Extra, Extra!

I have been working as an extra on the sets of ER and a new pilot Family Practice. Being an extra can involve long long hours and mostly sitting around trying to find new things to do. In that down time you meet many interesting people. My friend Alison and I try to do extra work together. But this last week I had to go it alone. In my time on the set of Family Practice I met what Alison and I call "the crazies" galore. THREE separate people talked to me about their religious views and offered to save me and help me accept jesus as my savior. Another woman told me to move out of her way from the camera and another crazy name dropped so many names to me in 5 minutes that it gave me a headache. Being an extra can be a fun way to make money. There are a lot of lonely people who do extra work so you have to be prepared to withdraw yourself or pick through to find a couple of normal friends to hang with. There are also some non crazies who on the surface seem normal only to find out that they are always trying to get closer to someone higher up. And if that means ignoring you, then they will go to any length. One girl was my buddy for two days but on the third she decided to ditch me and eat lunch with the stand ins (people who stand in for the real actors when the real actors are taking a break). It was awkward and I couldn't believe that someone would behave that way. But it happens and you forget about it. Those are the people who feel that have a chance at getting discovered as an extra. It rarely happens, and if you have a true passion or talent for acting, its probably not a good idea to take extra work too seriously. You should always follow the important rules though. Be appreciative, don't complain, no pics or autographs, no talking to the actors. But even if you do these things, an arrogant PA may still act like you are just a peon. It depends on the people and staff. Without saying anything too bad about anyone, I'll just say that after a while I needed a break. I really needed it. I had been working 15 hour days and sometimes very little sleep between days. After a while you feel like the set is your reality and the social groups and behaviors that take place makes you feel like you have to buy into it. You don't. In the real world, I still believe that you should follow your artistic vision regardless of whether it means fame. I learned that I didn't feel comfortable getting caught up in the backstabbing competitiveness of the TV business. Perhaps one day I'll get there on my own. Perhaps I won't. Either way, I will never lose focus of who I am again.