Meet Jacob Lawson | Film & TV Agent

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jacob Lawson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacob, how does your business help the community?
You hear a lot about the positive economic impact the film industry is having on Atlanta but I think we benefit just as much from the energy it brings. It’s fun to go see a huge movie and realize they shot that funny scene in front of the place you buy your bagels every morning. Having your hometown on the global stage makes you feel connected and empowered, at least it has for me.

If my agency has done anything for this community, I hope that we’ve worked smart enough and hard enough to contribute to Atlanta being the best place in the world to make a movie.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I run Privilege Talent Agency representing actors in Film/Tv/Commercial/Voiceover.

Before a project goes into production, the producer hires a casting director to field auditions and fill out the cast. I spend most of my time pitching clients to the casting director trying to generate auditions and then negotiating the contracts of those they want to hire. It suits me well because I get to be involved in the process and don’t have to memorize lines or any of that.

I got hired out of the Costco in Brookhaven in March of 2013. I had recently graduated college and was deciding if I wanted to go back to school or find something full time when a lady named Sue Bernritter came in the store and told me she needed to buy a computer for the company she just started. I talked to her for a while and on her way out she asked me if I would meet her after work to help set up some online profiles and do some e-filing. For the next three years, I worked with Sue and her daughter Stefanie, doing the gear grinding while I learned as much as I could about the nature of the business. I had to keep my part time job because the agency made no money but I didn’t really mind. It was so interesting to me I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing anyway. I moved my shift at Costco up to 4am-noon unloading trucks so that I could spend the rest of the day working for the agency. That was the first time in my life that I understood work to be something I enjoy and not just a means to an end. I will do everything in my power for the rest of my working days to never go back to that.

My advice for anyone looking for direction, say yes to as many people and opportunities as you can. You never know what one might turn into. If you already have a passion but don’t know how to take the next step, spend as much of your free time developing that skill and making it useful to other people. People will either start paying you or you’ll find out you didn’t like it as much as you thought you did.

March will be my 10th year as an agent and for most of that time Atlanta was seen as a “small role” market. A film or TV show would cast all of their larger roles out of LA or NY and fill in the much smaller roles with actors who live where they shoot the project. The last few years have been a total reversal of that trend and we are getting lead role opportunities for the people who live and work here in Atlanta. That is both what I am most proud of and what I am most excited about.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

I was born and raised in Georgia so I’m a big Falcons / Hawks / Braves fan. Depending on the season we’re going to a game for sure. If it’s football season we might head to Athens on Saturday.

Fine dining is cool but I’m pretty much always bulking so we will be in Real Taco and Nova. I like to take my dog Curtis to the park so we will probably walk to Park Tavern and rest up before hitting the beltline down to Ponce City or Ladybird if Curtis isn’t too gassed by then.

If it’s summer time we may just grill out by the pool and have a house party or shoot the hooch.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost I have to thank my parents, Connie and Nathan Lawson. They set a great example for me and my siblings and I have no idea where I would be without that.

I want to thank my brother, Corey, who runs the agency with me. I always hear people say never go into business with family but we’re 7 years in working together and it’s going great.

I want to thank Sue Bernritter and Stephanie Klein who brought me into the agenting world and showed me what’s what. I don’t know where I would be if I hadn’t met you two, but I know I wouldn’t be doing this.

Thank you to the local casting directors. You all work extremely long hours to make sure we can handle as much work as we do.

Thank you to SAG and IATSE for setting and maintaining high standards.

Finally I’d like to thank all of the other film/tv agents in Atlanta. On some level we’re always competing with each other but ultimately we’re working together to put Atlanta ahead of those scumbags in LA (kidding). You’ve all been nothing but kind to me even when I was just starting out, and you didn’t have to be.

Instagram: jakethesnakelawson

Image Credits
Main photo – Josh Stringer