If you’re looking to get a ringside seat to some of the UK’s biggest film and TV productions, dip your toe into an acting career, or just get paid to play dress-up for the day, here’s how to find work as an extra.
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Sometimes called background actors or supporting artists, extras appear in non-speaking roles in a film or TV production. As the name suggests, your role is to be in the background – such as a passerby in a street scene, a soldier on the battlefield, or a dancer in a nightclub. Sometimes you might just be brought in to populate a scene, but the role can also require greater skill. If, for example, it’s a battle scene, then the production will need extras who can convincingly handle a gun or march in unison. They may even look for former military personnel to play those roles.
A good fit
Trained actors sometimes work as extras to gain set experience and a little extra cash, but you don’t need any formal training to become one. Instead, you’ll be cast primarily on your physical appearance – age, height, build, ethnicity, and sex, depending on what the project requires – and potentially any special skills you have. That could be anything from dancing to horse riding or painting. Experience in another profession can also be an advantage. If a production needs to cast background hospital staff, for example, then being a former (or current) nurse or doctor would give you the upper hand as you’ll already know the correct way to handle equipment or move patients. Even language skills or a foreign accent can be useful because, although you won’t be in a speaking role, you may be required to chitchat authentically in a crowd scene.
Stamina
You’ll also need enough stamina to withstand early starts and long working days. As filmmaking is a collaborative endeavour, being sociable, friendly, and able to take on instructions are also important qualities.
A character match
According to Laura Sheppard, a director at the Casting Collective, if you’re a ‘standard size’ (which for men would be around 5'10", with a 40" to 42" chest and 34" waist), you’re more likely to get work as a stand-in. That’s where you might, for example, take the place of one of the main actors while the camera is being set up – and it’s work that will earn you an additional fee. Likewise, there are times when the size of the costume can dictate who is cast. Sheppard’s agency has sourced artists to be airmen in a TV series set in WWII. The 1940s uniforms were quite small, meaning the extras had to have a slight build and be young enough to pass as WWII soldiers.
If you’re not ‘standard’ size, don’t worry. According to Sheppard, “Nobody should think they can't be [an extra] because they’re tall or over 50. We need people of all ages and sizes.” In fact, the agency has people in their 90s on its books.
If you’re keen to give it a try, here’s how to get started.
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1. Join an agency
The first step is to join an agency, such as Casting Collective, Extra People, or Key Casting. An agency will take a cut of whatever you earn, and some may also have an admin fee for registering (usually deducted from your first payment). Daily rates are standard (set either by an industry body like PACT or the broadcaster) and start from around £80. But if you’re required to do overtime, shoot at night, or use any special skills, then you could earn considerably more. To get on an agency’s books, you will need to send in an application along with some recent photos.
2. Get a headshot
As a general rule, the photos need to be front on and clearly show your face, hair, and body. Check the website of the agency you are applying to, as each one will have slightly different requirements. Mad Dog 2020 Casting, for example, asks applicants to wear minimal makeup; Casting Collective asks for a headshot, a full-length photo, and a ‘smart photo’. That could be a suited and booted look or something more flamboyant if office wear isn’t your style. Its purpose, as Sheppard put it, is to provide “a little bit of insight into who you are and your personality.” Unlike an actor, you don’t need to fork out for professional headshots; a high-quality picture taken on a phone or camera will do.
Remember, once you register with an agency, you’ll also need to let them know if you cut your hair or change your look. That’s because, if you’ve been cast to play a long-haired hippie in a ’70s drama, for example, and you turn up on set with a buzzcut, it’ll pose a huge problem for the hair and makeup team.
3. Get your paperwork in order
You’ll need proof of your right to work in the UK. If you are working with anyone under 18, you’ll also need a Basic Disclosure certificate to prove that you have no unspent convictions for sexual offences.
4. Look out for open casting calls in your area
Sometimes productions and agencies put out open casting calls for extras – particularly if they’re looking for specific, harder-to-find types, such as people with lots of tattoos or endurance runners. You can find casting calls on agency websites and social media.
5. Be prepared to attend auditions and costume fittings
Sometimes you’ll be sent straight to set or on location, but if the background role is more demanding, then it’s likely you’ll have to audition first. You may also need to attend fittings with the costume department, particularly if it’s a period drama. It’s important to pay attention to any instructions you’re sent in advance by costume, hair, and makeup representatives, whether that’s not plucking your eyebrows, bringing a particular set of clothing, or arriving with your hair in a particular style.
6. Be reliable
Turning up on time is vital. If you’re late, you could delay filming and cost the production money – something that is unlikely to endear you to either the director or the agency that commissioned you.
7. Be realistic
Don’t expect the work to be glamorous. You’re more likely to be standing out in a freezing field for hours than cosying up to Chris Hemsworth. Though there are some big-name stars, like Brad Pitt, who worked as extras when they were just starting out, it’s rarely a stepping stone into a true acting career. Nor is it likely to make you rich. But so long as you keep your expectations in check, working as an extra can be a fun and rewarding side hustle – and something you can pick up at any stage of life.
