How to Be an Extra

Hi Background friends! I have had some people ask me how to be an extra. Really, it’s not that difficult because they need to have normal looking people to fill in the background.

How to Be an Extra (or a background actor as we like to call it).

Back when I was beginning this blog, I wrote this post on how I began and this post on how to find more work. Now that I have a whole year under my belt, I have an even better understanding of the business, although I still need to know more. First of all, take a look at this backstage article on why being a background actor is a good thing.

So Where Do I Start?

You’re going to need Facebook if you want to work in the background because that is how I find most of my jobs. Not all, but most. You will follow the casting agencies and submit when they post a casting call.

How to be an extra me on Med — Don’t take pictures on set! That’s an important rule. But someone was sneaky and caught me on camera. So here I am at my nurse’s station on Chicago Med for the 2019 season opener.

My favorite is 4 Star Casting. Click here for their website. You can click on “extras registration” or access them through their Facebook account. With 4 Star, you set up an entire profile. You also have a calendar that you can mark when you’re available and when you’re not. If they have something and you fit the look and demographic, they will send you an availability check through your email. You need to respond ASAP because you want to say yes before everyone else. Once you respond positively, you wait and see if you receive a booking email. You may be booked or you may receive a notice that says “You have been released for…” which always makes me just a little sad.

Sometimes 4 Star will post casting calls on Facebook and be sure to follow the exact directions on how to submit for that role. Joan Philo is the casting agent for Chicago Med background and Chicago Fire background. Follow Chicago Fire Extras or Chicago Med Extras on Facebook. You will also want to follow Chicago PD Extras Casting and Extraordinary Casting. For these four, there are no availability checks. If you see a role, submit right away because they go fast, really fast. And make sure to follow the exact directions for them too. You don’t want to not be chosen just because you didn’t put down the right information. Chicago Fire and Med will call you if they want you and Chicago PD and Extraordinary Casting will send you an email.

On this post I briefly discuss how you can see their Facebook posts first and this is

how to be an extra late night in holding — Do we look tired? That’s because it was 2:00 in the morning! We’re in holding for Chicago PD’s 2019 season opener. I played a pedestrian onlooker.

important. These jobs go very quickly and if you see one, you need to submit right away. I also use backstage.com to find some work. You have to pay to use this service but it is reasonable. It is about $100 for the first year. I haven’t found a ton of work but I have found some, at least more than I paid for the service. Also, I do like the work because it is always something different than your regular Chicago shows. For example, if you remember my American Greed post, that is a job I found through backstage.

I hope this post on how to be an extra helps you begin. I will warn you, however, it can be addicting. Once you start, you want to keep going. And I’m not sure why because it isn’t always fun and games. But you’ll be hooked just like me which is why I now write about my life in the background.

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!

Booked to Work

Yeah! I have been booked to work this Friday on Chicago PD as a nurse. This will only be my second time on this show. I apply and apply and just when I thought they would never call again, they did!

Booked to Work

It’s time to get back to work. I have just returned from a long weekend cruise with my Bama mom friends. I never knew when my daughter chose the University of Alabama that I, also, would be having so much fun. But I have drunk the Crimson Kool Aid and am now a huge fan. There is actually a cruise for Bama moms. The only requirement is that you have a child who is a current or former student. It’s a great group of ladies and we have a riot. The picture at the top of this posting is of me and some of the other Bama moms. I have to admit, I was pretty tired after a weekend with these girls. But life can’t be all fun and games so it’s back to reality–or back to the background.

Since I was out of contact with very limited internet, I really wasn’t expecting to have a booking this week. You have to follow the postings quite closely and submit right away. Luckily, I was checking my Facebook today and the posting had just arrived. You have to submit right away if you want to be considered. So how do I keep up to date without spending every waking minute on Facebook? Well, hold down where it says “following.” When you do that, you will notice a “see first” selection. I choose this and also have FB notifications turned on so I can see when a posting comes across. For Chicago PD, you need to follow New Deal Casting. Click here for their Facebook page.

Booked to Work Chicago PD — New Deal Casting Facebook page

Booked to Work Chicago PD 2 — Click on “see first.”

This booking is for season 6, episode 17 so look for me if you’re a fan of the show. I love when I’m booked to work and excited to return to PD. That’s all for now. I’ll post an update after my booking. See you next time in the background.

First Time on Chicago PD

Yesterday was the first time on Chicago PD for me! I have been submitting and submitting for them and finally they chose me. The above picture was taken at my home but that is the outfit I wore for my role as a “steakhouse restaurant patron.”

First Time on Chicago PD

I was pretty excited to work on PD yesterday. I love working on new (to me) shows. It’s so interesting to see the different directors, crew, and actors for each show. Our day began at Cinespace. You can click here to read about Cinespace, the studio for so many Chicago productions. Their website states, “Cinespace Chicago Film Studios is a family-owned company based in Chicago specializing in the development, management and operation of studio space and support facilities for the film, television, and digital media production industry.” There is a lot to look at here and you can find some great photos too. So we checked in, saw wardrobe, had a great hot breakfast, and then it was on the bus to the holding on Taylor Street.

PD was filming in two different Taylor Street restaurants and our holding was in a Taylor Street Pub called The Drum & Monkey. It was a nice place and very comfortable for the long, long time I spent in holding that day. I could see myself going here if I lived in this area. Click here to check it out. I only saw the restaurant I was able to work in. Called Davanti Enoteca, it also looked like a place I would go. They had some sample food out so we could pretend we were eating and although it had probably been sitting there for some time, it looked delicious. We were able to take a peek at the menu too. Looked very yummy. Their website can be found by clicking here.

Not Much Time on Camera

Unfortunately, I didn’t have very much time on scene at all. I worked the one scene but was quite a distance from the main action. Me and another guy, Danny, did have a good time as he was quite funny but I’m sure I will not be seen on TV. I did enjoy seeing Eriq La Salle as the director of this episode. He was one of my favorites from the show ER. He seemed like he was a pretty nice guy, as did Jason Beghe, the man who plays Hank Voight. I saw him talking to a couple of extras which doesn’t always happen. We’re not

supposed to talk to the actors and they usually don’t make it a point to talk to us so it’s nice when they do. Just from watching him, I think he is probably a pretty fun guy.

Other than that, I wasn’t used in the second restaurant scene and spent most of the day in holding. As my mom says, “The pay is the same,” which is true but it’s not as fun as watching how the shows are made. I do have to say, however, that it was a good day in holding. I met some new background artist friends and we had some great conversations. That is one thing I like about being an extra, the people I meet.

So all in all, it was a fun day with some really nice people even though I wasn’t used very much at all. Hey, better than not using me even once because that too can happen. Hopefully, I’ll soon have another chance to work on Chicago PD and have some fun things to say about it. Thanks for reading mylifeinthebackground.com. I’ll post as soon as I have another role. With the holidays, the productions will be taking time off so it may be a couple of weeks. Merry Christmas!!!