Complaint Review: Gemma Regis Talent Management

I can see where people might be taken aback by Gemma Regis. She is very articulate, even with her strong accent, she pulls no punches and really tells it like it is. I have worked with her for the past two years and I can tell you with all honesty that any money that I have put into pictures, her classes or workshops (with very legitimate casting directors and talent agencies) has been made back from booked jobs. I was picked up by Nancy Chaidez and Associates for representation across the board through workshops from Gemma. But guess what, I had to work VERY HARD and I am still nowhere close to what I feel my potential is. I took classes with Gemma even after receiving my BA in Performance and Directing from CSULB's B.F.A. program and many other acting classes in LA. If you think you don't have to spend money on taking classes, getting pictures, driving miles on end to auditions (gas money!) and a versatile wardrobe, well then you are in the wrong business. Especially if you have a thin skin and the word "No" hurts your ears and makes you want to quit. Is Gemma the right person to work with for everyone? No. Can she help you get started? Yes. You only have to do what you feel like you want to do, if Gemma doesn't fit your bill. Walk away. I've told Gemma I would not do classes or workshops she wanted me to do, I never got a rude or threatening response or phone call. However, once or twice she did tell me I was fat.... but guess what?? I was!! Deal with it, make it right or move on to someone else that might fit your needs. Best of luck to you all.

Ricky
(((ROR redacted)))
CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

I've been with Gemma Regis talent management since 1998, I'm SAG people. My experience of Gemma Regis is she is brutally honest, hard working, consistent and dedicated to her work. I've received nothing but positive reinforcement and motivation from this woman, even when I doubted myself she encouraged me in a way where I engaged in the field of acting with clear intentions and confidence. I was able to walk on the Set at Sunset & Gowers studios and act on TV. I've made lots of Money, I've received checks from DreamWorks and Fox and still receive Residual income for some of the shows and I owe all to Gemma Regis Talent Management.

This is a true F*&*&*& story (pardon my French) in 2002 I was taking classes with Gemma Regis Talent Management on the weekend and on the Weekdays at an Outdoor school call, Thousand Pines Outdoor School, in Crestline where we teach 5th and 6th graders of environmental science for the week. At 9:30PM its lights out for the school and all the students are in their cabins asleep. It's about 11:00PM and I'm checking the grounds as a trail leader to make sure everyone is OK and asleep, it's about 30 degrees outside so I'm freezing my butt off as I walking around. I go to my car in the parking lot to get some of my gear and I see a car come inside the school grounds. The car drives all the way to the parking lot and drives straight towards me with the high-beams on. I'm thinking, " what the hell is this?" then I see a person open the car door, steps out facing me holding a bunch of paper in their hand, then I hear the familiar voice of my manager Gemma Regis yell, "LeRoy I've got your career in my hands! You better get your a*& to this d*&* Audition!!!..."

So I did, and I got the part; I even got a TAFT-HARTLY, if you don't know what that is, it means that your performance was great but since that can't pick a non-union actor over a union actor they make you UNION on the spot. Ask SAG or take on of Gemma's classes she'll explain.

Ladies and Gentlemen, consumers that don't want to be fooled by others, Gemma is the real-deal. People may have some negative things to say because don't want to admit the truth, and the truth is that they or their child can't get jobs because the SUCK at acting and are recommended more workshops; they fail to point the finger towards themselves. Hey either you got it or you don't got it and if you don't got it, work on it until you get it. If you want a career in the Medical Field you have to go to school for it, right? And it's not cheap, it's the same concept to become and actor; IT IS A CAREER not an after-care program.

If you have a passion for it, or want to do it as a career with the fame and the fortune or even experience what it could be like, Gemma is certainly the vehicle to take you there, but she'll only take you as far as you want to go. OK that's all I got say, just remember that there is never just one-side of the story SO DON'T LET NEGATIVE FEEDBACK FROM NEGATIVE PEOPLE PULL YOU AWAY FROM ANY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE YOU'LL NEVER KNOW TILL YOU KNOW.....Y'KNOW.

Gemma Regis is many things for a few she is outspoken, intelligent, and brash. One thing I can tell you is that she definitely is not a saint, but in the fifteen some odd years I've known her, I've never seen any scam-like activity. I met Gemma when I was fourteen, ready and willing to make a name for myself in Hollywood. However as many people know and don't know in equal measure is just because you feel you're ready, it doesn't mean Hollywood is ready for you, and Gemma has always been kind enough to let you know that, and if you want (Because no one is holding a gun to your head!) you can proceed to work with her. So as any person associated with show business understands, novice talent needs some type of education before proceeding.
Now I read in a proceeding statement that she held a workshop in a "dingy theatre off sunset" and that the kids were horrible. First off I just want to say that if you are more concerned with how a workspace looks than your craft, you're in the wrong business, it doesn't matter where you train, you can be at Julliard or some alleyway and still be unsubstantial when it comes to acting, first and foremost it is about the work, and that is something that Gemma had always instilled in me.

I don't think its fair to call Gemma Regis a scam artist, I think if you are a scam artist, it would be a 24 hour thing no? I think a proper name for Gemma would be brutally honest Talent manager or shrewd business woman, none of this means that every single thing she tells your character/performance/talent/look is true, some things you take with a grain of salt, if many of our superstars today listened to the people, agents, reps., casting directors, producers, directors, parents who told them they would never make it, I doubt we would have very many of those stars. In this business you have to be thick-skinned to endure, and be ever-unyielding, and to be quite honest it takes a certain type of person to WORK
their way into this industry.
All I know is that I was a kid living in Moreno Valley Ca, and Gemma got me an audition for Lion King in New York, that doesn't sound like a scam to me, it was more like a dream come true. Gemma in many ways has to be brash she has to test the people that come into this thing thinking it's going to be a walk in the park, so many people come to Hollywood everyday and I can tell you, there are large groups that have not given any attention to art of it, the work you have to put into your craft.
I believe that Gemma has a keen eye for who can work in this industry, and she tells you right off positively or negatively or somewhere in the middle where you fit into this realm of entertainment, after that its completely up to you, remember that. www.imdb.com/name/nm1998072/ - 21k -

Gemma Regis is many things for a few she is outspoken, intelligent, and brash. One thing I can tell you is that she definitely is not a saint, but in the fifteen some odd years I've known her, I've never seen any scam-like activity. I met Gemma when I was fourteen, ready and willing to make a name for myself in Hollywood. However as many people know and don't know in equal measure is just because you feel you're ready, it doesn't mean Hollywood is ready for you, and Gemma has always been kind enough to let you know that, and if you want (Because no one is holding a gun to your head!) you can proceed to work with her. So as any person associated with show business understands, novice talent needs some type of education before proceeding.
Now I read in a proceeding statement that she held a workshop in a "dingy theatre off sunset" and that the kids were horrible. First off I just want to say that if you are more concerned with how a workspace looks than your craft, you're in the wrong business, it doesn't matter where you train, you can be at Julliard or some alleyway and still be unsubstantial when it comes to acting, first and foremost it is about the work, and that is something that Gemma had always instilled in me.

I don't think its fair to call Gemma Regis a scam artist, I think if you are a scam artist, it would be a 24 hour thing no? I think a proper name for Gemma would be brutally honest Talent manager or shrewd business woman, none of this means that every single thing she tells your character/performance/talent/look is true, some things you take with a grain of salt, if many of our superstars today listened to the people, agents, reps., casting directors, producers, directors, parents who told them they would never make it, I doubt we would have very many of those stars. In this business you have to be thick-skinned to endure, and be ever-unyielding, and to be quite honest it takes a certain type of person to WORK
their way into this industry.
All I know is that I was a kid living in Moreno Valley Ca, and Gemma got me an audition for Lion King in New York, that doesn't sound like a scam to me, it was more like a dream come true. Gemma in many ways has to be brash she has to test the people that come into this thing thinking it's going to be a walk in the park, so many people come to Hollywood everyday and I can tell you, there are large groups that have not given any attention to art of it, the work you have to put into your craft.
I believe that Gemma has a keen eye for who can work in this industry, and she tells you right off positively or negatively or somewhere in the middle where you fit into this realm of entertainment, after that its completely up to you, remember that. www.imdb.com/name/nm1998072/ - 21k -

On October 10th 2005, Monique contacted me regarding her daughter. She was referred by a friend. After meeting with her I decided to manager's her child's career. The child had limited training and she claimed she went to a promnient workshop in Los Angeles for a year and felt she was ripped off. After our consultation, I decided to represented the child and I send her to several top agencies in Los Angeles. The responses from these agencies stated that she had a lot of personality but her reading skills were bad. The mother insisted that she took workshop from me although I referred her back to the workshops she came from.

She signed up for four workshop at $50.00 per session and she paid in check. At the end of the 4th session she was introduced to another agent. The agent wanted pictures from her and that the child should remain in the workshop to develop her skills further. But because of her look, the agent said that she would signed her on after the photoshoot. The agent did.

On December 13, 2005, I met with Monique at the photographer studio in Los Angeles. I coordinated the child's clothes, hair and makeup and the photographer did his job. At the end, she handed me a check for $670.00. I trusted her and asked if the check should be put in the bank the next day. She assured me that the check was good. The photographer demanded his money before we left the studio and refused to take a personal check from the her. I then wrote a personal check for the photograher as I trusted Monique.

The following day I took the check to the bank and was told that the account has been closed for over 6 months. I though it was a mistake because I had trusted her. After having a conversation with her, she was crying and told me that the bank had made a mistake becuase the money was in the bank and if I would give her a few days the money would be resolved. Days turned into weeks and I never heard from her. This left my personal account out of $670.00 and I did became furious.

After contacting her, she screamed and cry and informed me that she did not have the money and she would pay me whenever she got the money and she did not know when that was gonna be. Also, I can do what the hell I want. In returned, I threaten her to go to the DA's office and filed a complaint against her. She told me that it was not her problem and I should no longer contact her otherwise she file harrassement charges against me.

I did hear from her agin in March 2006 when she called me to make arrangement to pay the $100.00. Each week after, she made payments of $50.00. When I received the $670.00, I met with her and gave her the CD, proof sheets and negatives. I thought that was the end of business with both of us. A month later she showed up at the studio that I work at. She was begging me to help the child get into the agency that I had referred her too. I told her she was crazy and I didn't want to have anything to do with her. She kept calling and putting the child on the phone to speak with me. Finally, I gave in.

I told her where to take the child's pictures to get the composite made but she said she didn't have a car and wonder if I would do it for her. I told her not in this lifetime. She apologize and said that she was sorry that she had written me a bad check as she was going through a very difficult time in her life. I told her if I was going to do any business with here she would have to pay with a cashier's check or money order. She agreed and said she wanted her child to continue with me.

She promised that from this day forward any money transaction will be in cash. I was stupid and believed her again. I delivered the pictures to the lab without a deposit from her. She brought the child in for workshops and paid me $50.00. On the second workshop she drop the child and later grabbed the child before the workshop was over without paying. She then brought the child for a third workshop and I confronted her about paying. She stated crying and telling me about her financial problems and she will have a money order in the mail to me. Of course, she disappeared and I never saw her,

Three months later, she called me and told me that she was on her way to San Francisco and the money was in the mail which I never received. After several attempts to contact her, all her telephone numbers were disconnected.

On December 2006, she contacted me again and made arrangements for me to met her in Los Angeles but she never showed up. That continued for at least three times. That's when I decided to forget the whole situation.

But on the end of January 2007, I received a certified letter from her pleading and begging not to take her to court and she was willing to pay the fees for the lab and workshops for daughter. I met with her in February 2007 at a Cafe in Los Angeles where she tried to scam me. I told her to follow me to the lab to pick the pictures up but she has to pay the balance of the workshop which was $110.00. With tears in her eyes, she said "I have gas bill, electric bill and she has no gas in her car and she wonder if I would let her keep the $110.00 until Sunday when she will met me in Los Angeles. I told her "Lady you must be f**king crazy. She said, "I knew you won't believe me" and she gave me the money. I gave her signed receipt and she followed me to the lab. The lab gave her the pictures and she paid them cash. She signed a form acknowledging receipt of all materials.

Standing, in the parking lot, she beganing hugging me and asked me to represent her child. I told her I would think about it and I would get back to her. In the weeks that followed, she called me at least twice a day for my decision and to get her child into the agency. Finally, it came to my knowledge that she had a Ripoff report on the Internet about me. Again, the crying and pleading and she said that she does not know who put that accusation against me because it certainly wasn't her because she knows nothing about computers. Nevertheless, she did write the rebuttal and called me and apologize for all the inconvenience that she had caused me. She said she tried to remove it but the company would not let her. I did give her the name of the Agent for the child and I never heard from her again.

The question her is, Who scamed who? There is always two side to a story and I do have proof.

NOTE: Please check out Monique's rebuttal.

I wonder how your company (Ripoff Report) can solicit complaints when you do not have the full story. This individual was unhappy with the Talent Agency because !!!!!SHE WROTE A BAD CHECK!!! and was not given her pictures. I could have taken it to the District Attorney Office where she would be charged three times the amount.

Also, she wrote an update to the article (mistaken identity) and that is in small print on your website. I wonder if your advertisers (Stanley Steamers & Kaplan for instance) know that "Ripoff Report" is comparable to the gossip magazine.

This rip off report information in reference to Gemma Regis Talent management written by "Monique" was written fraudalenty disregard the claims as they are false.