What do Daniel Day-Lewis, Jackie Chan, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Charlize Theron, and Renée Zellweger have in common? Well, it’s certainly not their style, but they all worked as extras before becoming famous.
TV and film extras – also known as background actors or supporting artists – appear in non-speaking roles in film and TV productions. It’s an opportunity for actors to gain insight and experience on set. While no prior experience is needed, you might be selected based on your appearance (sex, ethnicity, age, height, build, or tattoos, for example) or any special skills you offer, such as driving, dancing, or horse-riding.
You’ll likely have been offered a set day rate, but overtime is possible if the day goes longer than planned. Special skills and conditions (such as bad weather) or night filming can hike up your fee too.
The Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT) and the Film Artistes Association (FAA) currently start rates at £105.09 a day, with extras like overtime at £10.93 for 30 minutes, bringing a change of clothing to set at £21.74, and a night rate of £157.63. Equity rates for BBC work begin at £91.60, with a special skill such as driving bringing in an extra £43.10, audition calls £19.00, and a four-hour costume fitting £52.52.
Leading UK agencies will typically request your measurements and clear pictures when you apply. You needn’t send professional headshots (unless you’re asked to); photos taken on your phone against a clean, plain background will suffice. Agencies may impose a registration fee, usually deducted from your first job, and will take a commission, which is usually around 15%.
Still keen to mingle in the background of TV and film productions? Here are some of the best agencies for extras in the UK.
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Founded: 1999
Location: London
Known in the industry as one of the best extras agencies in the UK (with the largest selection), Casting Collecting is associated with a long roll call of prestigious productions: Saltburn, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Wicked, and Wonka among them. Online reviews from its artists are mainly very positive.
You can apply through the website where there’s no upfront fee, but it’s worth noting the agency’s commission rate is 20% rather than the 15% industry norm. Its website features casting opportunities and has a good range of advice and information, including current BBC, ITV, FAA/PACT, and Equity pay rates; a glossary of film/TV terms; FAQs; and more.
Founded: 1995
Location: Bristol and Cardiff
Phoenix Casting represents more than 7,500 artists, whose work includes spots in Sex Education, Boiling Point, Truelove, The Outlaws, Sherlock, and The Lazarus Project.
Supporting artists can apply by creating an account on the website. There is a £30 + VAT annual fee for being on their books, deducted from the first job. It charges 15% commission for TV and film work and 20% for photographic shoots and commercials. Its website lists current fees for work with places such as the BBC and ITV.
It also represents actors, models, presenters, and voiceover artists, which could potentially benefit a supporting artist if their career takes off.
Founded: 1988
Location: Borehamwood, Hertfordshire
A stalwart of the industry, Ray Knight Casting has provided artists for a range of acclaimed productions, including Fleabag, Call the Midwife, Afterlife, Bridgerton, and All Creatures Great and Small, as well as the 2021 Hollywood blockbuster No Time To Die.
Apply by emailing the agency when they’re open to new clients. There’s a 15% agency commission on background/walk-on and stand-in bookings, which rises to 20% on featured TV and film roles, featured commercials, and photographic and corporate work. In addition, a £50 + VAT annual fee is deducted from the first job of the year. This agency casts a narrow net, only taking artists who live in the capital or home counties, to ensure easy access to filming locations.
Founded: 2007
Location: Belfast
The Extras Dept supports productions in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and it only accepts extras who are residents of either place. Hugely popular, the agency has around 35,000 extras currently on its books and has secured work for its talent on local productions such as Game of Thrones, Conversations With Friends, Derry Girls, The Dublin Murders, Wreck, and Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
To apply, fill out the online form (where you also upload your photo). A 15% commission is charged on each job, or 20% on jobs with a daily rate of more than £400/€450. There is also an annual registration fee of £32.50 for first jobs booked in Northern Ireland, or €45 if your inaugural booking is in the Republic.
Founded: 2016
Location: West Sussex
Despite being relatively new, Key Casting has sent talent onto an impressive range of productions, including The White Lotus, Bad Sisters, The Cleaner, Back to Black, and Renegade Nell.
You can apply via the website, and while there isn’t an annual fee to register, a 10% commission is charged, plus a 10% administration fee paid to Entertainment Partners, the casting portal used by the agency.
Founded: 2006
Location: Surrey
This background actors’ agency represents around 50,000 extras from around the country. It’s so successful that there’s a second Scottish branch in the works.
Its faces have appeared on hit TV shows The Crown, I Hate Suzie, Top Boy, Everything I Know About Love, Gladiator II, One Day, and Slow Horses.
It takes a 20% commission, but doesn’t impose an annual fee for being on its books, as many agencies do. Its website has an urgent castings section, as well as an advice centre with a comprehensive series of guides, including one on how to take the best photos to improve your chances of getting booked, and how to create a self-tape.
Founded: 20+ years ago
Location: London, Cardiff, and Glasgow
Mad Dog has a good reputation in the industry, which is reflected in some high-profile productions: It’s provided talent for The Favourite, Darkest Hour, Dunkirk, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Sweeney Todd, and The Duchess. TV productions include Peaky Blinders, Outlander, Silent Witness, Doctor Who, and Poldark.
Apply via the website, or alternatively via the Mad Dog 2020 Extras app. The agency charges a 15% commission and also deducts £32.50 + VAT annual fee from the first job if you are on the books outside London, and £61.25 + VAT if you are on the London book.
