Have you ever been a tv or film extra?

Victoria Sponge · 03/04/13 - 05:50

If so, which shows/films did you get to work on, what was your 'role' and did you get to see any famous people? Was it fun? Did they provide food? What was the experience like generally?

(I've never done it myself)

Croctacus · 03/04/13 - 05:54

My husband was. He had to walk around Mitcham Common with a blow up doll for some CH4 programme....the Sperminator or something.

[Deleted User] · 03/04/13 - 05:54

I was on the 'bouncers' programme that was on C4, filmed in Newport without realising...Not sure that counts

Victoria Sponge · 03/04/13 - 05:56

ylomyloh wrote: »

I was on the 'bouncers' programme that was on C4, filmed in Newport without realising...Not sure that counts

I think I did catch an episode of that. Maybe I saw you and didn't realise. But no, it doesn't count

[Deleted User] · 03/04/13 - 06:00

Victoria Sponge wrote: »

I think I did catch an episode of that. Maybe I saw you and didn't realise. But no, it doesn't count

There was only one....it was totally hideous. In my defence I was only staggering around in the background

[Deleted User] · 03/04/13 - 06:01

My sister was in the background on The Only Way is Essex

aspijack · 03/04/13 - 06:02

I was on EastEnders last year is was great fun I spoke to some of the actors and the food was good and the production team payed travel and accomdation for me and my dad.

mackara · 03/04/13 - 06:03

Yep, Game of Thrones

paulbrock · 03/04/13 - 06:09

I did a couple of adverts while I was a university student. Lots of fun (even though inevitably lots of waiting around) and ridiculously good money for a student.

The biggest one I did involved some driving, and for one scene, I had a stunt double :cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdchyecOsh0

I'm driving the mini at 0:31

vosne · 03/04/13 - 06:12

Bastard Beaver was. Night of the Living Dead. No make up required.

PunksNotDead · 03/04/13 - 06:12

mackara wrote: »

Yep, Game of Thrones

Wow that's amazing!

November_Rain · 03/04/13 - 06:15

ylomyloh wrote: »

There was only one....it was totally hideous. In my defence I was only staggering around in the background

At least you weren't the guy in the tracksuit.

[Deleted User] · 03/04/13 - 06:15

PunksNotDead wrote: »

Wow that's amazing!

That actually makes me weak with jealousy!!

[Deleted User] · 03/04/13 - 06:17

November_Rain wrote: »

At least you weren't the guy in the tracksuit.

Oh. Good god no!! He wasn't even from newport lol! He was something else!!

phylo_roadking · 03/04/13 - 06:17

Two NI-based "plays for today" in the 1980s, in the background in the battle scene at the end of Excalibur, and on the panel on four rounds of University Channel...

And a background figure (well, literally my back!) in Sons of Anarchy.

Victoria Sponge · 03/04/13 - 06:18

mackara wrote: »

Yep, Game of Thrones

I'll have to check out this Game of Thrones thing. I'm very late catching onto these things.

November_Rain · 03/04/13 - 06:21

ylomyloh wrote: »

Oh. Good god no!! He wasn't even from newport lol! He was something else!!

He certainly was.

[Deleted User] · 03/04/13 - 06:31

November_Rain wrote: »

He certainly was.

dont take that away from me...it is all I have. I am from Newport and tell myself every day "as long as it isn't as bad as track suit ****** I am ok"

Jennyuk · 03/04/13 - 08:13

I havent but our daughter was in This Is England 87, she was an extra in a few scenes in the school hall. She loved it but said there was a lot of waiting about, she did speak with the cast though.

Walter Neff · 03/04/13 - 11:29

From 2001 to 2005 I appeared in Holby City and Family Affairs, I was an MC in a boxing ring in London's Burning, and in The Bill twice. The Bill was my favourite job, the first time that I was in it I played a perv who raped the young PC Gary Best who was undercover in a drugs house. My character escaped from the police, and I always hoped that I would get asked back again to get captured, but it never happened. The Family Affairs set ajoined The Bill, and when that show closed they used that set in several episodes of The Bill. It was always the happiest set, and we used to eat with the actors in the communal restaurant. Holby City was the worst experience, and we used to have to pay for our own meals. I gave it up because I got fed up with the early train journeys from Kent. It is exciting when you first start doing it, but there is so much hanging around that eventually it becomes boring. There is certainly nothing glamorous about it.

Hogzilla · 03/04/13 - 14:43

No Id be mortified, but my husband has done loads of TV and film as a reenactor with his own kit and, formerly, a black powder licence. Being an extra in the Eighties, in By The Sword Divided, paid for my wedding! In the olden days, Equity would only let union members be extras but there was an exception for historical things where the budget meant it was cheaper to employ re enactor extras, who are drilled, can fake being soldiers, and have all their own costume and equipment... Because it was then union rates it was well paid and they were stuffed with food to keep them happy.

Another one I remember him doing was something for the US Disneyland, which was a battle scene filmed they then used as a background, somewhere...

The last job he got, he was stood down at the last minute as they had booked more viking extras than they needed and decided to keep only the really old, toothless ones and little kids...

Iqoniq · 03/04/13 - 15:39

ylomyloh wrote: »

I was on the 'bouncers' programme that was on C4, filmed in Newport without realising...Not sure that counts

I appeared on the program about the Cream nightclub, including the Millenium special, and one shot had me staring right at the camera completely trollied - and that was before we'd even got onto the Pier Head. I got some stick from my mates for that lol.

[Deleted User] · 03/04/13 - 16:04

No, but I've been interviewed by papers before

Hugh Jboobs · 03/04/13 - 16:21

I was in an episode of Mr Bean when I was a kid.

[Deleted User] · 03/04/13 - 16:22

My newborn baby was in the live episode of Emmerdale in October last year. It was a fantastic experience and we spent an hour in the green room meeting all the cast. We had a lovely meal brought to us. Bottles of water and chocolate bars. Because baby was so young, they really looked after us. We were put up in a hotel for 2 days and a car came to take us to the set. We are not part of an agency but a friend of mine works for one and they urgently needed a baby. We had the phone call on the Monday evening and travelled to Leeds the next day. Little claim to fame for my daughter when she is older

shaggy_x · 03/04/13 - 16:23

ylomyloh wrote: »

That actually makes me weak with jealousy!!

I think the poster claiming to be on Game of thrones was being ironic/funny considering the amount of porn thats in the show.

Hey there!

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Have you ever been a tv or film extra?

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