Diary of a Background Thespian

Today I was rejected because my butt and hair were inadequate. (Bye the way, that's not a picture of my butt, but since I didn't have one handy, I picked one out from the internet. I figured, one butt is as good as any.)  So let me tell you about today. I was booked on an interview to be the photo double of an Oscar winning actress in a movie that is currently shooting. At first I was confused because I don't actually look like this actress but I figured with hair and makeup I'd be okay.  The interview would consist of the director, hair, makeup and wardrobe looking you over and deciding if you could pass for the actress in long shots. I arrived on set and immediately looked for our sign in. Oh where o' where could it be?? Hum...perhaps where all those dark long haired, olive skin women are standing? Yeah, I think that's it. So there are 8 of us. We look like clones of this particular actress, some skinnier, some meatier, some have longer hair. Everyone ...

I've been booked as BANK STAFF on a TV pilot being directed by a HUGE!!!! Hollywood V.I.P. He’s created several enormously popular TV shows and written and directed a mega blockbuster movie. This guy is the real deal so I’m very excited. Our call time was for 10:00pm which means it’s going to be an all-nighter. I arrive at base camp to find several BGAs standing around looking lost. All the trucks and honey wagons are there but we can’t seem to find anyone. The catering truck hasn’t even set up yet. This is very strange. Finally, an out of breathe and frazzled PA comes running over to us to say that the crew call was changed to 11:15pm. Hello?? Why didn’t anyone call the BGAs?????? Let me tell you how a booking works. When you are booked by Central Casting you are sent an email with the name of the show/movie, the name of the casting director that booked you and the call time. You are then given a four digit code. You are supposed to call a specific telephone numbe...

I started doing background work back in NYC many many years ago. I was starting to take acting lessons and wanted, no, yearned to be on a set. I was told by an agent to start with background work. It would give me a sense of what goes on during the making of a movie or TV show. I'd learn some technical things as well as get used to being in front of a camera, even if I'd only be in the background. Bottom line, as an actor, you have to develop listening skills as well as learn about camera angles, eye lines, etc. It's a great beginners classroom, the world of background acting. So I took the advise and I started working background. Since NYC, I've done it off and on here in LA. Lately, (thanks to our magnificent economy and the dried up commercial landscape, GRRRRR!) I've gone back to doing it on a regular basis again. At first I was resistant, almost militant about returning to the background. I had a very successful commercial career as a principal actor for se...

I’d like to start this blog entry today with a clarification.  I’m NOT an EXTRA! WE are not EXTRAS! Please refrain from ever referring to us as such. Thank you. As you can tell, this is a touchy subject with some of us. Don’t get me wrong. I’m fully aware that the term “extra” is often used to describe background talent. In fact, Ricky Gervais produced a very funny and successful HBO series about background talent; the name of the show, EXTRAS .  However, let me take this opportunity to set the record straight. No matter what anyone tells you, we are NOT EXTRAS. The word extra connotes something superfluous, unnecessary really, just there as an addition.  We are not superfluous. We are not extra baggage or extra actors on a set. We are absolutely necessary and in fact, in some cases, we are THE essential ingredient that makes a scene work.  Can you image for example, the movie TITANIC , without the hundreds of background actors floating in the water sc...

The best part of being a Background Actor is that you get to be so many different characters. One day you can be a nurse, get to wear scrubs and play with a stethoscope. The next day you can be a police officer, wear the uniform, get a prop gun, handcuffs, baton, the works! Or the next day you can simply be a regular Joe Schmo walking down the street with your jeans, iPod and cellphone as Tom Cruise or George Clooney runs down the street past you chasing a bad guy...not that I've ever been on the street when George Clooney is running but I'm sure some lucky BGA has! The closest I've been to The G man was when he was stopped at a light on his motocycle and I was in a car next to him. I was admiring his bike when I looked up and saw it was George Clooney. Ladies, he IS as good looking in person as he is on screen. Sorry guys, I just had to throw that in there. Anyway, I've been a nurse (several times), a teacher, a detective, and even a Wall Street executive. For that c...

I have been booked as a GUEST. To be precise a guest at a Quinceañera. For those not in the "know" it is the Latin equivalent of Sweet Sixteen. However, us Latins believe girls become "women" one year earlier, when they turn 15. Anyway, this will be a Mexican Quinceañera so today I get to be Mexican. The wardrobe: party attire but not too dressy, nice Church dresses. I will assume that means nothing revealing, nothing gaudy. No problem. I got that. Pack my bags and head out to Panorama City. This is great, the location is not too far from where I live. The weather is a bit chilly this morning. Panorama City is sort of in the center of the San Fernando Valley so the mornings are chilly, but the days really heat up. Today promises to be a picture perfect "Valley" day. I arrive at Crew parking and am immediately shuttled to Base Camp a few blocks away. It's my understanding that we are cheating the location for a small town in Mexico. We arrive at B...

The sweetest sound a Background Actor (BGA) can hear is the "ping" of the cell phone announcing that you've been BOOKED!!! Yay!!! That means you work tomorrow; money, moola, another shot at getting noticed by nobody!!! That "ping" came to me on Friday night for a Monday booking on one of my favorite shows. I can't begin to tell you how excited I was. Not only is it one of my faves, but the call time was 10:00am (late for most call times) and I would be working at the beach. Yay again!!! Okay, I'm playing a TOURIST. Clothing; shorts, colorful tops (no red, black or white), sandals, sneakers, hats, anything NOT California looking because we are supposed to be...Tourists. I got that. I go through my closet. Hum, I don't have a lot of non California looking clothes mainly because I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA. But that's fine, I can make do with some khaki shorts, a few bright colored tops (no logos please!), sandals and a pair of VERY white sneakers I use wh...