Meet Janet Tscha of JTTalent in Sherman Oaks

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janet Tscha.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Janet. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a proud native Angeleno. I grew up in West LA, went to Santa Monica High School, and ended up at Emerson College in Boston. As a Korean American with immigrant parents, I think my deep love of TV began in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s because my parents worked a lot. We also had the best TV shows back then….like Felicity! One could say her character inspired me to venture to the east coast to pursue my more artistic pursuits. I took a gap year after high school and interned for Robert Marcucci, who discovered Frankie Avalon and ran a personal management company. In college, I majored in media studies and minored in Advertising. When I came back to LA to pursue a career in TV, I applied to a bunch of agencies and ended up starting in the mailroom at Abrams Artists. Digital casting had just started, and my first assignment was inputting all the actors into LA Casting. About a month in, I got offered a commercial desk and six months later a well-known agent opened her own agency and a friend recommended me. At the time I didn’t think becoming an agent was something I wanted to do, but it seemed like a good opportunity, so I accepted the offer. I learned a lot there and got to see developing talent turn into A-list stars. But agencies can be a stressful environment and a casting director I had been working with noticed how overtaxed I was and made calls to other agencies to get me an agent position. That mentor was, Danny Goldman, who was the voice of Brainy Smurf among other notable credits. He passed earlier this year, but his spirit lives on in many actors and people he advocated for! He gave me the confidence and boost I needed to accept a position to head a commercial department at a boutique agency. After the 2008 recession hit and writers’ strike, I went to another agency and headed an on-camera department for 10 ½ years. In June/July of this year, I opened my own boutique agency, JTT.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The entertainment Industry in general is never a smooth road! The entire business is built on uncertainty and the pursuit of big dreams, I guess that’s what makes it exciting or compelling. I consider my clients, my business partners and family. Their challenges are my challenges. This business has a lot of inherit risks and no real steady or stable path to success. As an actor you must keep at it every day, even with constant rejection or setbacks. You must have thick skin and stay positive. I know how tough it can be to book a job, and it’s not always about the big break, but all about the steady climb.

Janet Tscha Talent/ JTT – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I just opened my boutique agency this summer after 20 years’ experience in the business. I have built a solid roster and have had some clients for 15 years. We have all grown together and been through a lot personally and professionally. When the Pandemic and shutdown production, I had to pivot and quickly decide my next steps. I had some considerable options, but I decided the main thing that had kept me going this long, were my clients and deep respect and admiration for their talents and aspirations. You must be an eternal optimist in this business and always think about what’s next and adapt to anything. Currently, I focus more on commercials, hosting, digital, and branded content. I submit and work on a little bit of everything in all aspects of Media/TV/Film. I tend to also lean toward comedic actors. I love getting to represent talent and performers from all levels and various walks of life. From the beginning child actor to a Spokesman. From series regulars to podcast hosts, ice skaters, ninja warriors, and even a mariachi band. I’m proud of my personal relationships that I have been lucky enough to cultivate over the years with my clients, casting directors, production, social / media platforms, and ad agencies. I’d like to think my clients have a unique voice and diverse perspectives that sets us apart from the “competition”!

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Being nominated 3x for Commercial Agent of The Year by the Talent Managers Association is a career highlight. But I still get excited about every booking and each are of them are special. Nothing brings me more joy than telling a client they booked the job. I bet that’s how Oprah must feel during her holiday giveaway shows!

Contact Info:

• Website: jttalent.com
• Phone: 323 683 9228
• Email: janet@jttalent.com
• Instagram: SecretAsiant

Image Credits:
Lara Everly, We Are Kismet

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