Me On Chicago Med

Hey Background friends! Check out the above picture. Do you see anyone you know in the background? Yes, that’s me on Chicago Med. And Dr. Halsted seriously needs a haircut. By the way, his real name is Nick. I met him in wardrobe when I was being fitted for a feature role on Chicago Fire. Very nice guy!

Me On Chicago Med

Yes, it’s blurry but it’s me! I was walking up this staircase directly behind the two actors in this scene. And had a little trouble with it too. Even though I was wearing tennis shoes, the stairs were loud. After the first take, the 2nd Assistant Director asked me to try and walk with less noise. After the second take, I looked like I was tiptoeing. So I practiced on these stairs a bit and think I finally did okay. They told me it wasn’t me and that these stairs were just loud so I didn’t feel too embarrassed but still, can’t they just make the stairs quieter?!

Here is a picture of the same staircase when I worked last week on Chicago PD. You really shouldn’t take pictures of the set while you’re working. But I did ask permission and made sure that I didn’t show any upcoming scenes. I just knew I was going to write about my staircase dilemma and wanted a pic. Again, I asked permission. I guess it has been a problem with people taking pictures on the set and posting on social media. I still haven’t worked on Empire but I hear they don’t even allow you to use your phone at all. Apparently, someone released some footage which resulted in them having to re-shoot an entire scene. That’s just what I heard, please don’t quote me as I do not have any of the actual details.

Chicago PD Booking

Me On Chicago Med nurse on PD — Me as a nurse on Chicago PD

My Chicago PD booking went very well. We were on Med’s set, as I said above, and it was kind of cool that the crew had never used this set before. The 2nd AD asked us what we usually do when on this set and I was able to tell her. Also, they used my name when directing me which is nice. You have to realize, there are a lot of us extras and usually we’re not referred to by name so it’s makes it special when we are.

For this episode, I played a nurse. Check out my uniform! I have been wanting to play a nurse on Med for quite some time now. It wasn’t for the show Med but hey, PD is the next best thing. Also, I was a bit disappointed because I have been dying to work on the ER set of Med. When I was booked to be a nurse, I was hoping. But no, maybe next time. All in all, it

Me On Chicago Med waiting for scene — Waiting for our scene at Cinespace.

was a pretty easy day in the background. We arrived at 3:30 pm which makes for great mid day drive time in Chicago’s traffic and left by 8 pm. Again, a nice easy drive home. I am not a morning person so I much prefer an afternoon call time over those hellish 5:30 or 6:30 am ones. After we checked in and went to wardrobe, we were only in PD’s holding area at Cinespace briefly and then went to our second holding area on one of the stages not being used. You can see that picture here. Thanks for reading about me on Chicago Med and Chicago PD. See you next time in the background!

Two Days on Proven Innocent

Here we are, back working in the background. Read below about my two days on Proven Innocent. I love two day bookings. It’s nice knowing exactly where you’re going and you are able to see the same people two days in a row.

Two Days on Proven Innocent

Hey There! I had a great two days on Proven Innocent last week. The first day my call time was for 9am and I didn’t check out until 1am. A very long day, that’s for sure! You just never know how long you might be there when you’re working as an extra. So if you’re interested in doing this work, make sure you have the entire day free. I’ve had call times from 5:30 am to 7pm. And you won’t know until the night before what time you will have to be there. So be prepared for anything. The second day was better as my call time was 12:30pm and I was finished by 7pm. Much better hours but no overtime pay. As of February 2019, this job pays $96 for 8 hours. You receive a full 8 hours pay even if you don’t work that long. After 8 hours, it is then time and a half, which works out to $18 per hour. The day might be long but the ensuing check is very nice.

Two Days on Proven Innocent Marla and I — Marla and me on Proven Innocent

I had a very nice surprise for this booking too. I was booked as courtroom gallery so I would have been sitting in the courtroom all day. That’s still what I did but instead of the gallery, they chose me to be a juror. I’m not sure why they still needed more jurors as some people were originally booked as one, but they did and I was in the right place at the right time. The Production Assistant (PA) was looking for another juror and I just happened to be right in front of her. So I’m hoping to catch a glimpse of myself as a jury member when the episode airs. This was for the season finale so I have a little time to wait but the show will air starting on February 15, 2019 so be sure to check it out. It’s going to be a good one!

Friendly Faces

Two Days on Proven Innocent Heather and me — Heather and I on Red Line

I am starting to come across some of the same people when I work as an extra and am not only recognizing faces, but knowing names as well. What I’ve really noticed is how friendly everyone is. I have found that the other extras are usually quite nice and helpful too. One of my friends, Anna, started doing background work recently and we were lucky enough to work together this time. I know Anna because she ran the parent group for the university my daughter goes to–The University of Alabama–Roll Tide! So it was great to be able to hang out with Anna for two days and we had a blast.

The last, and only, time I had a two day booking I met Heather. And she was there for this one too! She is so nice and I love working with her. The first time we worked together was in September on Red Line. That show will air in April. We were dressed to the nines for a fancy gala

Two Days on Proven Innocent Heather and I on PI — Heather and I on Proven Innocent

and while the conditions of the job were a bit difficult, we made it fun and had some great laughs. You might be wondering what was bad about it. Well, it was quite hot the first day and very muggy as well. We began the day at Studio City in Chicago for check in, wardrobe, and makeup. We then boarded nice coach buses to the sight of the shoot but our holding there was a large tent outside. There was no floor and our heels kept sinking in the grass. The tent was unbearably hot and the bees in September just won’t leave you alone. The lesson here is be prepared for anything and try to make the best of the situation. The other extras really don’t want to hear your complaints. Be the positive one!

Two Days on Proven Innocent Sam — Sam in the holding area for Proven Innocent

Check out the pictures with people I spent time with during my two days on Proven Innocent. It was the second time working with Marla and Sam and my first time working with Kathy. Hopefully, I’ll be able to see everyone again soon. That’s all for this week. See you next time in the background!

Back In The Background

Well here it as almost the end of January and I haven’t written any posts since well before Christmas. Mostly that is because I haven’t worked since then but now, I’m getting ready to get back in the background.

Back In The Background

To start off the year, I had a job working on Chicago Med. I really like that show and have worked for that one a few times now. This time, however, was the first time I had been on their set at Cinespace Studios. All the other times I have filmed for this show have been out on location somewhere. I’ve filmed at Rush Hospital, McCormick Place, and even Bloomingdale’s Home store. I have been dying to see the set and was not disappointed. So cool! I still haven’t been on the set for the emergency room. That is my next goal. Had a sight of myself on camera last week when there was a big car crash scene; which I can talk about now because the episode has aired. No one would have been able to recognize me as I was kind a dot in the background. But hey, they pay me to be that dot.

Check out this picture though. This is my mom working on Chicago Med. I just paused the TV to get this photo so quality isn’t great. She is the one in the tan colored coat and hat. Doesn’t she look just perfect?!

I am so excited to get back at it and have a job next week working on Empire. It will be my first time working on this show. I can’t tell you what I’m going to be doing until after the episode airs but it sounds like it is going to be super fun.

Also, Proven Innocent will begin next month and I can’t wait. I think this is going to be a great show and have worked on it a few times. One episode in particular will most likely have a great view of me. If the scene makes the final cut that is. Who knows? Click here to see a trailer of this upcoming hit from Fox.

My First Audition

So I had an audition for a commercial! I probably didn’t get it because call backs are next Monday and it’s Thursday already. But hey, it was my first one. Another guy and I had to pretend that we were the store clerk and the shopper. It was fun, it really was. Maybe I’ll have the chance to do it again and one day actually get the job.

Till next time, friends. See you soon as I am now back in the background!

First Time on TV

Remember last week when I said I hadn’t yet seen myself on TV? Well, that same evening I was watching Chicago Med and there I was! Nobody who knows me would have noticed it was me, but I still felt pretty good about seeing myself for the first time on TV!

Chicago Med

The above picture is from the third time I worked on Chicago Med. I told you about the first in the previous post; the one where Mom and I both worked as shoppers. This one was an outdoor scene that was shot out in front of Rush Hospital in Chicago. The second time I worked on Med was the same but I wasn’t seen on that episode. Just this past week I worked for the fourth time and it was another outdoor scene, but at McCormick Place, not Rush. And some exciting stuff happens on that one but since it hasn’t aired, I can’t yet reveal any secrets!

But back to the episode from the above picture. It was just an okay day as far as the work day went. We met in holding in a building about a block or so away. After checking in and getting our wardrobe approved, we headed over to the hospital. Some background actors received scrubs and other hospital garments but I was supposed to be an administrator so I was in my own clothes. We were supposed to have nicer fall jackets and I didn’t have one so Mom and I headed to the thrift store earlier that week. Luckily, I found two that I really liked for super cheap. And I needed a nice fall coat that I could wear anyway. I am finding that I love thrift stores to find my extra work wardrobe. You really can find great deals on awesome clothes. And since you need some diverse pieces so you can have lots of looks, it helps that you don’t have to spend full price.

Once at Rush, we have a smaller holding area blocked off from the main lobby. Since it’s small and right in the hospital’s main entrance, we have to leave most of our stuff at the other place. I had a small bag with a book and my iPad, but I find it hard to read with so much going on around me. I really like it when there are some fun and talkative other extras because that makes it a little more entertaining for me. Which was the case here so most of the time in holding I was having conversations and comparing our extra experiences.

The scene I shot took a good two hours or so to shoot but after that, I wasn’t really used much so spent most of the day in holding. And they had us there for eight hours. But that’s my life in the background. You never know how it’s going to go. Another reason this was just an okay day was that the timing didn’t work out for the full buffet lunch experience. They did bring us pizza which kind of made me unhappy. I have been trying to lose weight and the extra thick crust would not have been my choice.

Not Just My First Time on TV

My mom and I had my step-dad, Jim, apply for a featured role on Chicago Fire as a crotchety old man. He had never, ever worked before as an extra but he was chosen and played an Uber driver. So the same night I saw myself, we then watched Chicago Fire and there he was! Both of us on the same night. The only thing I didn’t like was that I had also worked as a featured extra on the same episode of Chicago Fire but wasn’t seen on screen. So at least someone from my family was! Now we just have to see Mom!

The Buffet

I told you about my first call with 300 other extras. My second job, however, only had about 40 of us and it is here I found out about the buffet.

The Buffet

I was surprised on my first job that the other extras were complaining that they hadn’t been fed yet. They finally gave us a boxed lunch. It was okay. But since I wasn’t expecting anything I was pretty happy. I had no idea that you usually get a meal when you work. So it was on my second job, which was for a Netflix show called Easy, that I discovered the buffet. There is always a caterer on set and a meal is almost always provided. Most of the time.

It really depends on how long you work and also, the hours you work. I haven’t really figured out all the ins and outs but all in all, I have eaten quite well since starting my life in the background. And I’m going to have to tame it down a bit. Unfortunately, I need to lose some weight and having all the good food right in front of me isn’t helping. In addition to a good buffet meal, they sometimes bring in pizza. Pizza is also not a good thing for my waist line. But when you’ve been working and you’re beginning to become hangry, it’s pretty hard to turn it down.

The Buffet healthy choice — My healthy choices! I’m so proud of me.

Commit to healthy eating

There are some healthy options that I will need to stick with if I don’t want to gain another ten pounds. There is always a salad bar option and quite often, there is a fish option. And you can usually find some great vegetable dishes too. This picture shows the healthy meal I had last week when working on Proven Innocent, a Fox mid-season release coming soon. So, if I can focus on those foods, I should be able to stay on tract. Except for the dessert table. Walking by that is going to be a struggle! If you look closely at the picture, there is a small slice of chocolate cheesecake. Who can pass up chocolate cheesecake?! And as far as pizza goes, I will either have to keep some healthier options in my bag or at least limit my portions. But I do love pizza!

How do I find more work?

I’ve been working steadily about once a week for the past couple of months. But how do I find more work? I would love to work at least 2 or 3 times a week and I know it can be done because I talk to people who do so. So this post is here to brainstorm ways of finding more work.

How do I find more work?

These are the top 5 ways that I have learned so far in finding work as an extra. Hopefully we’ll be able to increase this list when my blog goes public and will, hopefully, have some readers who know more than I do about the background artist industry.

1. Keep your profile up to date.

As I stated in the previous post, 4 Star Casting has an online POP Profile that you should complete as thoroughly as possible. This includes all of your sizes! Yes, get out that tape measure. You will need it. Be sure to update the availability calendar too. I’m not sure but I suspect it’s an algorithm that spits out who is available and generates availability checks. So marking yourself as available might be better than leaving the dates blank.

2. Keep your photos up to date and change often.

You need to have current photos of how you look now. I would love to provide pictures from ten years ago when I was younger and skinnier but they need to see what you look like right now. And don’t keep sending the same photos over and over. Give the casting agents various photos in various styles. You should have a business look, an evening wear look, a casual look, and any other look you can think of. I’ve seen posts looking for homeless types, so even a no-make-up, very sloppy dirty clothes look would be appropriate.

3. Bring along good wardrobe choices.

You should always have at least 3 choices of outfits for the wardrobe person to choose from. Don’t bring super bright colors or crazy patterns unless asked to. Pay attention to the wardrobe notes and bring appropriate choices. You wouldn’t want them not to hire you again because you are known for showing up with either bad choices or no choices.

4. Follow the casting agency’s social media and try and submit as quickly as possible to any listings.

Most of the agencies that I know of at this time post calls on their Facebook pages. You can set your FB to see those posts first or to have a notification if there is a post from them. I really wanted to take a social media break during this crazy political climate but that is the only way I can find jobs. Maybe I should have a Facebook account that I only use for following the casting agencies. What do you think?

5. Pay attention on the set and listen to all directions.

They’re not going to want to work with you if you are not going to listen to what they need from you and do it without complaining. You know you’re an extra, not the star of the show, so don’t expect to be treated like one. Of course we should all be treated fairly and in my experience, I have been. But I have seen some people who act like they’re doing the show a huge favor by being there. Remember, it’s a job. Do your job.

Let Me Know

Let me know what you think about the above 5 ways to find more background acting jobs. How do I find more work? has been my question since I began this journey and I hope to add to this list as I go along. Any additions would be greatly appreciated.

My Life as a Background Actor

Thanks for joining me and reading about my life as a background actor. My goal for this blog is to offer advice on being an extra, receive advice on being an extra, and finally, to log my experiences. Someday, I’ll read this and say, “Wow! I remember that!

The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. Michelangelo

My Life as a Background Actor

So I began this journey back in June, 2018 at Wrigley Field, one of my all time favorite places. There’s nothing like Wrigley in the summer! So when I was hired to play a baseball fan, I was pretty excited. I had no idea what to expect but went with an open mind. The weather was gorgeous and since my husband and I go there on a regular basis, I knew exactly where to go and where to park. Yes, when you work as an extra they provide parking! At no cost to you! After parking, I grabbed my wardrobe bag and headed to the park.

And there was a huge line! Yep, my first ever background job was with about 300 other extras. The check in process went pretty smoothly and I was impressed how quickly they were able to get us all through. What I didn’t realize before I went was that we all had different call times (the time you are supposed to check in). Mine was the latest at 11:30 am, which I thought was great as I’m not a morning person. But at the end of the night, they checked everyone out in the same order so I was one of the last to leave at 10:00 pm. Hey, at least I earned some overtime on my first job.

So Much to Learn

I learned so much that first day. It took a lot of asking questions of the more experienced extras, listening to them discussing the job, and observing all that was going on. I filled out my first voucher. The voucher is a form where you put your information such as name, social security number, date, etc. At the end of the night, you return that voucher, they write your ending time, and give you back one of the carbon copies. That is how you get paid. No voucher, no pay. Glad I didn’t lose it that first day!

I had signed up with one casting company, 4 Star Casting, already but through listening I found out about other ones to follow. Basically, you follow them on Facebook and submit for a job when you see something that is appropriate for you. Now, five months later, all of my jobs except three have been with 4 Star. Click here to find out more about them. You will need to create a POP profile and keep it up to date if you want to find jobs. I still have so much more to learn. Hopefully, I’ll keep getting more and more tips and tricks of the trade as I go along and can post them here.

Contact Me

Thanks for reading about my life as a background actor. I have a lot more to tell and will be updating frequently. If you are interested in doing this or more importantly, if you already do and have advice, please contact me here. I have so much more to learn.