history
We were founded in 1988 by talent agent Ruth Leighton. We are not a franchise, nor a company that has traded ownership over the years. We are a small business built from hardwork, commitment and a deep love for the industry and our place within it. Decades later, Ruth is still on the frontlines of Leighton Agency today and gets to know each client, project and talent herself.
Meet Ruth, our founder and leader:
Watch our series ‘Ruth’s History’ to learn more about us:
Meet our talent
“I have been represented by the Ruth Leighton Agency for just over 22 years. After over 300 booked gigs, I love that Ruth gets as excited for me when I book something today as she was on my very first booking. She loves each and every one of her talent. She is energetic, moral, has high integrity, is bold, intelligent, knows everyone in the industry, and is just plain kind.”
- Chad B
We have a whole web series on our talent, their abilities, and their experiences with Leighton Agency. Explore the series here.
About the agency: A Top Talent Agency Servicing Arizona
Leighton Agency Inc. is S.A.G. and A.F.T.R.A. franchised. We are established as the premier modeling agency in Arizona and one of the top modeling and talent agencies in the western United States.
We represent actors, models, and voice-over talent - children, adults, and even families. We book talent for print, film and television, television commercials, industrial films and more.
Ruth’s Biography
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Ruth M. Leighton was born in Phoenix, Arizona, attended Arcadia High School and studied advertising, communications, marketing and theatre (both on stage and behind the scenes) and communications. When she was just 16, Ruth Leighton made her first foray at an Arizona talent agency with Plaza 3 Models where she established relationships with clients in national and international fashion in New York, Milan, Paris and Tokyo. This began her decades-long track record of placing Arizona models in significant campaigns and was the early foundation to one day starting her own top-rated modeling agency.
Ms. Leighton next created and secured licensing for Talents, a S.A.G. franchised agency representing voice, commercial and theatrical talent in Arizona. From there, Ms. Leighton was the licensed agent and manager at Bobby Ball agency in Phoenix, which combined a talent agency and modeling agency under one roof. At that talent and modeling agency she discovered and developed new talent, oversaw client relations and contract negotiations.
For almost 20 years, Ms. Leighton held a seat on the board for the Industrial Commission of Arizona where she assisted with screening new modeling and talent agencies opening in metropolitan Phoenix. During her tenure she also refined the licensing protocol and required examination procedures. Ms. Leighton has been an active member of the Arizona Production Association for more than 25 years.
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Through the years, Ms. Leighton’s love of acting would become fundamental to the success of her own agency. In 1988, she launched Leighton Agency Inc. with a specific mission: to combine all her interests, passion and experience into developing the best commercial agency in Arizona. That experience has included working on thousands of fashion shows for various charities throughout Arizona as well as magazine, editorial, catalog and fashion print shoots both locally and nationally.
From its headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, the Leighton Agency Inc. currently represents more than 500 of the finest actors, artists and models working today.