After my back-up plan to my back-up plan crashed and burned, I wound up in “extra land.” I became a background actor — no experience required. I played everything from a creepy nun to a Hasidic Jew to John Early (albeit from behind, with a bald spot shaved into my head). It was film school on the cheap. I observed the production process up close and took copious notes. In no particular order, then, here are my 13 Commandments of Being a Background Actor. Study them wisely before even attempting to walk in my extra shoes.
NEVER SPEAK TO PRINCIPAL ACTORS That is, unless they address you first. Production can’t have, uh, Bob Wiley-adjacent types bothering actors who are preparing. That said, it’s not uncommon for principals to speak to extras. The interaction that I’ll most cherish? Moments before “action” at Strand Books in the West Village, Amanda Peet turned to me and released a strange noise — not a burp. I’ll assume this was part of Amanda’s process. (For the record, I’ll gladly accept an Amanda Peet burp any time. She’s a wonderful goofball, in the best possible way.) As far as talking to fellow background, it’s allowed. However, tread carefully. Some lean more towards Travis Bickle than Bob Wiley.
WHEN THE CAMERA ROLLS, DO NOT SPEAK! You’re being paid not to. Any conversation is pantomime. If you’re muttering something as part of a crowd, it’s considered “omni” — short for “omnidirectional sound” — and it will not earn you day player status and a pay upgrade. It’s extremely rare for background to be elevated to a speaking part, but it happens. Quite memorably, Donnie Wahlberg, a firm background actor ally, was ecstatic when a background actor was given lines on Blue Bloods.
YOU’RE A NUMBER, NOT A NAME. When you check in, you’re assigned a number. It’s impersonal, but it’s nothing personal. This numerical system maintains order in a stressful, time-sensitive situation. However, Pete Holmes, bless his heart, told us at a Brooklyn soundstage that he wished there was a more humane way. Pete’s a mensch. After shoots, not surprisingly, I immediately forget my number, but there’s a number I won’t soon forget. For 13-plus hours, The Leftovers crew knew me as “69.”
BE PATIENT. Because you’ll probably be waiting around a lot, so bring a phone charger and plenty of reading. For Quantico’s pilot episode, I spent most of a Sunday in holding, a church, where I listened to the entire first season of Serial. When I was finally ordered to set, which was just adjacent to the New York Public Library in midtown Manhattan, my cohorts and I were given a wonderful, warm welcome by Priyanka Chopra. She smiled widely and held out her arms as if we were long lost, well, Munchkins.
AVOID BREAD. AVOID CALORIES IN GENERAL. The camera loves thin, even for background, who are often blurred. Of course, avoiding the craft services table is easier said than done, particularly on an Adam Sandler shoot. Sandman is a cookie connoisseur and loves ice cream as much as he enjoys saying “Timothée Sha-la-mayyyy!”
KISS BEAUTY SLEEP GOODBYE. Call time is often at dawn, at least early in the week. Thursdays and Fridays usually start later. I had a 4:45 a.m. reporting time for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. For period pieces, production needs you bright and early for wardrobe and hair and make-up.
DON’T MAKE AFTER-WORK PLANS. Because you’ll never know when your day will end. Generally, days run about 12 hours. Procedurals tend to have shorter days. Law & Order: SVU can make TV in their sleep. More artsy productions with healthy budgets like Maisel had some epic days. One of my Maisel days went 16 hours; another ran over 18. If production goes just one second over 16, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) members hit Golden Hour, which means an additional day’s pay. (For my 18-hour day, I received three Golden Hours.) Not surprisingly, Golden Hour is not easy to attain. If productions believe that it’s a possibility, they’ll try to complete the day with non-union background, who do not qualify for Golden Hour.
BAD HAIRCUTS WILL HAPPEN. Period pieces like The Irishman will style your hair to fit the time. SAG members receive a small pay bump for this. Occasionally, productions request more than a haircut — much more. I was drafted to be a bald spot double for John Early. No, I didn’t want to get a bald spot. I don’t have John Slattery’s magnificent silver dome, but I have hair, and I didn’t want to mess with it. After casting made some promises — which, no surprise, weren’t kept — I reluctantly got the bald spot. “You’re doing noble work!” Early enthusiastically told me in the hair and make-up trailer.
DON’T TAKE RESTROOMS FOR GRANTED. When you’re on location, relieving oneself can be a chore. Almost always, productions have “honey wagons” — production-speak for portable restrooms — on set. But sometimes you must work like Matthew McConaughey in True Detective to locate these mobile sanctuaries. As far as relief, subway shoots can be particularly difficult. When I worked as a subway passenger on Joker, we weren’t given the SAG-mandated breaks, so some background reportedly relieved themselves between cars. A few years later, after an investigation and many SAG complaints, I received an additional day’s pay from Joker for, well, holding it.
PREPARE TO KNOW NOTHING. Just about everything is on a need-to-know basis, including, sometimes the name of the actual show. Production has been known to use a fake name. Also, background isn’t given a script or “sides” and a schedule (“breakdown”) for the day. (You might be able to find a breakdown pinned to a wall, but crew, for whatever reason, doesn’t seem to like background seeing it). PAs are often temps too, so they’re not familiar with the show. When on location, and production delivers background to set via a bus, we’re frequently not told the destination. We’re going where we’re going to react or not react on cue.
NAP AT YOUR OWN PERIL. If you want to sleep during some of the waiting, expect it to be on the floor in holding or somewhere else uncomfortable. During an overnight for Broad City, I attempted to sleep sitting up on a moving subway, which was being utilized as “satellite holding.” During a brutal three-day Billions shoot (15-hour-plus days), a colleague found a lobby couch in a nearby hotel and crashed rather than endure three hours of commuting. (She was eventually thrown out.)
AVOID STUNT PEOPLE. They may be feeling good after earning recognition from the Academy, but don’t expect to mix and mingle with stunt people, production’s self-proclaimed “cowboys.” With one exception, in my experience, they’re Mean Girls-level clique-ish. One stuntman on New Amsterdam was directed to pantomime with me but refused.
BE PROFESSIONAL, EVEN IF YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE ONE. You’re compensated. Be punctual. Follow directions. Don’t look at the camera, unless, of course, directed to. Wear clean undergarments to fittings. Wardrobe prefers men to wear undershirts. If you’re supplying your own wardrobe, make sure it’s unsoiled, wrinkle-free and a muted color. You’re background, and you’re supposed to stay that way. Lastly, you might consider bringing a toothbrush and toothpaste to set, so any pantomime comes out minty clean.
Jon Hart is the author of Unfortunately, I Was Available, the undeserved sequel to Man versus Ball: One Ordinary Guy and His Extraordinary Sports Adventures.