on a random Wednesday night — that set her apart. It’s just like job applications. It can feel really difficult when you don’t get responses, but putting yourself out there is such a big thing. Maybe even focus on the assistants and juniors, because everyone has to start somewhere. It’s a hierarchy — things move up the ladder — but you have to keep putting yourself out there. If you don’t, your Spotlight link is unfortunately just one among millions of other talented individuals. It’s cliché to say, but don’t stop persevering. It will pay off. What you put out, you’ll get back in return. I thoroughly believe that. Networking is also huge. Don’t just connect with the person running the acting masterclass — connect with all the aspiring actors attending it too. Write together, make plays together, build things together, because you’re not going to make it alone. This industry is built on people helping people. You can’t be a lone wolf and make it. That’s never going to happen. Yes, it’s inherently competitive at the end of the day, but we’re humans. Human experience is about working together, coexisting, and helping each other. That’s very important. I could see that in the actor we signed. She’d gone to drama school with these people, and although there were only five of them in the show, they had put on other shows together and all starred in each other’s projects. You’re not going to get anywhere without doing that together. It’s super special to see.
Highs and Lows
I think one of the hardest things is seeing a client with so much potential go through a dry period where they can’t book anything. That’s super frustrating. I can’t even imagine how it feels for them. You update their headshots, pitch them for things, get them auditions, and they tape and tape and tape — but nothing comes from it. The joy of agenting is being proud to promote someone who’s so talented and saying, “They’d be perfect for this project.” Then nothing comes back, and it’s frustrating. Especially because we’re not the ones taping. I can’t imagine the frustration for an actor carving out time in their day, rearranging work schedules, asking friends to help them tape, and then not seeing anything from it.
Another difficult thing is when an actor books a really big job and then doesn’t see much movement afterwards. They think, “But that exposure was supposed to make me.” You have to remind them — and yourselves — that one-hit wonders are rare these days. One thing isn’t going to make you. It’s the consistency that matters. It’s really heartbreaking when an actor calls and says, “This was my third recall for that big West End show. They obviously wanted me. Why didn’t they choose me?”
And sometimes there’s nothing you can say. You tell them, “You are wonderful. We’re not lying to you. We are putting your best foot forward.” But at the end of the day, whose fault is it? It’s no one’s. That’s just how it goes sometimes. That can be really tough — dealing with the heartbreak, the emotions, and the pressure of someone’s career while representing them. It affects us too. Yes, there’s a business side to it, but it’s also personal. We have real working relationships with these people. It’s not just about money. I’ve found, and my old agency founder spoke to me about this a lot, that clients sometimes forget all the hours we’re putting in for the possibility of them landing something. It’s never guaranteed, but we work as if it is.
When I left MSFT, I wrote an email to everyone saying it had been lovely working with them over the past year. The responses I got back made me really emotional. It was like, “Okay, they do appreciate us.” People thanked me for everything I’d done, and I realised how important those little acknowledgements are. It’s difficult for all of us to thank the people in our lives who help us through things. The joy of seeing a client book something and send their appreciation is huge. Everyone likes a little pat on the back. It’s human nature. We all like validation.
