[Jem Smith]

Have you ever been an extra in a movie, or is that something you'd be willing to try?

Extras are the background actors who don't have any lines. Quite a few movies are filmed in Australia (Aussie ones, but also some Hollywood blockbusters like The Matrix and Pirates of the Caribbean) so sometimes I see ads for extras. So far I haven't been in the right place at the right time with time on my hands to do it, but I'd like to if the opportunity arises some day, for the experience. A friend of mine was in Alice in Wonderland (the one with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter). She just had to dance at a party at the beginning, and she enjoyed getting her hair and makeup done professionally for it. Apparently the pay is not bad (not huge, but something), although there is a lot of waiting around so it can be a bit dull.

[JASPREET]

I never wanted to act in movies nor have the passion to do anything like that.

[augusta]

At this point I wouldn't mind going for this provided there's something coming in for me. it's never easy to stay without a job how do you survive

[eldavis]

I have never had the opportunity to play such a role but it would be nice if am able to play as an extra in the future.

[augusta]

Yes we just have to try our hands on different things and see what works for us. it would be nice

[Netherrealmer]

I kinda wanna be a zombie in a Korean zombie film.

[eldavis]

There are a lot of popular and well known actors and actress today who started up as a movie extra.

[Emmaojo]

It's a good earning skill if you can be available for making you as option when the original actor fails to show on the stage. Many recent nollywood actors and actresses started like that, and they get followers if they act well

[Netherrealmer]

Movie Zombies is now a stable job in Korea because of all the zombie movies popping out

[Jem Smith]

I kinda wanna be a zombie in a Korean zombie film.

That would be cool.

--- 25 Jan 2025, 16:42 ---

There are a lot of popular and well known actors and actress today who started up as a movie extra.

Like who?

I'm sure it does work for a few, but I don't know of any.

--- 25 Jan 2025, 16:44 ---

It's a good earning skill if you can be available for making you as option when the original actor fails to show on the stage. Many recent nollywood actors and actresses started like that, and they get followers if they act well

Extras aren't understudies. An understudy has to learn all the lines as well as the person they are understudying for knows them. It's more of a stage acting thing. They don't usually have them for big budget movies. For stage acting if an actor was sick for one night you could swap them out and then swap back the next night and it wouldn't matter because the people in the audience only see one version of the show. With a movie you can't just swap the actor partway through the production because it would mess up the continuity.

[Fergal]

I've know people who were extras in movies, but have never done it myself. They enjoyed the experience and seeing how the movies were put together. Like others have said they did have a lot of waiting around. And as also been said already, they got paid a little, but it certainly wasn't anything like a big financial bonus or a highly paid task.

[ptrikha21]

Definitely there is always a scope for movie extras.
Back till Mid 2000s, Bollywood used to had many dance sequences with the male and female lead and up to 10/20 and sometimes even 30 people dancing in the background.
It would not have been an easy job as some songs used to be shot in Deserts and during extreme weathers.
Yet it could have been exciting for them and some quick bucks.
Now I believe that even extras might be hired through a proper interview and audition.
May be the pays have risen now.