I couldn't believe it was him."For the 99 per cent who do not graduate from being a cigarette seller to being a cult hero, there is nearly always work But it's not always a laugh a minute. The one feature of being an extra that everyone who has ever worked in this field will tell you is that you do a lot of crosswords."My last day we were all sitting on Court No 1 filming one of Paul Bettany's big tennis scenes", says Sophie Redman, 21, who was sacked from Wimbledon "I was so bored by then, we'd been doing it for two weeks. Anyway, they couldn't afford to fill all the seats with extras so they had dressed up mannequins and set them up in the rows I happened to be sitting in between two of these mannequins. I fell asleep against one of them until someone on the set came over and asked me what my name was. At the end of the day when we went to sign out they told me not to come back."There are scores of extras who jack it in, driven to distraction by the lack of anything to do. "It can be a bit miserable," admits Andy Smith, now a four-year veteran of the extra game. "You won't be called for days sometimes and you do a huge amount of sitting about.
There is only so many times you can read Metro."But there's always the possibility that someone, somewhere will spot you. And that is enough to keep thousands coming back for more of this cabbage-throwing, semi-naked, battered-corpse, everyday employment.. By Nicholas Hamilton HOW TO GET STARTED It is essential to register with an agency if you hope to work regularly. You do not need film or television experience to be taken on; your CV and a passport photo is all that most agencies demand. Agencies are entitled to charge a fee for finding you work, but be wary of those asking for money up-front.TURN YOUR PHONE ONBecause of the erratic nature of the film industry, those who are most easy to contact and available at short notice are likely to get the job.
It also helps to be an early riser; call time is often as early as 6am.DOES IT PAY?The industry minimum day rate is £69.43. But different organisations have their own standards: by the terms of the BBC Equity agreement, supporting artists get £75.50 for a day's work and £80.50 for a night's, and walk-ons are paid £93.50 for working a day and £110 for a night.ANY PERKS?Anecdotal evidence about the benefits of the job abound (kissing the leading lady, anyone?), but those expecting to rub shoulders with the stars 24/7 will be sorely disappointed. Extras are usually clearly segregated from the actors and strictly forbidden from approaching anyone of any note.. Alistair Cook Star of Channel 4's new Friday-night magic show, Dirty Tricks, which will be screened this autumn "The greatest illusion of all? Uri Geller convincing people it was real for a time. But my favourite actual trick is the Invisible or Brainwave Deck, invented by Dai Vernon.
