Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Irzyk.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Julia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a graduate of the University of Texas and I have a law degree from Georgetown. During law school, I began performing with ComedySportz in Washington, D.C. It sparked a desire to be a comedian and immediately after graduation in 2002, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue comedy full time.
In addition to performing stand up and improv, and appearing in commercials, I worked in casting from 2006-2013. In 2013, the agency my husband was repped by had an opening for someone to redo their contracts. They knew his wife was a lawyer and asked if I would be interested. Within a year they had made me Head of the Commercial Department. I opened my own agency, The Library Agency (slogan “We Book”), in May 2017. We just moved to a larger office in The Valley this summer. I have four agents-in-training on staff and am looking to hire two more soon. It was difficult to give up acting and performing stand up, but my health had taken a turn, and the timing was right.
In addition to my agency, I am the co-author of a bestselling Disability Law treatise called “Disabilities and the Law, 4th Edition” (published by Reuters), which I have co-authored since 2004. New updates of the book come out twice a year. My specialties are special education law and employment discrimination. I also do some pro bono special education advocacy work.
I’ve been married to Bryan Irzyk since 2012, although we celebrate our anniversary as our first date in 2005. Bryan is a comedian and improvisor. We have a cat named Disney who does tricks.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have Lupus, among other related illnesses, such as osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, and fibromyalgia. My health no longer permits me to be on my feet for the hours necessary on set. So agenting is a perfect fit for me. I love a job that you can do while seated comfortably. And it brings me joy to make other people’s dreams come true.
In 2017, I had five surgeries in the last six months of the year. Due to my compromised immune system, I have had pneumonia twice in the past six months. I’ve been in the emergency room several times this year. But I have a great support system at home and my excellent staff enables me to work shorter hours in the office and from home if I have to. I have a lot of doctor’s appointments to juggle but we all make it work.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Library Agency story. Tell us more about the business.
The Library Agency is a full-service talent agency representing all ages for commercials, television, film, new media, print, and voice over. We opened a literary department last month and we have already successfully sold scripts! I’m specifically known for representing comedians, both stand-up comics and improvisors. We have a wide array of talent on our roster. All types. I believe that media should look like everyone. Representation matters. As long as talented actors are serious about their craft and are reliable and available, I’m interested. I don’t have time for dabblers. This is my career and I want actors who see acting as their full-time job. We have an intentionally small roster so we can give our actors the personal attention that larger agencies are frequently unable to provide.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I don’t know that I have a specific childhood memory that’s my favorite. I especially enjoy traveling with my family and playing cards. We’re a big card-playing family. My parents and I are competition bridge players.
Contact Info:
- Website: thelibraryagency.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @thelibraryagency
- Facebook: facebook.com/thelibraryagency
- Twitter: @library_agency
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