What started out as a story about extras turned into a first-person account of what it’s like to be an extra in a big, fancy Hollywood movie .
The movie in question is “ The Razor’s Edge ,” starring James Franco, Tommy Lee Jones, and now, Sundi Rose.
In all honesty, I had no clue what an extra does or what their day is like. When I agreed to be a background actor, I didn’t realize I was signing up for a 13-hour day, a close encounter with a movie star and a mini-heatstroke.
Being an extra is hard work, folks, and it’s definitely not for wimps .
Here’s a look at a day in the life of an extra.
Here’s the thing about extra work: it’s a whole lot of “hurry up and wait.”
The call time for the extras was 7 a.m., and they had been sitting ready since then. Some had gotten up at 3 a.m. and driven two hours to be there.
Even though I didn’t get there until well into the morning, production was already running late, which associate producer Alex Kane blamed on “first day problems.”
Kannon Haskins, a local actor and retired doctor who also does partnering for the Columbus Ballet, was my serendipitous scene partner. Haskins had been in the extra-holding area since 7:19 a.m. that morning and was still waiting when I arrived.
He was busying himself with a pen and notebook, his phone and small talk with the other actors at his table. Elsewhere, some people were playing cards, napping, batting a balloon around, or just hanging out around the room .
Billy Kendall, who helps organize and promote the Miss Georgia Scholarship Competition , was among the extras in the wedding scene. This was not his only movie role of the day. Later, Kendall was off to another set for a movie in which he had a speaking role.
Then I got to do some acting. Sort of.
My debut as a working extra started in a wedding scene in which a gun fight breaks out. Haskins and I crouched, ducked, flinched and ran for cover for 10 takes punctuated by 20-minute breaks. The director finally got an acceptable take, and we were sent for lunch. I’m not sure how convincing I was as a scared wedding guest, dodging bullets, but the realistic sound of the blanks firing went a long way to help with realism.
“Places, set, rolling, action, cut, reset.”
I heard these words only about a million times over the course of the 13 hours I was there. One 20-second scene took about 40 minutes to set up , and the same scene was shot from several different angles. The extras had to just wait it out.
And by wait it out, I mean sweat it out, as this scene was filmed outside in the unrelenting midday Georgia sun. Haskins and I eventually wised up and got umbrellas to use when they weren’t filming, but that didn’t stop me from getting a sunburn.
Occupational hazard, I guess.
Safety first
Even though you could tell most of the production employees were not acclimated to the heat, they were careful to protect the extras. Production assistants handed out bottles of cold water constantly, and there were available napkins for blotting our sweat. One production assistant suggested the female extras put on flat shoes to minimize foot pain from all the walking and standing.
There was also quite a bit of safety protocol surrounding the weapon used in the scene. There was a prop gun used here, to be clear, but after the shooting incident on the Alec Baldwin film , production took no chances.
The extras were called into a huddle and shown the firearm. We could even hold it or touch it, if we liked. Once everyone had the basic rules down, production offered us ear plugs to protect our ears from the shots fired.
Stars … they really aren’t just like us.
Although the extras’ call time was 7 a.m., the main stars of the film didn’t make an appearance until well after lunch - the hottest part of the day, I’ll add. While we sat, melting into our fancy wedding attire, I can only guess that the movie stars were perched in one of the many trailers parked outside the venue.
James Franco was in a few of the scenes shot that day and he held his own against the heat and humidity, even as he did take after take of some pretty physical stunts. I bet he went through at least 10 white button-down shirts as the temperature crept up toward 100 degrees.
He was still pretty friendly, all in all, and even offered an amiable smile and “hello” when we crossed paths later in the day. He’s a lot taller than he seems on the screen, I noticed.
I knew better than to ask for a photo because extras were advised, right at the top of the day, not to ask for pictures or selfies, and unauthorized camera use could get you fired from the film.
Columbus is a good place to be an extra.
“The Razor’s Edge,” and other films shot in the region, used Sara Lynn and Jef Holbrook of Columbus Casting to locate and hire local extras. Both of them are from Columbus, but have moved to Atlanta to participate with the thriving film scene there.
Both former theater kids, they have a long history with the Springer Opera House and Springer Film Studios , as well as many credits as actors. They wear many hats, including actors, producers and podcasters, but on this particular day, there were wrangling extras.
On my lunch break, over a slice of pizza provided to the extras, I chatted with the pair in a rare moment of calm. I asked them to offer some advice for actors who want to start doing a little extra work and here is their best advice :
Be flexible. “ You have to be available all day. That could, and usually does mean late, sometimes until midnight,” says Sara Lynn Holbrook.
Listen well and follow instructions. Jef Holbrook warns, “Movie sets move so fast, so you have to understand and apply directions quickly and efficiently.”
Maintain authenticity. “There is a sense of detail that goes into this job. Suspension of disbelief doesn’t exist in a film like it does on a theater stage. You have to make viewers believe ,” says Sara Lynn Holbrook.
Fun takeaways, interesting tidbits, and things I learned.
When extras need to appear to be talking but shouldn’t be heard on the mic, they mouth the words “peas and carrots” over and over so it seems like they’re chatting.
The crew does the majority of the work. Whether it’s resetting the lights, moving the cameras, touching up hair or makeup, passing out water to extras, maintaining the props or a million other things, it’s really the crew who is working the hardest.
Wardrobe and makeup aren’t always provided, so plan accordingly - especially in the heat.
Extras get paid . Depending on the production it can be anywhere from $75 to $200 a day (though to be clear, I wasn’t paid while doing the experience for this story).
Casting companies need people of all sorts to “create the ambiance of a scene” says Sara Lynn Holbrook.
All in, it was an experience I’ll never forget and I’m happy I got to do it. However, I don’t see me quitting my day job to pursue a career in extra-work. I don’t think I”m made of tough-enough stuff.
Have you ever been an extra in a movie? Share your experiences with me. Sound off in the comments, email me or find me on Instagram
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