The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has made all of us “bean counters” of sorts. We’re obsessed with IMDB numbers and rankings – Have they gone up? Have they gone down?

Who’s the best? Who’s represented by the best? Who’s going to be the best next week? Next month? Next year? Who’s the best under the age of 40, 30, 20? And so on. Lists and rankings are an endemic obsession in popular American culture and we Hollywood Moms are not immune.

[box type=”tick”]As parents of child and teen actors, we love industry information and, if possible, love lists of this information even more; hence, our list of IMDBs Top 15 US Talent Agencies.[/box]
[typography font=”Marck Script” size=”40″ size_format=”px” color=”#15e634″]Cool Beans:[/typography]  A couple of weeks ago Hollywood Mom Blog published “The List of Top 10 Talent Agencies for Kids” compiled exclusively for us by one of our favorite casting directors, Katie Taylor, and it’s fair to say the list went viral. No doubt it will become one of the most highly-searched articles we’ve posted.

[typography font=”Marck Script” size=”40″ size_format=”px” color=”#15e634″]Tough Beans: [/typography] While the overwhelming majority of responses were positive, just as with any list of favorites we had whiners. One talent agency in particular was perturbed with their ranking, or rather lack thereof.

[typography font=”Marck Script” size=”40″ size_format=”px” color=”#15e634″]Magic Beans:[/typography]  So in an effort to broaden the scope we’re publishing the list of Top Talent Agencies on IMDB (Internet Movie Database).  Keep in mind these lists change continually, and this list reflects current agency standings and current agency clients using IMDB’s secret algorythmic recipe.  Check back next week and clients and ranking will have shifted slightly; however, these agencies are unquestionably “the big boys” representing A-listers to steadily working talent. Because several of the agencies are London-based, we’ve extended the list out to top 21, which encompasses the top 15 U.S. agencies.

IMDBs TOP 15 US TALENT AGENCIES

  1. Creative Artists Agency (CAA) Clients include: Abigail Breslin, Kiernan Shipka, Jaeden Lieberher, Isabelle Fuhrman, Zendaya, Morgan Lily
  2. William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment Clients include: Chloe Grace Moretz, Elle Fanning
  3. United Talent Agency (UTA)  Clients include: Elle Fanning (commercial), Peyton List
  4. ICM Partners Clients include: Ariel Winter, Quvenzhané Wallis, Kodi Smit McPhee, Chandler Riggs
  5. Paradigm Sabrina Carpenter, Holly Taylor, David Mazouz, Jaden Smith, Francesca Capaldi, Benjamin Stockham, McKenna Grace, Jonah Bobo, Olivia Holt, Amber Montana, Griffin Gluck, Garret Ryan, Ryan Ochoa
  6. Agency for the Performing Arts (APA) Clients include: Ryan Newman, Kylie Jenner
  7. The Gersh Agency 
  8. Independent Talent Group *Mainbranch London
  9. Innovative Artists Clients include: Lilla Crawford, G. Hannelius
  10. Abrams Artists Agency Clients include: Ryan Potter, Paris Smith, Braxton Beckham
  11. United Agents *Mainbranch London
  12. Don Buchwald & Associates Clients include: Jillian Estell, Holly Taylor (commercial)
  13. The Artists Partnership *London
  14. Markham, Froggatt and Irwin *London
  15. Troika *London
  16. TalentWorks Clients include: Buddy Handelson, Landry Bender, Coy Stewart, Ryder Londo, Livvy Stubenrauch, Sedona Cohen
  17. Pantheon Talent Clients include: Abby Ryder Fortson
  18. Sovereign Talent Group Clients include: Lucy Angelo, Jade Duncan
  19. Cunningham Escott Slevin & Doherty (CESD) Clients include: Chandler Riggs (voice), Nolan Gould (voice) Emma Fuhrmann (commercial and voice)
  20. Curtis Brown Group *London
  21. Greene & Associates Talent Agency 

So is this the list of “Best Agents?” 

Yes and No.  (Knew you’d love that answer.)

Yes, it’s obviously the top talent agencies, but no, it’s not necessarily the list of best agencies for child and teen actors.

For instance, this list eliminates Coast to Coast which represents some of the best young talent there is theatrically: Hailee Steinfeld, Joey King, Bailee Madison, Emjay Anthony, Nolan Gould, Madison Pettis, Yara Shahidi, Mackenzie Foy and so many others.  And this list includes some agencies which don’t appears to represent any child actors, per their roster (Greene & Associates).

Of note – Abrams Artists Agency made this list as well as our “List of Top 10 Talent Agencies for Kids,” curated by CD Katie Taylor so it clearly stands out as an agency for child actors to aspire to.