Ten years at United Agents. A roster of world-class performers. Specialising in the kind of talent that doesn't fit neatly into one box. Mildred Yuan left the traditional agency world to build something on her own terms. Mildred currently heads a small, select list of multi-discipline and crossover talent clients, a coaching practice, and a community built around one core belief: you don't wait for doors to open. You learn to open them yourself. We sat down with Mildred to talk about what an agent actually brings in 2026 and what you bring when you show up without one.

How has 2026 started off for you?

With a bang! I’m probably a bit busier than I’d like to be, but I love everything I’m doing at the moment, from working with my list of trusted agency clients to supporting my coaching clients and members of my Superpower Community to advocate for themselves and succeed. I’ve also just recently joined the Times Up UK x BBR All Textures and Complexions Leadership Council where we will be fighting the good fight to achieve hair and makeup equality for all actors on set regardless of hair texture or skintone.

Can you tell us a little bit about what you currently do and your journey to get here?

I work with actors and creatives to advocate for themselves, whether that’s as their agent, or as their coach and mentor. I think we are reaching an inflection point in our industry where gone is the myth that you have to wait for someone to open doors for you. You have to figure out how to open the doors for yourself. This is done via a combination of investing in your own strengths, advocating for yourself, negotiating for what you are worth and building relationships with the people who will champion and support you.

Part of your work involves acting as an agent for creatives, many of whom have multiple creative endeavours. How important do you think the role of an agent is in 2026 versus being self-represented - especially for voice users who often juggle various different aspects of creative work?

An agent still adds something as they are experts and specialists in market trends and how the industry works. However, without a creative’s involvement, we are limited in how well we can pitch and advocate for them. Not everyone has to have an agent and certainly not for all of their creative endeavours. It’s about prioritising which parts you’d like to delegate to an agent and which parts you’d like to take on yourself. Remember, though, you still have to maintain and manage the relationship even if you do have an agent. We need your full participation in order to sell you to the best of our ability.

What attracts you to working with new talent?

Someone who has got something unique to say who isn’t looking for fame or validation

You’ve done some amazing work advocating for equal opportunities namely The Diverse Squad with the PMA. How important is it for us to hear voices and stories that promote racial diversity at this moment in time?

It’s always important to have a diversity of stories in the ecosystem otherwise we get stuck into thinking that people are all a certain way or that we can’t all transform and change.

Lastly, you're a huge fan of finding individual 'superpowers' - what's one thing we can all do today to begin discovering our superpower?

It’s about finding the connection between doing the things that light us on fire and we love and the things that the market is looking for. The intersection of these two things is your sweet spot and where superpowers really thrive. So it’s about self-awareness but also a consciousness of the zeitgeist and the market we exist in.

VOICED. with Mildred Yuan on Talent Agents in 2026.

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