Have you ever wondered what it’s like being a film or tv extra? After Ricky Gervais’ “Extras” there is a lot of interest now in the people you see in the background in soaps and dramas etc.



It is not usually a route to stardom, for some people it’s just a fascinating one day experience and the chance to earn some extra cash, extras usually get £65 -£75 a day gross, but for others it might be a step into the world of acting with a lucky few moving into bigger parts. Being a film extra is not at all glamourous: on fantasy films or costume dramas you have to be prepared to allow the make-up and costume people to alter your appearance to however they want you to look and there’s a lot of hanging around. Most days start at 7.00a.m and an extra’s day usually lasts twelve hours. In order to reach the film location on time you often have to get up appallingly early and endure long and complicated journeys. And when you arrive you are often greeted by a “runner” who tells you you can’t park where all the main actors and crew are parked because you’re an extra and you have to find a space some distance away.

The concept behind being a background artiste is to portray some form of lifestyle acting like drinking in a pub, browsing through shops, eating in a restaurant, visiting a hospital etc. and most extra characters do not have any lines to say. But occasionally a director can pick out someone in the crowd of extras and bring them forward and give them a line of dialogue and more to do.

On a lot of film sets there’s a huge divide between the principal actors and extras (or “Supporting Artistes” as they are also called.) At meal times when everyone queues up for food the extras sometimes have to allow the crew and main actors to queue up in front of them and often by the time the extras reach the front of the queue all the nice food on the menu has been eaten and the break time is virtually over. On location the main actors usually sit and eat their meals on superior location buses with plush seats, air-conditioning, heating and shaded windows while the extras have to eat in vastly inferior buses. While the main actors have proper plates and cutlery and an extensive menu the extras are often given paper plates and plastic cutlery and a much more limited choice of food. Even the toilets are often segregated. The principals and crew have one set of toilets and the extras must use another. I have been on film sets where extras have been threatened with dismissal if they dare to use the principals’ toilet! An extra’s lot is not always a happy one!

On one film set the crew shut all the doors and windows and asked everyone who smoked to chain smoke while the crew pumped additional smoke from smoke machines to create an authentic smoky atmosphere. And while costume dramas may be the “in thing” to watch being an extra on a costume drama can often involve having dirt make-up smeared all over your face and hands, having your teeth blacked out, being given warts, sores, zits and greasy hair or labouring under hideous wigs. Corsets are unbelievably uncomfortable for modern women to wear and can often make you feel quite faint and breathless and the materials of clothes in bygone days, particularly the undergarments, are usually very heavy and restrictive.

Then there’s the outdoor weather conditions; filming outside in the freezing cold, pouring rain or boiling heat for hours on end. On one film set in between takes the crew held umbrellas over the principal actors to protect them from the rain while the extras were left to get soaking wet. I know one fellow-extra who was colder working as an extra on a film set than he had been in sub-zero temperatures in Canada or sleeping in rough conditions in the mountains of China!

And while some stars treat you as an equal and are friendly and gracious there are others who appear to actively look down their nose at extras.

All sorts of different people of all ages and from all backgrounds work as extras and one of the good things about extra work is the companionship and friendship you can strike up with your colleagues at very short notice. But as in any competitive business where you have ambitious people there can be a lot of snide bitchiness too. On one film set we had all been asked to come wearing hats and I was one of the few extras who had been able to oblige. One sly woman who didn’t have a hat herself pretended to be my friend in order to “warn” me not to wear it while another girl worked in a similar subtle manner. “Oh you poor thing” she gushed “Fancy Wardrobe giving you a vile hat like that!” I replied it was my own hat to which the girl responded “Oh! Did they tell you to come looking awful then!”

I felt very gratified when the director announced “I want the girl in that hat at the front” and I was brought forward and featured! Often having a varied private wardrobe and uniforms can increase your chances of getting hired as an extra in the first place as extras are often asked to provide their own costumes.

But extra work can also be great fun too, being involved in a creative process and taking part in exciting productions often meeting and working with top actors and talented production teams on massively popular shows. There are a small number of people who work full time as extras.

And there is nothing in the world quite like the thrill of seeing yourself appear on the television or cinema screen! Despite all the hardships and many trials and tribulations I have no regrets about having worked as an extra. One thing’s for sure; extra work is an experience you’ll never forget!

Ricki Crookes has worked as an actress in the film and television business throughout most of her life. She has appeared in numerous commercials which have been shown on television and cinemas world-wide. She has also worked as a model and been in many prestigious photo- shoots which have featured in magazines and bill-boards. In addition she has written articles for both newspapers and magazines and is an award winning poet.