Today, we’re sitting down with Janelle Polk, a seasoned industry professional and talent manager at The Green Room Talent since 2024. With nearly two decades in the entertainment industry - including a nearly decade-long tenure at Warner Bros. - Janelle brings a wealth of experience to her role. An artist herself, she has a deep understanding of the creative process and the challenges actors face in navigating their careers. Now, at The Green Room, she’s focused on guiding and elevating talent to new heights.
What do you look for when signing new talent?
I have a keen eye for talent. I have a roster of non-union folks too, because I can see potential in people. I'm not ever looking for anybody, you know, but I can see where a spark is ignited when I meet talent.
How do you find new talent to sign?
When the press release went out that I had started this venture, a lot of people reached out to me. And I know a lot of actors already ready, just through my social circles, and just because of where I worked for so long. A lot of folks just gravitated toward me and knocked on my door, so it was actually a very smooth process. Reelarc has sent me some folks, and I've signed a couple of them. It's it's not exactly a well oiled machine. I'm willing to chat with anybody, we do get a lot of cold emails, but unfortunately, a lot of them are kind of formulaic. I try to give everyone a chance anyway and I will go through their materials but it can be a turn-off to get a cold email that you know has gone to everybody else in the industry too. People's careers are unique and I think that they should be looking for a manager that isn't just, take a shotgun and blast it at the wall and see what hits. Just take the time to do a little research maybe, take the time to do a little due diligence. Maybe that's just the old gatekeeper in me because I spent a lot of time protecting high people in the industry from people cold calling. I think it's beneficial to what I do and and an actor's career to you know take a little time to maybe research who you're cold calling. I really think it's important that perhaps people do a little bit of their own research as to who they're emailing before they just blast on an email.
What sets successful actors apart?
It's kind of a numbers game right now. There's just a flood. I think that casting directors probably used to sit down with a a roster of 50 people they were going to see and maybe six didn't show up because they got stuck in traffic or we're never going to make it across the 405 that day. But now you've got a fire hose of submissions. You've got self-submissions, probably more on the rise now than there ever have been. It really is a numbers game. I mean the industry itself is all a little bit of who you know. Respect is the best thing you can do. You you really just can't come out here guns blazing thinking you're going to shift the industry, you know. Then again, there's there's Netflix that threw it on its axle. But I've met an awful lot of people in my career that just think “I'm going to sweep the mail room, and be the chairman in five years,” well that that that ship's sailed. There's really none of that anymore. You have to come out of here, you have to be diligent, you have to have tenacity, you have to be a little self-deprecating and you have to be respectful. Your manager, your agent, or anybody representing you doesn't want to look bad if they usher a door open for you. Because we're in a position where we want to help people but where we also have a job to do and we don't want to look bad. So, when we're looking at talent, or when we're talking to talent, or when we're reviewing materials, [we are thinking] “is that person going to to make me look bad if I open up a door”. What you do on the other side is important.
What’s a quick piece of advice you would give to actors?
There's no magic bullet to it. People think that because they get a good agent, or they get a good manager, it's it's simple. It's not. Your manager, your agent, any of your representation, is still going to work really hard for you. It's tedious and tiresome for us too, but it's also fine. You have to have thick skin, I mean that seems like it goes without saying, but I don't I don't think a lot of people quite understand. You're going to be told “no” way more times than you're going to be told yes. Hopefully you have somebody in your corner that that can still make you feel good no matter how many times you're told no. It's hard to have your feelings hurt all the time, but that really is it just comes with the game out here. And you really have to be confident in your talent, kind, leave your ego at the door, and pray and hope for the best. There wonderful opportunities out there for people that are willing to really put in the time and the effort.
