FIRST OFF YOU HAD BETTER HAVE SOME GOOD SOLID TRAINING AS AN ACTOR.

IN MY OPINION;

WILLIAM REYNOLDS;

MORE ABOUT BEING AN EXTRA;

FIRST OFF YOU HAD BETTER HAVE SOME GOOD SOLID TRAINING AS AN ACTOR.

Carolyne Barry, on-camera and commercial teacher
Unless you are working to get your SAG-AFTRA vouchers or want experience being on a set and/or need the money you make doing extra work, I have reasons (regarding undermining confidence and getting bad industry information) as to why actors do, or do not benefit from working as background a ton of times . And I really don’t believe it is a good way to get noticed by agents and casting directors in major or minor markets. Agents don’t come to working sets very often and if they do their focus is on the clients and not on the background players.

Casting directors hardly ever come to the shoot and if they do, it is to connect and socialize with their directors, producers, the name talent and/or actors they may know. I have never heard of anyone working as an extra getting noticed by an agent or CD and helping them get acting work, though I HAVE heard about extras being noticed by a director or assistant director and being UPGRADED and sometimes requesting them for other work—and that’s because they spend time directing the extras and experience their talent, professionalism,and  ability to take direction. Be cordial and respectful to the director and assistant director when doing background work.