The short answer: if you are not a UDA member, start with agencies that publish how to reach them and accept non-union actors. Send exactly what they ask for. And before you sign, ask for every fee in writing.
In the Castflow 2026 study, 59% of respondents who never had an agency never tried to find one. And of the 23 who applied, only 7 were turned down: the other 16 never heard back. The main problem is not rejection. It is knowing who to write to, and what to send.
What actors say about their agency
| What the study measures | Figure |
|---|---|
| Last project sent by the agency, among represented actors | 56% |
| Represented actors who got more than 10 auditions from their agency in 12 months | 42% (64% of those who make a living from acting) |
| Represented actors who got no audition from their agency | 12% |
| 15% commission, among those who know their rate | 83% |
| Represented actors who also pay annual or monthly fees | 25% |
An agency remains the best source of work for those who have one, but results vary widely. Which agency you choose matters as much as having one.
Why so many agencies mostly take UDA members
- The AQAA rule. To join the Association québécoise des agents artistiques, an agency must have at least 80% of its adult actors as members of UDA, ACTRA or a professional association (50% for children). The AQAA has 33 member agencies.
- Established agencies stay quiet. UDA's code of ethics bars agents from advertising to the general public to recruit (art. 16). As a result, most large agencies publish no application process. You reach them through their contact page.
- Youth agencies are the most open, and also the most likely to publish fees.
- Outside Montreal, almost nothing. In Quebec City, only one actors' agency is confirmed (Mode é Arto). Several Montreal agencies place talent on shoots across Quebec, though.
The 20 agencies that publish how to reach them
| Agency | City | Represents | How to apply | Published fees | Association |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acte 1 | Laval | Teens and adults | Form (resume, photo, letter, reel). UDA or ACTRA expected; non-members through an audition and interview | None | AQAA |
| Alias | Montreal | Ages 0 to 55+, French and English | Form and audition video. Looking for: English speakers, diverse performers, UDA or ACTRA adults, children 6 to 13, students or graduates of a recognized school | None | AQAA |
| ALM, Agence Le Milieu | not stated | Ages 0 to 18 and adults; fiction, ads, voice, video games | Form, virtual audition, meeting. Graduates welcome | Registration and annual renewal (amount not published); 15% | none |
| Besse | Sainte-Lucie-des-Laurentides | All ages, voice | Contact form; interested in emerging talent and graduates | None | AQAA |
| Cadieux | Montreal | Ages 1 to 11, 12 to 17, adults, voice | "Devenez membre" form, selection audition | None | none |
| Cameo | Saint-Hubert | Actors, youth, voice, French and English | Email (photo, resume, reel) or, without a reel, a filmed scene of 1 to 2 minutes | None | APRAQ |
| Caralie | not stated | Ages 0 to 18 and adults | Form, then a free audition; natural talent may be considered | $229.95/year (except active UDA or ACTRA members); 15% | none |
| Cité Boomers | Longueuil | Background and ads, 18+, specializes in 50+ | Form, with or without experience | $75 once | none |
| Forté | Montreal | Screen actors, French and English | Email (headshot, resume, professional reel); novice to established | None | AQAA |
| Girafe | Montreal, Montérégie, North Shore | Babies, children, teens | Email (photo or 30-second video), then a Zoom audition; files accepted now for September | $425/year (children), $225 (babies); 15% | AQAA |
| Johnson | Montreal | Children 2 to 13, teens, adults 18 to 80 | Form and photo; always looking for ages 5 to 13 | Annual fees (amount not published) | AQAA |
| JR | Montreal | Actors, voice, hosts | Form with resume; beginners or seasoned | None | AQAA |
| Kaboom | Montreal | Babies to adults, actors and background | Write to ask about recruitment periods | None | AQAA |
| La Suite | Montreal | All ages, bilingual, union or not | Photos, resume and reels as links, via the contact page | None | AQAA |
| LMO Talent | Montreal | Actors and voice | Email (resume, photos, reel) | None | AQAA |
| Mode é Arto | Quebec City | Children, teens, adults; models, voice | UDA or ACTRA: email. Beginners: through the École d'acteur de Québec training | None | none |
| Myrtho Métivier | Montreal | Actors from diverse backgrounds, union or not | Online form | None | none |
| Peanut | not stated | Children and teens | Form (2 unfiltered photos), then audition | Annual photos and training required (cost not published) | none |
| Renée Cloutier | Montreal | Adults, ages 6 to 15, voice | Email (resume, photos, reels); established, trained at a recognized school, or self-taught with experience | None | AQAA |
| Rivet & Férole | Montreal | Mostly babies, children, teens | Form (photos, age); specific searches posted | None | none |
"None" means no fee is published on the website, not that there is none. The AQAA code requires the agency to disclose fees before representing the performer.
Closed to applications right now
| Agency | What the website says |
|---|---|
| Chantal Brossard | Full for an indefinite period |
| Flos et Marmots | Recruitment closed |
| Shanda Pall | Not an agency for new performers |
| Carrousel | Models; next period in the first half of 2027 |
Agencies with no published process
Reach them through their contact page. Many are AQAA members and mostly represent union actors.
| Agency | City | Represents | Association |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADA | Montreal | Actors, hosts, ads and voice | AQAA |
| ASB Talents | not stated | Mostly young actors, voice | none |
| Blanche Servenay | Montreal | Actors, voice, English-speaking talent | AQAA |
| Bridget Dechene | Outremont | Actors, voice, French and English | AQAA |
| Chantal David | Sainte-Adèle | Actors, voice, hosting | AQAA |
| Chantale Buron | Montreal | UDA or ACTRA adults, children, teens, voice | none |
| Cormier | Montreal | Adult actors | AQAA |
| Da Vinci Talent | Montreal | Actors, children, voice, stunts (English site) | none |
| Deschenaux Lemarbre | Montreal | Actors, voice, hosting | AQAA |
| Desjardins Lemieux | Montreal | Adult actors, mostly UDA | APRAQ |
| Diane Riel | Outaouais | Women, men, youth | none |
| Eugénie Gaillard | Saint-Lambert | Actors, dancers, voice | APRAQ |
| Folco | L'Île-Bizard | Emerging artists | none |
| Fontaine de Lamirande | Granby | Adult UDA actors, voice | AQAA |
| François Legault | Montreal | Actors, voice, hosts | AQAA |
| Gabrielle Malo | not stated | Artists | AQAA |
| Geneviève Champagne | Roxton Falls | UDA or ACTRA actors, voice, English-speaking talent | none |
| Ginette Achim | Outremont | Actors, voice | AQAA |
| Glenn Talent | Montreal and Toronto | Women, men, teens, children, voice; French and English | none |
| Goodwin | Montreal | Actors, dance, comedy, voice | AQAA |
| Julie Draper | Montreal | Actors, voice | AQAA |
| Lucie Charland | not stated | Actors aged about 20 to 60 | none |
| Molière | Saint-Eustache | Young actors linked to a theatre school | none |
| Mona Portelance | Montreal | Actors, voice, hosting | AQAA |
| MVA | Outremont | Acting, voice, hosting | AQAA |
| Noah & Co | not stated | Actors, youth, voice; French and English | AQAA |
| Olivier Corbeil | Montreal | Actors, hosts, voice | AQAA |
| Premier Rôle | Montreal | Actors, voice | AQAA |
| Provencher | Laval | Actors, hosts, comedians, voice | none |
| RBL | Montreal | Actors, voice and ads | APRAQ |
| Reisler | Montreal | Age 2 to seniors; French and English | none |
| Serge Lapointe | not stated | Adults and youth 19 and under | none |
| Sonia Gagnon | Montreal | Actors, voice, hosts | AQAA |
| St-Laurent Roger | Longueuil | Actors, hosts, columnists | AQAA |
| Vincent Dubuc | Montreal | Acting, voice, singing, dance, comedy | APRAQ |
Collectives: actors who represent themselves
No agent, and in most cases no commission on fees, but often dues and requirements.
| Collective | Who it takes | How to apply | Published fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acteurs Associés | UDA or ACTRA members, or students and graduates of a recognized school; known to at least one casting director | Email, any time | Registration and annual dues (amounts not published); no commission |
| Double Identité | Professional training and active UDA, ACTRA or Equity membership | Email (resume, photo, reel) | Annual dues; no commission |
| Entre Acteurs | Active UDA or ACTRA member, recognized school or experience | Form, then interview | Not published |
| Les Agents Libres | UDA member in good standing (apprentices not accepted), 18+ | September and October only; capped at 45 members | Annual dues |
| Les Électrons libres | Actors, by membership | Write to the collective | 15% on contracts negotiated for you |
| Spotlight collectif | No published requirements | Online sign-up | $50 a month |
How to approach an agency, in 5 steps
- Aim at the right category. Non-union and starting out: agencies that publish their process and accept non-members (Acte 1 by audition, ALM, Caralie, Cameo, JR, La Suite, Myrtho Métivier). Child or teen: youth agencies. UDA or ACTRA member: all AQAA agencies are open to you. Trained, union, and wanting autonomy: the collectives.
- Prepare a simple package. A recent photo (Peanut asks for two photos with no filter or makeup), a one-page resume and a reel. No reel? Cameo accepts a 1 to 2 minute filmed scene with a reader, no monologue. For its audition video, Alias asks for: phone held horizontally, head-and-shoulders framing, lines memorized, your two best takes, no overacting.
- Follow the process to the letter. Use the form when there is one, email otherwise. Cameo asks for the subject line "Representation request". Kaboom asks you to write to learn its recruitment periods. Les Agents Libres only read applications in September and October.
- Read silence correctly. Acte 1, JR, Premier Rôle, Bridget Dechene and Peanut state that they only contact the candidates they retain. Silence is the normal answer, not an insult.
- Check the agency before you sign. Ask for every fee in writing (AQAA, art. 14). Make sure the commission does not exceed 15% on contracts covered by a collective agreement (art. 22). Ask whether the agency has a financial interest in the school, class or photographer it recommends: it must tell you (art. 13).
Red flags
- Large fees paid up front, or an imposed photographer or school.
- A promise of work: the AQAA code forbids it (art. 5).
- Pressure to sign fast.
- An open call, then a "callback", then classes sold for $2,000 to $6,000 (ACTRA warning).
One nuance: in Quebec, annual fees are not a scam in themselves. The AQAA code does not ban them, and several member youth agencies publish them. The EIC code, signed by some Montreal agencies, bans them except for background work ($100 once). What matters is that they are disclosed in writing before you sign.
How we built this directory
- Agencies: about 80 agencies known to Castflow, checked one by one on their public website on October 19, 2026. Removed: one closed agency, those whose site is empty or unreadable, one Toronto agency and companies that mainly represent comedians, creators or media personalities.
- Associations: AQAA member list, AQAA code of ethics and APRAQ member list.
- No ranking: the directory reports what each agency publishes, with no judgment of quality. "Not stated" means the website does not say.
- A declared interest: Castflow also builds software for talent agencies. That is why we stick to what agencies publish themselves.
- An agency missing or changed? Write to survey@castflow.co and we will fix it.
