Notes From the Rep Biz ~ 7/24/2026

Love Island USA Season 8 winners have new reps! WME signs a rising YouTube filmmaker, CAA signs a YouTuber at the center of the Bricks and Minifigs saga, major character actors to UTA and Paradigm! Plus our Artist of the Month is going to be in one of the biggest movies of 2027! All that and more in today’s edition of Notes From the Rep Biz! 

At WME:

Comedian, actress, and writer Sarah Sherman is now agented by WME. Known by the stage moniker Sarah Squirm, Sherman’s comedy is best described as body horror. She has been on SNL since 2021 and additionally has written for the Eric Andre Show, and last year her wild HBO special Sarah Squirm: Live and in the Flesh premiered. She will also be featured in Jane Schoenbrun’s Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma which premiered in the Un Certain Regard category at Cannes this year.

Country trio Highway Home is also now repped by WME. The band has been independently releasing their singles until last month when Warner Bros. Records signed them just as they made their CMA Fest Debut. Subsequently, they released their label debut single “No More Drinkin’ Songs.” The band’s popularity has been highlighted by their vocal harmonies, earnest songwriting, and energetic live performances.

WME also now reps Love Island USA season 8 winner Trinity Tatum! Tatum quickly became a fan favorite during Peacock’s eighth season and won the contest with Bryce Alakai. Tatum is a personality and model who has amassed over six million followers between TikTok and Instagram.

As horror from the YouTube space dominates 2026’s box office, WME has also signed writer/director Evan Royalty. Much like Kane Parsons with Backrooms, Royalty (real name Evan Muir) has been working in the creepy pasta space. Creating content based on the SCP Foundation internet lore about a secret agency protecting the world from inter-dimensional monsters. Muir’s YouTube shorts SCP: First Contact, SCP: Ghosts, and SCP: Overlord have amassed over 700,000 views. 

At CAA:

Actor David McKenna has signed with CAA. McKenna’s breakout role was as Piggy in Jack Thorne’s Lord of the Flies adaptation for the BBC. But that’s not all as the Irish actor will also be starring in Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated Narnia adaptation for Netflix as Digory Kirke.

If you have been following the insane Bricks and Minifigs scandal, then you know about YouTuber Ben Schneider AKA Reckless Ben. Schneider’s channel is based around various pranks and debunking videos. This past spring Schneider created a series of YouTube videos designed to expose the Lego reseller Bricks and Minifigs for allegedly stealing a large Star Wars Lego collection. The scandal has involved many twists, turns, Utah law enforcement, lawsuits, and many court appearances. The case is now in civil court and Reckless Ben is now repped by CAA as well. 

Actor Anthony Ippolito is also now agented by CAA. Ippolito’s breakout role was as Al Pacino in the 2022 Paramount + series The Offer about the making of the Godfather. And now Ippolito is starring in another biopic about the making of a great classic American movie as Sylvester Stallone in I Play Rocky set to release later this year. 

Actor Stephen Kalyn is also a new sign for the agency. Kalyn’s breakout role was in this summer’s mega hit rom-com Amazon series Off Campus as Dean DiLaurentis. While the character is a side character in season 1, he will be the main protagonist of season 2. Kalyn has also appeared in Gen V and Motorheads.

At UTA:

UTA has signed actor and singer Anthony Ramos. Ramos originated the roles of John Lauren and Philip Halmilton in Broadway smash Hamilton. From there he started booking roles in TV and film such as Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have it, Bradley Cooper’s A Star is Born, the film adaptation of In the Heights, and the lead in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. He was the co-lead in the rom com Love Language which premiered at SXSW this past March.

TikToker Jess Judith is also a new sign for the agency. Judith has a following of around five million followers across Instagram and TikTok where she discusses Latin culture with personal stories and interviews celebrities such as Bad Bunny, Becky G and PinkPantheress. 

Speaking of Love Island USA season 8…the other winner of the series Bryce Alakai also has new reps. Alakai is a model, DJ, and music producer with close to three million followers across TikTok and Instagram.

One of Hollywood’s go to bad guys, Giancarlo Esposito is also now with UTA. Esposito has had a long and storied career, but is best known for playing drug kingpin Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and prequel series Better Call Saul. Esposito has also had roles on The Boys, The Mandalorian, and Captain America: Brave New World.

OTHER NOTES AROUND TOWN

Prolific actor Martin Sheen is now agented by Paradigm. Sheen has appeared in such classic films as Apocalypse Now, Wallstreet, The Departed, and TV series The West Wing as iconic fictional President Jed Bartlett. Upcoming projects for Sheen include The One directed by Lisa Arnold and The Way: Chapter 2 directed by his son Emilio Estevez. Also now repped by Paradigm is character actor William Fichtner. Fichtner has had iconic roles in classic films such as Heat and The Dark Knight. He appeared in the latest season of Netflix’s The Beef and Talamasca: The Secret Order for AMC, and Apple TV series Lucky. Next up for the Fichtner is a role in Bosch prequel series Bosch: Start of Watch.

Actor and comedian Rob Lathan is now managed by Black Box Management. Lathan comes from the improv world and is a UCB alum and has had appearances on Inside Amy Schumer and various late night shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. His big break was this year’s comedy hit Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat the second season of reality tv meets sitcom series Jury Duty where Lathan played affable dope Other Anthony. 

Former newscaster turned actress Courtney Grace is now repped by Gersh. Grace made a huge splash earlier this summer as a memorable standout in the climax of Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day. 

MUSIC NOTES

Music agent Duncan Smith has left Earth Agency and joined ROAM. Smith’s list includes Wednesday, Getdown Services, Lime Garden, and MJ Lederman.

SPIN Artist Agency now reps music producer and DJ Fahlberg. Fahlberg’s latest single “Set Your Mind” with Christoph was released last month and he’s currently moving through the festival circuit.

SPORTS NOTES

LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard is now agented by SLASH Sports & Entertainment.

Klutch Sports has signed USMNT striker Folarin Balogun. Balogun played in this year’s World Cup and scored three goals allowing the US team to advance to round 16.

CASTING NOTES

NASCAR Drama Thunder Road starring Dennis Quaid has even more cast members added to the mix. Walker: Independence’s Matt Barr and West Duchovny (The Five-Star Weekend) have both joined the cast. 

Brie Larson starring Horror film Skeletons has added John Goodman to its cast as well as a release date of June 4th 2027. The project comes from director JT Mollner, writer Brian Duffield, and producer JJ Abrams. 

Benicio Del Toro is set to star in Apple TV’s Protective Custody. Del Toro will join co-star Ben Stiller in a comedy about a man sentenced to prison for fraud and taken into protective custody. The series comes from Mike Judge, Steve Hely, and Dave King. 

ARTIST OF THE MONTH

Iconic roles come once in a lifetime and British actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth has landed one of the most iconic videogame characters of all time, just behind Mario. The role: Link the main adventurer in Nintendo’s long running Legend of Zelda series. The long awaited feature adaptation is directed by Wes Ball and set to release next year. The film is expected to be a smash hit. But Zelda isn’t the only thing on his plate as he’s been a main cast member in this season of Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon, making Ainsworth our artist of the month.

Ainsworth's debut performance was in Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Bly Manor in 2020 as the terrifying Miles Wingrave. From there he voiced Pinocchio in the Disney live action remake of Pinocchio and then was critically lauded for his starring performance in Canadian series Son of Critch.

He can currently be seen in season three of House of the Dragon as Daeron Targaryen. In addition to Zelda next year, the actor will also appear in crime thriller Blood on Snow directed by Jo Nesbo. Steadily working his way up from supporting roles to carrying a major blockbuster, Ainsworth is a talent to watch. He is repped by CAA, Curtis Collins in the UK and managed by Alan Siegel Entertainment.

____________________________________________________________________________  

Sources: Deadline, Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Variety, Celebrity Access, Music Row, Billboard, Pollstar

Want a news item listed in Notes From the Rep Biz? Simply email [email protected] and it will appear in the next issue!

Click here to have Notes From the Rep Biz delivered directly to your inbox!