Marion Campbell and Brandy Gold
A Day in the Life of The New Guard
Words by Kimberly Nordyke
Photos by Robert Todd Williamson
November 2007
It’s a typical day at Harry Gold’s talent agency, TalentWorks, kicking off with the daily staff meeting in the conference room. This is the heart of the agency where the group gathers each morning to “split up the town by casting director” as they go through the breakdowns and engage in lively banter about casting opportunities for their clients. They also catch up on industry happenings and gossip as they flip through the trades and field calls from their assistants.
The TalentWorks group is comprised of the “New Guard” including dynamic duo, Brandy Gold and Marion Campbell, along with August Kammer, as well as veterans Harry Gold, Suzanne Wohl and Joel Dean. Rounding out the group is the charismatic VP of Operations Hank Hedland. Situated in Burbank, next to Warner Brothers, TalentWorks is celebrating two anniversaries this month: Founder Harry Gold celebrates his 25th year in the business and TalentWorks, the agency he formed and is president of is coming up on its fifth anniversary. The group is taken aback to note this has it really been five years? Time flies by quickly in these corridors and offices. There’s a hustle in the air, one with an infectious energy to it, not in a “swimming with sharks” sense, there are no screamers and no staplers being thrown at assistants. In fact these agents are a close-knit family who actually have lives outside of the office. Brandy Gold is Harry’s daughter, sister to actresses Tracey Gold (Growing Pains) and Missy Gold (Benson).
Brandy started out as a child actress before switching gears to become
an agent initially working with the company’s youth division.
Turns out the Gold girls got their acting genes from Harry who started
out as a young thespian himself before deciding to become an agent.
Sparked by his own uncomfortable experiences going to his talent agency
offices growing up, he decided he wanted to create his own agency where
actors would feel taken care of and comfortable. This group really likes
actors and understands their challenges and you get the feeling they
actually really like their jobs.
Back at the staff meeting: We need a Steve McQueen at 32, Marion Campbell shouts out as the group goes through their client list. Campbell, a native of Dayton, Ohio, joined TalentWorks in 2004 and became fast friends with Brandy. Sharing clients and adjoining offices, the two can be heard throughout the day in animated conversation chatting loudly to each other through the doors. Some of the current clients Brandy and Marion work with include: Peter Coyote, Jesse Garcia (Quinceanera), Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill), Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls), Kevin Alejandro (Drive, Ugly Betty), Kevin Chapman (Brotherhood), Octavia Spencer (Ugly Betty), Antwon Tanner (One Tree Hill) and Betsy Brandt (Breaking Bad). The agency also handles legendary clients including William Shatner, Martin Landau, Eli Wallach and Wallace Shawn. Facing the current challenges of the entertainment landscape, Brandy sums it up: “Movie stars are competing with TV stars for features and TV stars are competing with movie stars for television roles.”
Certainly reality programming has changed television dramatically and the company has risen to the challenge creating a reality division and packaging reality programs such as the VH1 hit Scott Baio Is 45 ... and Single.
After
the staff meeting, Brandy and Marion rip through calls with casting
agents and clients and then check out some of the demo reels they have
from potential new clients. They get many “blind submissions”
from hopeful actors and actresses with varying degrees of experience.
Brandy and Marion both agree that up and coming actors benefit from
hard work and persistence, doing showcases, workshops and classes, but
of course there’s also that intangible factor of being in the
right place at the right time or, well, just plain “luck.”
And it works both ways. As agents they also hear “no— more
than they hear “yes,” so they are very aware of the challenges
involved in this intricate business of acting.
This particular morning, they check out a reel from a young actress who has talent, but lacks range. They also need to factor in if these potential clients are too much like the ones they already have or if they grab their interest enough to want to meet with them.
And on that note they are back in the conference room meeting with a potential client, a seasoned actor from New York who has a couple of popular television series under his belt already and wants to make the leap out to Los Angeles for new opportunities. Brandy and Marion know his work and feel confident they can help him transition into new gigs in Los Angeles. TalentWorks has offices on both coasts so they know the theater realm as well. Beyond that, regardless of age and experience, there are many shows that need new faces, new blood. It’s a good fit and they will bring him back in to meet the whole group soon.
Now it’s off to lunch downstairs at McCormick and Shmick’s where Brandy and Marion share their insights on how to keep your sanity within the industry, “You have to have a personal life outside of work and be well-rounded because it makes you a better agent,” says Marion. Brandy agrees also stating, “The business can be a hard game, but you can’t lose sight of how fun the entertainment industry is too watching movies and TV shows, it’s a business I really enjoy.”
Hank concurs that you can’t lose perspective in this town and need to recognize that real life is more important than Hollywood. And this group does share their real lives, going to movies together, attending each other’s birthdays, anniversaries and their personal landmarks. Lunch is quickly over and it’s time to get back to the day.
The dynamic duo heads back to their offices and are on the phone and computer in no time, continuing their dialogue to one another through the doors of their offices. As I sit back and observe the hustle and bustle, I chat with one of the assistants who moved out from New York to learn the business. He loves his job and wouldn’t trade it for the world. I am suddenly reminded of my early days at William Morris when the experiences were all so new and exciting (some times too exciting). I drop by Harry Gold’s inviting office to say goodbye and congratulate him on 25 years. How do you account for such success I ask him: “It’s hard to be an agent, you have to have a combination of skill sets, love the business, know and understand television, film, talent and know what sells so you can respond to the marketplace accordingly. I’m lucky because I have the support of a great woman and a family who inspires me and puts up with all this stuff.” Well done.