Tina Randolph Contogenis chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about being a talent agent in the digital age. She serves as President and CEO of Eris Talent Agency.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” This quote applies to Tina Randolph Contogenis.
The vertical drama space
On being a talent agent in the vertical drama space, she said with a sweet laugh, “It’s exhausting. I love how new the vertical space; it’s a new environment so there are no hard-set rules yet, and it is fun to see where it’s going.”
Her talent agency Eris Talent Agency has well over 240 clients, with well over 80-plus actors in the vertical drama space. “We have the best talent,” she exclaimed. “I just wholeheartedly believe in our talent being super strong. So, it’s great and we have awesome people.”
On being a talent agent in the digital age, with streaming, technology and social media being so prevalent, she said, “The digital age is where it’s at, so need to adjust. If you don’t adjust you are left far behind.”
This year marks a special anniversary with Eris Talent Agency as it is celebrating 10 years in business. “It has been a while… I can’t believe it has been a decade already. I can’t believe where the time goes,” she said with a sweet laugh.
Inspiration to become a talent agent
On her inspiration to become a talent agent, she said, “I didn’t mean to become a talent agent. I went to school for production and I did that. Then, I became a music manager first and after that, a talent manager.”
“Then, one of my friends, who owned an agency, asked me to come in to take over the TV & Film department, so I decided to give it a try. We had a bunch of series regulars on there, so that made it easier. It has not been that easy since, but that was what got me hooked,” she elaborated.
Working with Tyler Gallant and Josh Murray
She had great words about working with Tyler Gallant and Josh Murray. “Tyler is amazing and one of my favorite humans,” she said.” Tyler has so many movies coming out right now.”
“Tyler is not only an incredible actor, but he is a wonderful producer. So, he is the Head of Production for Eris entertainment,” she said. “Tyler knows everybody and everyone loves him in return. He is able to put together remarkable deals and put great people in the same room together.”
“Josh Murray is very similar in the sense that he’s also an actor and a creator. He just released his new movie ‘Gym Rat’ where he starred opposite Lou Ferrigno. Josh is also one of our executives in Eris entertainment,” she elaborated.
“So, I really love Josh too… He is a good man, a family man, and someone I’ve known for a long time,” he added.
Stage of her life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, she revealed, “Chaos and Disruption… and that’s what Eris stands for.” “So, chaos in a good way,” she said with a sweet laugh.
Superpower of choice
If she were to have any superpower, it would be to have “super speed.” “This way, I can do everything I need to do but ten times as fast, and ten times are efficient, so I can have more time in the day for myself,” she explained.
Plans for the future
When asked about her future plans, she responded, “Every time I answer that question, something changes. So, my last answer to that question is no longer valid. I would say that I would like to see us pivoting as necessary.”
“I think that has become the new way of having to do things… to be flexible enough to move on the fly,” she noted. “I see us doing obviously great things with our talent, but I also see us doing more outreach to the community and giving back a little bit because we’ve been very blessed.”
“I would also like to grow with Eris Entertainment… we have a big Broadway division. We have offices in Los Angeles, New York, and an office in Mexico City,” she said.
“I want our community to be taken care of as well. I also want to help inspire young kids to keep their acting dreams acting alive,” she added.
Greek heritage
She opened up about her Greek heritage. “My family on my dad’s side is Greece, and then, they also lived in Turkey, but they came back through Greece,” she said. “My great-grandfather was a Greek priest. He came to New York to be a priest, and he brought the whole family there in the early 1900s.”
“I had family in several different parts of Greece including Athens, right outside of Athens, and even the island of Ikaria… that’s a blue zone, where people live over the age of 100,” she noted.
“As a result, we still celebrate all the Greek holidays, including Christmas and Easter… so we still go to all the festivals, and I know how to do all the Greek dances. Greek culture was a big part of my life growing up,” she elaborated.
“My father speaks Greek fluently, and I know a lot of the commands,” she said.
Greek American community in the United States
She went on to share her thoughts on the state of the Greek American community in the United States. “I love the Greek American community in the U.S.,” she exclaimed. “I love the fact that the youth is actually learning to keep a lot of the traditions alive.”
“I enjoy going to all the festivals, the church functions, and all of the Greek American film festivals and seeing the Greek culture thriving, and all the different age groups coming together,” she elaborated.
“I love it, and I really love the emphasis on family in Greek culture,” she underscored.
Success
On her definition of the word success, she said, “I used to answer that simply with making money and living the dream. Right now, I think success is being able to live each day and just be a good person and keep things real, and not to take any other things too seriously.”
“If I can do that every day, smile, be with my family and make people’s dreams come true and finding that balance, then that’s a real success,” she added.
Message for vertical fans and supporters
For vertical fans and supporters, she expressed, “Thank you for supporting humans because there is definitely a place for AI (artificial intelligence) verticals, just like there will be a place for AI TV and AI movies; however, just like the Academy said, there is no place for AI in the Academy.”
“There is no place for AI in the creativity and in the heart of projects. So, I would say please keep watching real projects, and keep encouraging real projects to happen,” she concluded.
To learn more about Tina Randolph Contogenis, follow her on Instagram.
