Talent Trek Agency (Nashville)
A full-service SAG/AFTRA agency serving Nashville and the Southeast since 1982
Overview
Talent Trek Agency is one of the most established talent agencies in Nashville and the broader Southeast, founded in 1982 and now co-owned by Charlotte Dennison and Juanell Walker. With over four decades of continuous operation, the agency has grown from its Nashville base into a full-service SAG-AFTRA agency with four offices serving the rapidly expanding production market across Tennessee and the surrounding region. The agency's Nashville office is located at 2021 21st Avenue South, Suite 102, placing it in the heart of the city's creative district near Music Row and the many entertainment industry businesses that cluster in that area. Talent Trek represents actors, models, and voiceover artists for film, television, commercials, commercial print, and voiceover work, providing comprehensive coverage of the opportunities available in what has become one of the fastest-growing production markets in the United States. The agency's longevity and SAG-AFTRA franchise status provide the credentials and professional standards that give casting directors and production companies confidence in the talent it represents.
Nashville's transformation into a major entertainment production hub has accelerated dramatically in recent years, driven by Tennessee's competitive production incentives — including a 25 percent grant on qualified in-state expenditures and production credits that can offset up to 50 percent of franchise and excise tax liability — that have attracted major studios and streaming platforms to the state. Talent Trek Agency has been uniquely positioned to benefit from this growth, having spent decades building the relationships and infrastructure necessary to serve a booming market while competitors are still establishing their presence. The agency has evolved alongside Nashville's entertainment industry from its traditional strengths in music and music videos into a full-spectrum production market encompassing scripted television series, feature films, national commercial campaigns, and corporate productions. Recent productions like the television series filming in Nashville demonstrate the market's increasing ability to attract ongoing series work that provides sustained employment for local talent. Talent Trek's deep roots in the community combined with its forward-looking approach to the evolving market make it a natural home for actors who want to build their careers in the Southeast's premier production market.
How It Works
Talent Trek Agency accepts submissions from actors and models at all stages of their careers, reflecting a philosophy that talent development is an ongoing process and that the agency's role includes nurturing potential as well as representing established performers. Prospective talent can submit through the agency's website at talenttrek.com, and professional headshots are required once an actor is accepted onto the roster, though they are not strictly necessary for the initial submission. The agency contacts promising applicants within approximately two weeks to arrange an in-person meeting, providing a relatively quick turnaround that demonstrates respect for applicants' time and investment. There are no fees to join the agency, and Talent Trek explicitly does not operate as a school — it is a professional representation firm that earns its income solely through commissions on booked work. The agency represents talent ages five and up across all ethnicities, making it one of the most inclusive agencies in the Nashville market and providing opportunities for performers of all backgrounds and age ranges.
Working with Talent Trek Agency provides actors access to the full range of production opportunities available in Nashville and the broader Southeast, from major film and television projects attracted by Tennessee's production incentives to the steady stream of commercial, corporate, and industrial work generated by the region's growing economy. The agency's four offices across the Southeast give represented talent exposure to opportunities across multiple markets without needing to sign with agencies in each individual city. Talent Trek's agents are available around the clock to answer questions, submit quotes, forward headshots and resumes for client review, and facilitate bookings, providing a level of responsiveness that reflects the agency's commitment to serving both talent and production clients efficiently. The agency handles both union and non-union work, allowing actors to pursue opportunities across the full spectrum of available productions regardless of their current membership status. Self-tape submissions have become increasingly important in the Nashville market as productions casting nationally request digital auditions from regional talent, and the agency coordinates these submissions alongside traditional in-person casting processes.
Who Uses It
Talent Trek Agency represents a broad and diverse roster of actors, models, and voiceover artists spanning ages five through adult across all ethnicities and types. The agency's inclusive approach means its roster includes everyone from child actors getting their first professional experience to veteran performers with decades of credits, creating a comprehensive talent pool that production clients can draw from for virtually any casting need. Both SAG-AFTRA members and non-union performers are represented, reflecting the reality that the Nashville market includes a significant mix of union and non-union production. The actors who succeed through Talent Trek tend to be those who treat their careers professionally, respond quickly to audition opportunities, and maintain the flexibility to accommodate the sometimes unpredictable scheduling demands of a growing but still developing market. Client reviews consistently praise the agency's staff as hard-working, reliable, professional, and genuinely committed to their talent's success, with the personal relationships between agents and clients being a frequently cited strength.
Pricing & Plans
Talent Trek Agency operates on the standard commission-only model, with no fees charged for joining the roster, no required classes or workshops, no monthly charges, and no upfront costs of any kind. Commission rates follow industry-standard percentages, typically 10 to 20 percent depending on the type of work and applicable union agreements. The agency's SAG-AFTRA franchise status provides an additional layer of oversight ensuring that commission structures and business practices comply with union guidelines designed to protect talent interests. This clean, straightforward financial arrangement means that actors bear zero financial risk in pursuing representation — the agency earns only when its clients earn, creating the properly aligned incentive structure that defines legitimate talent representation. For actors in the Nashville market, where the volume of available work is growing rapidly, the standard commission rates represent excellent value given the access to opportunities that professional representation provides.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
Talent Trek's four decades of operation and SAG-AFTRA franchise status provide credibility and professional standards that few Nashville agencies can match, giving casting directors and production clients confidence in every submission. The agency's four offices across the Southeast expand opportunity access beyond Nashville alone, providing represented talent with multi-market exposure through a single agency relationship. The inclusive approach to talent of all ages, ethnicities, and experience levels creates a welcoming environment that is particularly valuable for actors entering the profession. Nashville's booming production market, fueled by generous state incentives, creates an expanding pool of opportunities that benefits all represented talent as the market grows. Consistently positive client reviews highlighting the agency's reliability, professionalism, and genuine commitment to talent success speak to the quality of the day-to-day working relationship.
What Could Be Better
While Nashville's production market is growing rapidly, it is still significantly smaller and less established than Los Angeles, New York, or Atlanta, which means fewer total opportunities and less variety in the types of projects available to local talent. The agency's inclusive approach to talent at all experience levels means the roster may be larger and less curated than more selective agencies, which could affect how casting directors perceive submissions relative to boutique agencies known for highly selective representation. The Southeast production market can be unpredictable, with significant fluctuations in production volume from year to year depending on state incentives, economic conditions, and studio scheduling decisions. Actors whose primary ambitions lie in major film and television careers may find Nashville insufficient as a long-term career base despite the market's impressive growth trajectory. The multi-office structure, while expanding geographic reach, could potentially dilute focus on any single market compared to an agency operating exclusively in Nashville.
Our Recommendation
Talent Trek Agency is an excellent choice for Nashville-based actors who want professional, established representation from the market's most experienced SAG-AFTRA franchise agency. The agency is particularly well-suited for actors at all career stages, from newcomers who need an accessible entry point into professional representation to experienced performers who want a reliable partner with deep market relationships. Child actors and their families will find Talent Trek's experience with youth talent and its professional standards reassuring in a market where less established agencies may not provide the same level of oversight and protection. If you are based in the broader Southeast and want multi-market access without managing relationships with multiple agencies, Talent Trek's four-office network provides genuine geographic breadth. Actors who are seriously considering Nashville as a long-term career base should make Talent Trek a priority in their representation search, as the agency's four-decade track record and SAG-AFTRA credentials represent the gold standard in this rapidly evolving market.
Pro Tips
Stay informed about the Tennessee production landscape by following the Tennessee Entertainment Commission, local production listings, and Nashville film community groups, as understanding which projects are coming to the state helps you prepare and position yourself for relevant opportunities. Invest in a professional self-tape setup immediately, as Nashville's growing profile means that casting directors from Los Angeles and New York increasingly request tapes from Tennessee-based talent, and the speed and quality of your self-tape submissions directly influence how aggressively your agents submit you. Build relationships within the Nashville creative community by attending local film screenings, industry events, and networking gatherings organized by groups like the Nashville Film Festival and the Tennessee Screenwriters Association. Develop versatility across commercial, theatrical, and voiceover categories, as the Nashville market rewards actors who can book across multiple types of work rather than specializing too narrowly. If you have musical skills — which many Nashville-based performers do — make sure your agents know about them, as the music industry infrastructure in Nashville creates unique crossover opportunities in music videos, live performance, and music-adjacent productions that are less available in other markets.