In the world of Hollywood agenting, there’s only one Harry Abrams.
If you’re an actor who’s been in the business more than a short while, you may have been represented by Abrams – or one of the agencies he ran in the 60+ years he spent in the entertainment business.
He’s worked with some of entertainment’s biggest household names such as Jennifer Lopez, Liam Neeson, William H. Macy, Jason Alexadner, Connie Birtton and Carl Weathers.
Abrams’ stories are a thing of legend. It was just a matter of time until he rounded them all into a book (as he did with writer Rod Thorn) to let people inside a career that has spanned 12 U.S. presidents dating back to the 1950s.
In that memoir, titled Let’s Do Launch: A Hollywood Agent Dishes on How to Make Your Business and Career Take Off, Abrams offers a healthy dose of advice to aspiring actors, agents and entrepreneurs. It’s a must-read for anyone looking to succeed in their chosen pursuit.
Filled with stories about his entertainment pursuits, Abrams’ book has anecdotes about “the biz” that will have you laughing and even cringing at times. Like when he worked in the mailroom at MCA and drove agency co-founder Jules Stein’s Mercedes 300SL to his home in the Hollywood Hills with the gullwing doors open (because he didn’t know how to close them).
Memoirs aside, Let’s Do Launch is mostly about the time and relationships Abrams formed while in the business of representing actors.
As co-founder of Abrams-Rubaloff & Associates in the ‘60s and ’70s, he built a top talent agency repping everyone from commercial and voiceover actors to broadcast journalists and sportscasters. When the itch to represent talent in all facets of their entertainment journeys became too much to ignore, he launched Abrams Artists Agency, which he ran for 40+ years until he retired in 2018 when he sold it to the group that became A3. Since then, he’s been working on the book and his perpetual golden tan.
Abrams has seen a lot in his days – which is why I wanted to sit down with him for you to benefit from the experience of a seasoned industry vet. Knowledge is power when you’re navigating your career as an actor, so free advice from a Hollywood legend can usually help.
I first met Harry 20 years ago while my wife worked at Abrams Artists as a talent agent. Since then, I’ve found him to be a classy guy as well as an engaging storyteller and a refreshing throwback to a time in the entertainment business that’s rapidly fading away.
In your new book, Let’s Do Launch: A Hollywood Agent Dishes on How to Make Your Business and Career Take Off, you offer lots of great advice to both actors and people looking to make it in business. What’s the biggest thing you hope actors will take away from the book?
The best thing to do is to train to be an actor, to be a true theater actor, not just someone who’s come off a commercial or is a pretty face or something like that… Go to acting school or an acting class. You have to learn how to be an actor. Ideally, it would be great if you came up through college studying theater in New York or Los Angeles. Spend four years at it, maybe even do well enough to get a master’s degree and go on to graduate school for acting.
That’s the best advice I can give someone.
What’s the key to staying power if you want to be a “working actor” for a long time?
You have to love what you’re doing. Certainly, if you can make a living from it, that’ll contribute to the staying power. But you want to have a love and passion for it so that you look forward to going to work every day and learning whatever it is you’re going to learn.
After such a long career, do you think actors can manufacture “it” or just need to have “it?”
There are two forms of “it.” One can be achieved through a good education in theater and working in the theater, enjoying what you’re doing. “It” will emerge by reviews and casting directors coming to see your work and hiring you. That will determine what “it” is.
“It” can also be described as someone that the screen loves to see, what they look like. You don’t necessarily have to be an actor… “It” could just be your visual countenance.
From Carl Weathers to David Stathairn, you’ve had longstanding and loyal relationships with clients spanning decades. What’s the secret to keeping the agent/client bond strong?
You just stay close to them. When they’re working in the theater, go to see their work… Or when working on a set, go to see them every couple of weeks assuming the set is somewhere near you. What you’re doing is building a bond or relationship between the two of you where they look forward to seeing you and to your support because actors are just like any other people, they love to be told how terrific they are – to have people come and watch their work.
In your book, you talk about how you represented Jennifer Lopez, Liam Neeson and William H. Macy before they became stars. What did they have that stood out?
It was probably just the quality of their performance that appealed to me. A lot of actors you watch on stage, the quality of their performance is lacking. They’re not bonding with members of the audience, or at least, not with me.
Bill Macy is a perfect example of someone who came strictly out of the theater just like David Strathairn did. I saw Bill Macy in a Mamet play in a small theater and just thought he was fantastic… There’s a certain electricity about the actor when you watch them, a buzz. They not only communicate with you, but they brighten up the stage and work well with the other actors. Their performance is extremely realistic and positive and you can see they’ve rehearsed and trained well.
What’s the best thing an actor can do to stay ready for a job?
Being ready for the next job that’s going to come along is extremely important. Be a member of an acting group so that you can take the script that you have for an audition – one page, two, three or four, maybe even the whole script – and work on the audition process in class so that you stay ready for the next challenge. Rather than your agent calling you and you just go in the next day and audition for the role.
Quite frankly, it’s best if you work on it in class.
When it comes to hustling for work, what’s the best advice you can give an actor?
For an actor hustling for work, I think it’s extremely valuable that an actor – once they have a chance to work with a producer, a director or a casting director that he or she doesn’t know – try to continue the relationship with that person.
You work with them for several weeks. Continue that relationship on a personal relationship basis. Get together with them. Take them out for a drink, take them out for lunch assuming that they’re receptive. Get into a personal relationship with them.
That will help you immensely as time goes on, for their next project or future projects. They’re going to remember you and favor you first over another known actor.
In your book, you write about poor etiquette and misjudgments people make when trying to get jobs. What’s a trait or trend that had a turnoff factor for you as an agent over the years?
If they’re a pain in the ass, late for their appointments or don’t follow through on the direction and guidance that I recommend to them.
I may visit with an actor, like what I see and tell them there’s a show they should see to observe the quality of the acting or something they could learn from the piece. If they don’t follow through with my advice or suggestions, that would turn me off.
Another thing that will turn me off is if I feel they should get in with an acting class and I recommend two or three classes and then they don’t follow through with that.
Diversity is also extremely important. Don’t just play one character or one role you’re good at. This is very true of character actors and playing different roles. Show how trained you are that you can take on any challenge as an actor. That would also appeal to me over the years.
You spent a lot of time early in your career in the ‘60s and ‘70s representing commercial actors. What’s your advice to commercial actors today who’ve yet to break into TV and film?
It’s very important when you work with these commercial directors to befriend them and stay close to them because as their careers flourish, they’re going to hire you because they’ve worked with you and directed you.
They’ve seen how you respond to their direction, how versatile you are, how well-trained you are, how you rehearse, all of that. So, when their careers become successful in feature films, television or theater, they’re going to come back and ask you to audition. In that respect, it’s good for you to work in on-camera commercials as a result.
What about voiceovers? Are there people out there who think they have no business acting, but who have a very unique trait, like a great voice and should think about it?
Your natural voice could be great and if you want to pursue voice work, it would be good to go to a voice coach. It would be good to go to classes taught by casting directors, directors and producers, where they focus on how you can make use of your voice, to be an attractive asset of your talent and artistry.
It helps if you have a unique or unusual-sounding voice. Not like my voice or like 99% of people. But if your voice has a recognizable quality to it, that’s valuable and can help in terms of getting into the business and maintaining your longevity.
Anything else you’d like to convey to new Hollywood from an old-school Hollywood great?
Stay with it, don’t lose the desire. It will eventually come true for you.
I’ve been lucky in so many different respects because I made money — and it was a nice way to make a living. As long as I supported the performer, it paid the bills, I continued to build it bigger. Sooner or later, you’re going to get those important roles assuming you’re well-trained and get nice reviews.
Let’s Do Launch: A Hollywood Agent Dishes on How to Make Your Business and Career Take Off by Harry Abrams, With Rod Thorn, is now available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
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Gregg Rosenzweig has been a writer, creative director and managing editor for various entertainment clients, ad agencies and digital media companies over the past 20 years. He is also a partner in the talent management/production company, The Rosenzweig Group.