Agent / Minister

Kim Dorr is the successful co-owner of her own, (very busy) talent agency, Defining Artists in Universal City. This boutique agency has helped find and develop the careers of Jessica Alba, DJ Catrona, Farah Fath, and America Ferrera. She has an infectious smile and positive attitude about her career, and life. When you are in her office, her intelligence and confidence fills the room. She also understands the fear, challenges, and uncertainties that surrounds the entertainment business. The one thing she has no doubt about is her personal relationship with God. She started in the business without it and knows what it is like to be in this business without knowing Him. She’ll never go back.

Kathleen Cooke: Tell us about yourself and more importantly, how you got into the business.

Kim Dorr: I’m from Denver, Colorado and I had two formative experiences: One, when I was 10, I was watching “Love Story” with my mother and I became more aware of the audience than I was of the film. I remember thinking, “Wow this is powerful…that people are made to feel the same thing at the same time.” And I remember thinking that I wanted to do something that impacts people that way. That was the first “Aha.”

The second was when I did my first play in the 8th grade. I just fell in love with acting and so for years, from the 8th grade through college, I wanted to be a regional theatre actress. I was a ‘stage’ kid all through high school and I went to the University of Denver and was in the theatre program. I chose that school because I wanted to be near the Denver Center Theatre Company. They opened that company when I was 16 and that’s all I wanted to do. I was really shaping my own destiny toward that end but I was not a Christian. I was raised marginally Christian. I had some sense of God the Creator, but none at all of Jesus the Redeemer.

I met a man at the Denver Center Theatre Company who swept me off my feet and proposed. His career path was to come to LA, so I had a fork in the road that was set before me at the age of 21 – to marry this man and move to LA and become a wife and mother…and that’s what I chose. I left behind Denver and the dreams of being an actress. I came out here wildly in love, but the years in that marriage were very difficult. They don’t tell you in Denver to be careful about marrying an actor and it was a difficult time because his career did not shift from stage to the smaller, more intimate medium of film and TV.

So, all of that is my background and how I got to LA. I never dreamed of coming out here, never studied TV or film, and when I got out here my now ex-husband explained that he needed to be “tan and near a phone” so I knew that I needed to get a job. That was the beginning of what I think was God’s plan for me, because I was in town for 2 weeks, and I didn’t know anyone. My husband only knew one person and she knew a producer who was looking for an assistant. So I interviewed for that job, and that job turned into an 8 ½ year career with the Arthur Company.

I was 21 with no experience when I was hired. It was a mom and pop type of cable company. The guy liked me and needed someone to get coffee and not trip over wires. We were in pre-production for a show, a basic cable comedy, back in 1984. They were paying the actors next to nothing, and I was sitting in on all of the casting sessions. I had only been in town a few months, just watching actors come and go with really no direction from the casting director or the producers.

After 4-6 weeks in casting, they had found 3 roles. I was keeping my own notes, writing down things like “he was a really good actor, too bad he wasn’t directed.” So, they still needed about 3 roles, and casting said “We’ve shown you everyone in town that will work for the money.” The producers said, “Well, you better go look in another town because we haven’t found these 3 roles,” and doors slammed. I went into my producer’s office and said, “If you bring back x,y, and z actor, they were really very good but didn’t understand how broad this comedy is.”

He told me to set that up for him, so I got on the phone with agents. I was calling major agents and I think they knew that I was just a puppy. Maybe they were nice to me because they could tell I was green! Anyway, I got some of the actors to come back in. They read with me giving direction, and we cast those three parts.

The next time we did a show, the producers came to me and said that they wanted me to be the casting director. So in less than a year I was promoted to casting director. I assisted two producers. We were doing two shows, I cast both, and really learned a lot. As I learned more and grew more, the more fun I had and I just adored being casting director.

Studying acting, the one drawback was the uncertainty of it, and the times of plenty and the times of nothing…I don’t think my personality was cut out for that. As a casting director, I got to use everything I learned through my bachelor’s degree and was able to have a steady job and work with actors. I will tell everyone out there, if you love acting and those doors aren’t opening for you, consider working in casting or as a manager or agent.

The gal that I asked to be my assistant in 1988 had been working for our company as an actress. I went to her and said “I just adore you and can’t think of anyone else I’d rather work with, and would you consider working in casting?” She said, “no” but thanks, she was here to be an actress. About a week later she came to me and said, “I can’t stop thinking about this and can I just try it?” She’s still in casting today.

I think that people get their hearts set on what’s really visible - acting, writing, and directing. But there is so much more available. I’ve had a career for 22 years, and I wouldn’t trade it in to become an actress. I love the talent and I’ve been involved in talent, and I’ve been able to use all of my passion in what I’ve been doing.

The Arthur Company was like a family to me, and that’s where I came to know the Lord. I had become best friends with someone in post-production and she led me to the Lord. God really had His hand on me there. In the early ‘90s, I had gone through a divorce, the CEO of the company retired and closed up shop. I wanted a steady job more than staying in casting.

When my casting job ended in the early ‘90s, I was divorced, I had a mortgage, and I was out of a job for 3-4 months. I went from a nice steady job to unemployment. It was a very difficult summer. At the end of the summer, (within 24 hours), my house sold and I got a job offer. I had zero money in the bank, and was as a brand new Christian. God really bound me to himself during that time. It was not a pleasant time, but when I sold my house and got a job offer within 24 hours, I knew it wasn’t a coincidence.

The job offer was to be an agent. I didn’t want to be an agent. Coming out of casting I thought to myself, “Who wants to be an agent?”. But it was the only door open in front of me. The woman who hired me was an incredible woman. I told her that I had no idea if I was going to like it or not, and could I do it for a year and then evaluate it after that time? And that was 14 years ago.

The transition was difficult, going from being a buyer to being a seller. I had no real training. The only education I had was what I knew from being a casting director. There’s a lot to be said about just jumping into this business, you’ll learn or you’ll sink. It’s scary, of course, and we’d learn more if we all had a mentor, but sometimes it doesn’t work out that people can take us by the hand and show us what to do.

I became an agent in September of 1993, at the Bobby Ball Agency. I was brought in to run the kids and young adults division in theatrical, commercial, and print. However, within the first year or so, I had adults calling me to see if I could work for them as their agent. And, that’s how the adult division at BBA started forming. They didn’t have an adult division when I started, so I started developing that aspect. I was incredibly passionate about the few I was selecting. I found actors that I absolutely believed should be working, and that’s how the department evolved.

Within a few years, I brought in a wonderful guy, Kurt Patino. Kurt started out as a runner at the agency and he’d help pull pictures. He watched my patterns of submitting and who I liked. After a while he came in and said, “I noticed you didn’t submit so and so for this part and I thought they’d be right for it.” He was showing initiative and we developed a relationship, and trust, and he was creating his own career path. He eventually became an agent and ultimately became a partner with me in the adult department.

Eventually I realized that we needed to re-brand so we could be known as purely a theatrical division. That’s when we created a new division of BBA called Defining Artists. That was in 2002. Kurt then went into management and Dede came in as a partner to me. In 2005, Dede Binder-Goldsmith and I purchased Defining Artists from Bobby Ball, and we became agency owners.

KC: How many actors do you represent?

KD: We have just about 100 actors with three agents here that service that list. We’ll only take on child actors if they can hold their own on an adult list. We don’t develop young talent like we did in the kids division at BBA.

KC: Can you give me a glimpse into the life of a talent agent?

KD: Literally, every day I wake up in prayer and ask for favor. Favor for our agency and favor for our clients. At least I know that I am connected in prayer and I really start out with that. I think being an agent is one of the hardest professions that I can imagine. When an actor doesn’t get a job, you have to understand that our hopes and dreams are counting on that job too; it hurts us too. We need it is as much as the actor does! If he doesn’t get it, we switch into being a grief counselor, and then I go home to my dogs and I don’t have anyone that says it’s going to be OK and I’m going to get another chance.

I’m not complaining by any means, but it’s just a hard life and agents have to find their inspiration to keep going from a source that’s greater than they are. On an average day, we come in and the breakdowns are very much a lifeline that connects us to jobs. Breakdowns are being released every day for what roles casting directors are looking for, between episodic television, and films.

My partner and I look at the breakdowns and submit the talent that we think would be the best people for that role. You always have to look at what the start date is, so sometimes we’ll call immediately. During the afternoons we’ll make pitch calls. With episodic programs you’re normally pitching within the first 24 hours or it’s gone. So it’s a very fluid and fast paced environment. You have to be a sharp shooter when you get on the phone. You make your pitch and you make your case and then you move on. You do the best you can. Now, with pilots, you have to be a little more tenacious but there is a little bit more time. You have to pull out your contacts and climb through the window if you can’t get in the back door. When we think we have someone that’s going to book the job, we will just not let it go.

KC: So relationships are very important in your business?

KD: Absolutely. You’ve got to build relationships and trust with people. They’ve got to believe when you call and say, “This person is new in town and she doesn’t have many credits, but she is going to knock your socks off.” You need to have them trust you. Everybody is trying to sell and it’s how you sell, where the integrity lies, and I think that has guided me well. I just pitch who I really – really - really think is going to book the job.

Those relationships are critical and I like to think those relationships are based on my taste in actors, my discernment coming out of casting, and being able to get someone on the phone. I’ve been working with some of the same people for twenty years now. You have to guard those relationships and treat people like you would want to be treated.

KC: If you could tell an actor 3 things that they need to have under their belt before moving to Hollywood, what would they be?

KD: The first thing, actually two things, that go hand in hand. First - having talent. It’s not just training. There are people that have real emotional depth because of what they have been through. In Hollywood, the medium is very intimate. It’s a matter of going there and experiencing that emotion. There’s emotional health and the sense of being emotionally honest.

Second, marketability. Knowing who you are in the market. When you look at yourself in the mirror, are you gorgeous? Are you a leading lady or man? If you aren’t, don’t spend your time trying to become that. Embrace who you are and be the best character actor you can be. Look at yourself honestly, and find where you are going to land. Make that your brand until you have been discovered and people know what you are capable of doing.

Thirdly, don’t forget having a great headshot. You cannot afford to save money on your headshots. You need to find a good photographer from the get-go, or you’ll be wasting time. Do your homework, go and look at the photographer’s book, and save your money to buy really good headshots. Go to someone that is professional and get the right shot from the start.

You also need to have a sense of integrity, and a “can do” mentality. Actors who know how to get sides on their own or “map quest” directions, we love actors like that, because they are taking care of their careers. I don’t think it’s a good thing to give everything over to your agent or manager. Also, take the time to find the right agent or manager. Find someone who is passionate about you.

KC: Is theatre training in college enough?

KD: It’s a different medium. There are some people who can transition, and some who get stuck in that stage presence. I think there are great showcases out here in various colleges, but you need to be able to transition to the screen. It’s also important to learn how to market yourself .

KC: Do you need to be a SAG actor to work out here?

KD: Yes, pretty much. If you are under 18, you can get work, but once you are over 18, the person who hires you will be penalized for hiring you over a SAG actor, (theatrical actors). Commercially, it’s different, so if you are new to LA, try to get a commercial agent. There are always exceptions to the rules however. One way to get your SAG card is with a special skill you can do or offer. Special skills are like speaking a foreign language, playing the violin, eating fire, or something like that. Make sure that is on your resume.

KC: Many people don’t know that you’re also on the pastoral staff at Bel Air Presbyterian Church in LA with a focus on ministering to the entertainment community. How have you balanced being an entertainment minister with being an agent?

KD: It’s crazy and I have such a sense that it is God’s plan and not my own. It’s what he has called me to do and not what I have created out of my own will. I am full time here at the agency and part-time as a minister at Bel Air Presbyterian Church. Both arenas of my life are incredibly accepting of the other. There’s a fluidity that works well with me.

The larger question is the spiritual balance of being in that place. As an agent, I’ve been asked if I have a Christian agency. No, I don’t select talent based on their religious beliefs. I select talent based on what I believe is marketable. If we find out that we have our faith in common, that’s the beauty of the Lord that comes through.

To me, the question that comes into play is they don’t select me because I am a Christian. They select me because I’m a good agent. I think that each person needs to make their choices and be guided by the Holy Spirit. We’ll have new talent with questions about how they feel about nudity and sex and we’ll listen to whatever they say. We will honor those requests. We’ll be so supportive of any auditions they turn down for those reasons.

Look at the movie, Magnolia. With all the nudity, with all the language, with all of the foulness of that film, it’s still one of the most spiritual movies I have seen. That film was about forgiveness and it really captured the human experience of sin. And then this idea of God’s intervention in the film. It reflected a Christian worldview. I don’t think there are hard and fast rules. I believe if we ask God, we will be led to do the right thing.

KC: What is a good book that you would recommend to actors?

KD: “The Cost of Discipleship” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. His book changed my life when I was in seminary. Learning about him and what he did during WWII is an amazing story.