The Lasting Impression From Being a Background Actor

A retrospective

Photo by Valery Tenevoy on Unsplash

Most people who decide to become an actor do it before their 70th birthday. I’m not in that group. My decision to go pro in the profession was an accident born when an old high school friend reached out for a reunion and told me what he was doing in retirement.

It sounded like a fun way to carve a new path in life. So I anted up $26 to access listings for extras on a major site (Casting Networks) and within two days, had my first gig. It was that easy to score work back then (though not so much now with AI).

Alas, all the applying for work, commuting to the set, and sitting or standing around doing nothing while on the job got old. Once I began culling the less desirable work, I essentially put myself out of the business.

And that’s ok. I’d rather move on than get up at 5 AM to spend 14 hours door-to-door to earn $176. I’m not gonna take that job.

Still, working as a television and movie extra has left an indelible impression on me when it comes to watching a production. Now, I notice the extras. I think about camera angles, wardrobe, and most of all, how much time and effort it took to shoot one quick scene.

And I often think “Oof! That thirty seconds probably took an entire day to shoot!”

So last night I was watching TCM when “Some Like It Hot” was set to roll. I saw the movie when it came out (I was just nine years old) and have seen it in its entirety and in pieces many times since. But it’s been a while — and all those views came before I was ever an extra.

What I came away with was how perfect that movie is. From the script — to the costumes — to the acting, it’s simply amazing. The pace never slackens. Jack Lemmon was so good he was nominated for an Oscar for his performance.

Joe E. Brown had the classic line at the end upon discovering that Jack Lemmon was a man (“Nobody’s perfect.”)

Asked why he would cast Marilyn Monroe given she was such a problem child (Tony Curtis hated working with her), director Billy Wilder answered “Look at the final product.” Hard to argue with that response.

Even though I know every line and scene in that film, I still laughed my ass off several times.

Before last night, if you’d asked me to name my ten favorite films of all time, I’d always answer “The Bride of Frankenstein,” “Double Indemnity,” and “I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang,” right away. And then I’d have to think about the next seven.

Starting today, “Some like It Hot” will be in that top ten right away. Before last night, I knew I loved the movie. But today, I’ve come to understand what a masterpiece it surely is after having endured multiple productions as an extra on set in the past few years.

All those exasperating experiences have made a lasting impression beyond how much I didn’t like a lot of the work. I have a much broader understanding of how movies are made — and which are works of art and which are garbage.