Q1) How did you start as an extra? Or what was your initial motivation.
x

1) I spent 36years in the licensed trade i.e.. pubs,club,hotel. In addition to and
combined with my work as a licensee directed Ray Donn (Leisure) Ltd,
a licensed entertainment & management agency booking artistes for club,theatre & TV.
I have always enjoyed being involved with the entertainment business, from
playing the drums to the production and direction of variety shows, and of
course my involvement with my beloved charity The Entertainment Artistes
Benevolent Fund which I have been associated with for over 30 years.
I took early retirement from the licensed trade in 1997 sold up and headed
for a new career,"Nodding"... I suppose always the frustrated performer,and I was looking for an interest and perhaps a way to still be involved,
My very first film as an extra was "Notting Hill", I went into the extra
business after having a conversation with an old acquaintance who was involved I expressed an interest and he put me in touch with an agent....that was the start.

Q2) Is it really impossible to switch to principal acting after being an
extra? I ask this because I read Noddies: The Film Extra's Guide by Mike
Martin and he says: "For anyone nurturing the slightest desire to be
discovered, it (being an extra) is a definite no-no."

2) No, I don't think so, many of today's star actors although they might not admit to it, I expect worked in "Background" prior or during drama school,
Yes I agree with Mike...you 'ain't going to be discovered in "Background" There are thousands of trained actors out there....most of 'em out of work....casting directors have a great choice why choose a "Supporting Artiste"... no matter how good he Nods!

Q3) How do you think one ends up becoming a professional extra
or one who does extra work for a living?

x

3) In the days before the Thatcher government banned the trade unions closed shop practices, film & television extras were members of the entertainment profession and Equity card holders. Extra work was a means of earning a few bob while waiting for the next engagement to come along...resting!
Many of today's "Supporting Artistes" or SAs as we are now called come from this old school, variety artistes, dancers, musicians and actors that no longer cut the mustard, Some are often heard to state "I don't normally do this darling I'm a RADA trained actor"

Q4) And after doing this, what drives you to continue in this profession?

x

4) Good question, when one does not work for a few days you wonder why your not being called, and when you work on a production for more than a couple of days of early mornings, & late nights in the cold or wet and treated sometimes like cattle, you think
"I must be potty to do this" ... but you still come back for more...it's a buzz!
....perhaps next time I'll get to speak!

Q5) Do you take on other jobs while waiting for extra work?
Are there people who only do extra work?

x

5) Personally I am a full time professional SA and do not take on any other employment. The only full time professional "Background Artiste"...yet another name! is the one who has another source of income or retired from his/her regular profession, it would be very difficult today to secure enough extra work for a reasonable living.

Q6) What is an extra's part in the whole scheme of a production?

6) The SAs part in any production is very important to the director he paints his picture with the principle actors in the foreground ... the extras are his wallpaper..... the pedestrian, customer, passenger, road user, office worker, waiter, body..dead or alive!

Q7) How are extras treated or perceived in a production usually?
And how should they be?

7) The treatment of SAs generally is pretty good, it depends on the production company's budget, a low budget and the poor extra suffers more as he is at bottom of the pile.
The extra is unfortunately perceived by the industry as a lazy, greedy individual who is never satisfied, and is always winging, I tend to agree with that for some members of the industry, but saying that on many a production SAs are pushed to the limit,
long periods without a proper break, poor food and drink facilities,on big calls you can be in a queue to check out for an hour or more,and not receive any extra overtime payment,
these are the things that SAs moan about....and quite right to!

Q8) What can you gain from being an extra,
(as an actor or just someone earning a living, etc)?

8) I suppose the real motivation for some is the hope of being offered a small part and then progressing on to be a fully fledged actor ...."Don't hold your breath", a few big names over the years started this way, Sean Connery springs to mind..to name but one!
Many drama students are SAs, & are able to gain experience and earn wages at the same time....and were glad to have 'em! House wives, retired people, shift workers, part time workers, anybody who can get a day off from their full time job make up the rest.

Q9) What does it entail to be a professional extra?

9)Team work, patience, humour, good timekeeping, camaraderie, cleanliness,
a good road worthy vehicle & if you require to eat......independent means!

Q10) What is the difference, if there is one, between a professional extra
or someone who is just doing it temporarily or for fun?

10)In a word, "Professionalism" one would expect a pro to conduct his/her self this way, and there are many part time extras who also conduct themselves in the
correct manner and enjoy the work, and quite a few who don't!

Q11) What advice would you give someone thinking of being an extra?

11)Any budding young extra should obtain an education and a full time career first, if the chosen occupation is drama then background work is ok for a spell to gain experience, although extra work is fairly well paid it is not regular enough to be
financially viable without another income.

Q12) Best experiences or parts of being an extra?

12) Dressing in period and unusual costume, being selected for a "special direction"
the odd bit part,working at interesting locations where you would not normally have the opportunity to visit, stately homes, famous buildings & the variation of the work.

Q13) Worst experiences or parts of being an extra?

13) Early morning calls (6am leave home 4am or sooner) sometimes 16 hour days,
late nights, wearing heavy period costume in summer, light weight costume and summer clothes in winter. Location food and facilities on occasion can be improved. Standard day and travel fee could be increased. Getting wet for a scene, although we get paid for the inconvenience, it's very uncomfortable in the winter....so is being set alight! 

Q14) Who are some of the celebrities you've encountered in your career?

14)"Play" by Samuel Beckett was a nice job made at Pinewood & directed by Anthony Minghella starring Juliet Stevenson, John Rickman, and Kristin Scott Thomas....my part was in the background in a pot with just my head visible and the most grotesque makeup that took one hour to apply, along with 12 other idiots! Other names that have had the privilege of sharing a scene with me are; Robert Hardy, Bob Hoskins,Hugh Grant,John Voight,Edward Fox,Tony Booth,Robert Lindsey,Julia Roberts,Martin Clunes,Neil Morrisey
  Derek Jacoby,Alan Bleasdale,Edward Woodward,Christopher Plummer,
Dustin Hoffman, Brad Pitt, and many more.
....I'll bet you wished you'd never asked!

Q15) What's the best experience  in your career as an extra? specific incident.

15) I was sent by my agent for a casting to play the character Hercule Poirot the David Suchet version (someone said I resemble him) when I got there the room was full of Poirot's, all shapes and sizes some in full costume....very pro!
It came to my turn to go in front of the casting director, I slipped off my raincoat, took out my little "Poirot" moustache from my pocket and stuck it under my nose
profile left & right in front of camera, muttered a French type gibberish
thanked them for seeing me and I was gone!

....four days later my agent rang and informed me that I had been successful at the
casting and I have got the job, "great" I said...where?..."Denmark" she said, "the street?"
  I asked...No Copenhagen!... Fine fax me the details....as if it happened every day.

The job was a commercial for "Tele Danmark" similar company to our BT
I was flown out to Copenhagen on a Friday night, met at the airport, 
& taken to a nice hotel, next morning costume and make-up came to the hotel got me ready and took me to the set, a tourist tour boat on the canal, with 20 extra's,
I performed as Hercule Poriot all day as a tour guide, with a microphone at the front
of the boat pointing out the places of interest to a bunch of my fellow SAs.

The plot of the commercial was "You do not have to be a well known detective to understand the new Denmark telephone directory"....go ask!
....I was shipped back to the UK on the Saturday night....job done.
The commercial was shown all over Denmark, nice fee and a star for a day it happens.

Q16) What's the worst experience or story in your career as an extra?

16) It was on my second day of a commercial for Nat West Bank, we were told that the scene was a spring day and should wear appropriate clothing, for the wardrobe inspection
I was wearing a black jacket, unfortunately the wardrobe mistress did not approve of my attire, I made some glib remark that upset the lady, the next thing I knew was the third assistant director telling me that the lady is very upset and cannot be consoled and that I would have to leave the set with no chit....no pay and loss a days work.....luvvies bah!!

Nevertheless I was deeply embarrassed and ashamed of myself...so there!
I have since worked with the lady again and there are no hard feelings.

Q17) What steps do you personally take to make your career work
( calling agents, taking courses, keeping good contacts, etc)?

17) I do exactly that...self promotion is the thing, and my experience as an
agent has come in handy, I would like to study the art more but I feel that
at my age there are not that many parts anyway, so I will go along with the
flow...and hope to get a little cream from time to time.

Final thought...the nicest words a background artiste loves to hear are...

"Check the gate!....Good Gate"......That's a wrap!!"

My sincere thanks to Angela Pok for this interview.

This interview is not to be reproduced without permission © Ray Donn 2001

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