Significant Changes in Actor Contracts by UK Children’s Agency
EXCLUSIVE: Mark Jermin Management, a leading UK agency for young actors, has recently removed a controversial clause from certain actor contracts. This clause previously made it mandatory for actors to enroll in training at its affiliated stage school, a practice that may have been in violation of UK legislation.
Last week, Deadline reported that Mark Jermin Management (MJM), known for discovering talents such as Kit Connor from Heartstopper and Dexter Sol Ansell from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, might have contravened UK agency laws. This alleged breach involved imposing training fees on actors as a prerequisite for securing representation.
According to documents reviewed by Deadline, MJM prompted young actors to join fee-based acting workshops at the Mark Jermin Stage School (MJSS) to qualify for agency representation. In a specific communication from 2023, an MJM representative informed a parent that the agency exclusively represents young actors who “regularly train and attend our classes.” Such upfront charges for representation are prohibited under UK law.
Following these revelations, a statement by a spokesperson for MJM’s founder, Mark Jermin, categorically denied that securing representation was ever dependent on purchasing training services. However, a leaked 2025 MJM contract obtained by Deadline later called this assertion into question.
A segment of the leaked contract stipulates, “If you have been scouted from Mark Jermin classes or events, this is a conditional offer contingent on your continued training with Mark Jermin. This allows the agency to oversee your progress and development. You are required to communicate any plans to discontinue training before taking any such steps.”
When confronted with this clause from the contract, an MJM spokesperson clarified that it was included in only a limited number of contracts and described it as a “recommendation” rather than a mandate. They confirmed that this clause would be removed from all contracts as part of a revision process conducted by an external consultant.
Three experts in agency law consulted by Deadline indicated that the clause raises serious doubts about MJM’s denial of illegal practices. Adrian Marlowe, an attorney at Lawspeed specializing in agency regulations, described it as a “clear violation” of Regulation 5 from the UK Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003. This regulation mandates that employment services must not be conditional on the use of additional services.
Marlowe noted, “The phrases ‘with the understanding that’ and ‘so the agency can monitor’ do not change the inherent conditional nature of the offer once it is accepted.”
An MJM spokesperson reiterated, “The language identified is found only in a very small fraction of our contracts. Most clients of both the stage school and MJM are not subject to this language, which has been removed in consultation with our business advisors.”
“The intent behind such wording was to allow MJM and the stage school to assess and monitor the progress of actors, thereby evaluating their suitability for potential roles. It should be seen more as a guideline, and it was never enforced. No upfront payment was required, and clients could terminate their training yet continue their representation by MJM without any negative consequences. Indeed, several clients have ceased their training but remain represented by MJM,” they added.
The individual who disclosed the contract to Deadline contended, “The terms were not merely advisory; they were explicitly ‘conditional,’ as stated in the contract.” They emphasized, “The terms ‘recommendation’ and ‘conditional’ have distinctly different implications.”
Reaffirming MJM’s position, Jermin’s spokesperson stated last week that MJM “unequivocally denies any accusations of deliberate malpractice, illegal activity, or widespread misconduct. Specifically, we vehemently refute any claims that representation by Mark Jermin Management was contingent on the purchase of training services.”
Jermin, a prominent figure in the UK’s children’s talent industry, has discovered actors like Evie Templeton from Wednesday, Eire Farrell from the Harry Potter series, and Iona Bell, upcoming in Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. He leverages his considerable social media influence to promote his management services and offers acting classes with promises of transforming young individuals into stars.
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