How to be A Hollywood Extra Actor.

Ever wanted to be in the movies like all those great movie stars up on the silver screen?

Here is your chance to become an actor, and you may not be discovered on your first day on the set, but at least you will have your foot in the door.  So, how do you get started?  Read on. . .

You will need just four things to get started; a reliable car, a checking account, an acting class, and a calling-in service.  It is assumed that you already have a phone, or cellular phone, and a mailing address where you will get your pay check.  So, now that we have taken care of the basics let us move on.

As for the acting class, I would suggest you go to community college for that as you will find one for the least amount of cash.  And a calling-in service, or the people that will send you to acting jobs may be found on the web. 

So, that is all you need to know,  SEE YOU IN THE MOVIES!

 There are one or two other things that you need to know about the movie biz.  So let me begin by saying that in Hollywood there are two ‘classes’ of actors.  From personal experience I can tell you that there are Union actors that belong to SAG, or another union, and then there are Non-union actors that are dreaming of one day becoming a Union actor.  

In the meantime, union and non-union actors are always segregated while on the job.  Union talent will always get the best food, and facilities, while the non-union talent will have to settle for second best. 

Another thing that the novice actor should know is what not to do while on stage or the set.  Here is my list of do’s and dont’s.

1.  Don’t sit on any empty chair unless you ask.

2.  Don’t talk on the phone during a take.

3.  Do make certain that the A.D. signs your pay voucher before you leave for the night.

4.  Do report to the A.D., (assistant director) first thing upon arriving on the set or location.  The A.D., will give you your pay voucher.  And bring along a black ink pen to sign the pay voucher, too.

5.  Don’t ask anybody for autographs or pictures.

6.  Do bring a nice little folding chair to the location, because it will be likely that the production will only provide very uncomfortable chairs, especially for non-union actors.

                           Other Actors who were Extras.

Tom Selleck            Kevin Costner            Bob Hope

Tom Cruise             Robert Duvall             Dustin Hoffman

Clint Eastwood       Robert Redford          Angelica Huston

Valerie Harper        Julia Roberts              Lucille Ball