5 things only a Hollywood extra can tell you about being in the movies
Behind the scenes with an expert Hollywood extra
Lights, camera, action!
In the past two decades, I’ve featured in nine Hollywood films and one TV commercial. My resume includes Spider-Man 3 (2007), an Intel commercial, White Boy Rick, Escape Plan 3, Cherry, Judas and the Black Messiah, White Noise, Shooting Stars, A Man Called Otto, and the upcoming Superman reboot. I even had a speaking part in one indie film called Dandelion.
You may not know my name, but you’ve almost certainly seen me on screen. Well — just about. I’m a regular Hollywood extra, helping to make up the cast of thousands that flesh out the blockbuster worlds we head to the cinema for.
While it’s not all glitz and glamour, working in movies is one of my favourite things to do. I do it as often as I can secure a role. And over the years, I’ve built up behind-the-scenes knowledge that you just wouldn’t know unless you’ve put the hours in on-set.
So how do you become a movie extra?
You don’t have to live in Hollywood, but if you do, you’ll have lots of opportunities. I live in Cleveland, Ohio, thousands of miles from Los Angeles, so my opportunities are limited. Cleveland offers some tax incentives to lure the film industry here, and some major films have been shot at least partly here.
There is a local casting agency that books most of the extra roles here in Cleveland, so check around your city to see if there is a similar agency there. Once you sign up with the casting agency and get on their email blast list, you’ll be alerted when there are roles you can apply for. City centres always tend to attract productions, but you’d be surprised how many UK locations act as doubles for similar spots in the US — London and Liverpool regularly double for New York City, with the Canary Wharf area in East London a regular stand in for Wall Street.
Do you have to be extraordinary-looking or talented to be booked as an extra? Definitely not. I am very much just a regular-looking woman of a certain age. I have no training as an actor. When you’re an extra, you’re literally the background, like wallpaper. You’re not meant to stand out. In order to be selected, you just need to complete the application as directed, be fully available during the shooting dates, and be the sort of background person the director happens to be looking for that day. If you always show up on time and follow all of the rules on set, the casting agents get to know you as a good extra and you’re more likely to be booked again. Being flexible helps, too, as shooting days are often shifting around until the last minute.
If it’s something you're interested in, I encourage you to give it a shot. Maybe I’ll see you on set sometime! If you do get into the biz, here’s 5 things you can expect from life as a Hollywood extra.
1. Extras are the bottom of the totem pole
There is literally no one below background extras on a movie set. “Cast” includes everyone with a speaking role in the film, from the big stars down to the one-liners. “Crew” is a huge group, consisting of camera operators, production assistants, wardrobe, hair/makeup, and many other folks behind the scenes that make movies happen. And finally, the extras, who are referred to as “background” on set. You can see the hierarchy in everything you do on set, from where we hang out between scenes to meals and snacks. From what I’ve seen, cast members get meals brought to them. Crew either gets first dibs on the meal line or an entirely separate (and better) meal. On one movie I did, we filmed well into the night; cast and crew got dinner while extras did not.
Of course, we’re not there to eat. I’ve since learned to keep small snacks in my pockets at all times, just in case. While we are herded about like sheep, and there’s a lot of hurry up and wait, it’s still a very cool experience being an extra. It can feel kind of glamorous being dressed up by the wardrobe, and getting your hair and makeup done, especially if it’s a period piece or your costume is particularly cool. You do get to see movie stars sometimes, up close and personal.
People come from all walks of life to be a movie extra. Some extras have aspirations of Hollywood stardom. Some folks, like me, have regular jobs and just do it for fun. Though it’s rare, I actually became close friends with some of the other extras from the first film I did, and we remain friends to this day.
2. If you say one word, you’re no longer an extra
As I alluded to above, there is a world of difference between extras and cast. But the difference between them can be as little as a single spoken word. In the film Dandelion, I am speaking barely audible ad-libbed nonsense for a few moments while the star sings. I did have a handful of scripted lines, but only one clear line – “Excuse me?” – made it into the film. Just two words! And for that, I had a completely different filming experience. Rather than waiting with the extras between scenes, I had my own dressing room. It was actually a hotel room, since we were shooting the film in a hotel lobby bar. Crew would stop by and check on me, bringing me food and beverages while I waited. I was able to nap between scenes, which was nice because it was an overnight shoot.
My two-word line was reflected in my paycheck. As an extra, you get paid just about minimum wage, though you do get time-and-a-half each hour after the first eight hours on set each day. As a cast member, you have to be paid at least “scale.” This rate is set by the actor’s union, SAG-AFTRA, which stands for Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. I don’t know if I can say the exact amount, but let’s just say it’s multiple times more than minimum wage.
3. Filming takes longer than you’d think
It can take a surprising amount of time to film even a very brief scene. On Spider-Man 3, I spent about a week of full days filming a scene that lasted just about one minute. Each day of filming can be incredibly long, up to 16 hours. Sometimes your call time is well before dawn, and sometimes you shoot well into the night or even overnight. Some film sets have been more challenging than others, but however it goes, I’m just grateful to be there.
4. Extras can’t expect to see themselves in the final product
Although I always get a kick of seeing myself on the big screen, I never expect or count on that. It doesn’t always (or even usually) happen. I did not appear on screen at all in many of the films I did, even one where there was a camera right in my face for several of the takes. The director just didn’t use that angle. A couple of times I was able to find myself in a crowd only by watching the scene repeatedly or in slow motion. In other films, I’ve been able to see myself quite clearly (though briefly.) You just never know.
5. You’re not likely to meet stars — but you might get lucky!
The cardinal rule of being an extra is that you must not bother the cast or crew. You might literally brush shoulders with a big star in a scene but still not be allowed to talk to them or even look at them. I’ve been in that situation with both Matthew McConaughay (White Boy Rick) and Adam Driver (White Noise) and did not speak to either of them. I didn’t even make direct eye contact. You most definitely cannot ask for autographs or photos. If you break this rule, you can be dismissed from the set immediately. Hilariously, on one film I did, the major star had notes on how he wanted me to brush past him in our scene. But he didn’t tell me, he told the director, who told the assistant director, who told a production assistant, who told me, “Don’t turn aside to allow him to pass, walk straight and let him turn aside instead.”
However, sometimes the stars come to you. While waiting between scenes, Tom Hanks came over to chat with us extras on the set of A Man Called Otto. He certainly didn’t have to do that, but he was so kind to do so. He is the only star I’ve ever actually met on set while working as an extra, though I’ve worked on set with Tom Holland, LeBron James, and many others. When I had a speaking role on Dandelion, I did meet the star of the film, KiKi Layne, and we had a nice conversation. As I’ve mentioned, being a cast member is totally different from being an extra.
Lead Image Credit: PS Photography / Getty Images