A ticket to fame and fortune…
Extras, or ‘supporting artists', are generally the people you see in the background of television and film productions. Extras may be chatting at the back of the pub, caught up in the thrust of a major fight or even just walking down the pavement while the main actors are doing their acting thing.
… or just a free bacon sandwich?
Ricky Gervais, a popular comedian, has recently poked fun at the life of film extras. In his series, Extras, he plays an out of work actor who becomes an extra to help him find his big break. Most extras though are not budding thespians; they do it to rub shoulders with celebrities, and the money.
It is true that you don’t need to go to drama school to find work as an extra and you can be paid up to £100 a day for the work. Joanna from Glasgow has been an extra in a handful of shows. During her student days, Joanna appeared in the film There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble. She says ‘I only went along out of curiosity. We didn’t get paid but they gave us free bacon sandwiches and hot chocolate. Most of all, it was a great distraction from going to the library!’
However, if you have any other skills such as horse riding, fencing, dancing or acrobatics, you may make it as ‘a walk on part’. This means you will probably be featured prominently on screen, and not just as a face in the crowd.
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