How to Become a Movie Star! Well... an Extra

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By Peggy Hazelwood
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Are you a movie star?!

Have you ever wanted to be a movie star? Me too! But I'm not and don't think I ever will be. See, I'm just an average person. (That's pushing the envelope having always felt a bit subpar in many areas of my life.) But in the Fall of 2007 I got the chance of a lifetime. I was living in Denver where a casting call was spread far and wide for extras. Lots of them.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

You
A Casting Call
A Little Bit of Luck

Step 1

The movie is... drum roll, please: NowhereLand, starring Eddie Murphy and Thomas Hayden Church. It was originally scheduled to be released this fall (2008). (Update: the movie is now called Imagine That!)

According to the Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB), the new release date is June 2009. Check out the website in the Resources section. I noticed that they forgot to give me credit, but that's okay. I didn't do it for the fame. It was all about the money. More on that later.
Step 2

Okay, I'm sure you're wondering how I, a lowly average person, got to become a movie star, er, extra. Well, I read about the casting call for extras in The Denver Post and showed up at the hotel during the open casting call. And waited in line. And waited. And waited. It was a long wait. Three plus hours. But that's how it goes. Fame does not come easily. After waiting, in the long line with hundreds (maybe thousands of others, some with head shots and professional portfolios in hand), a couple hundred of us were escorted into a huge ballroom of the hotel and given the lowdown. We filled out paperwork and after about 45 minutes were escorted out so the next batch of extra wannabes could take our places.
Step 3

Had to set the alarm.

Amazingly enough, I was called to show up for work a few weeks later. I was going to be a movie star! The details were included in the packet I received in the mail: Where to go. When to show up. What to wear. Blah blah blah. It was thrilling! I showed up on the scheduled day at 6:45 a.m. (way too early for this tired old body) with the clothes on my back and the requested two to three changes of clothes (in other words, all the clothes I own that fit and aren't stained). As it ended up, the clothes I was wearing were fine (black slacks, green turtleneck, black jacket, black shoes). I wouldn't have needed to pack for a lengthy trip after all. Oh well.
Step 4

I was in a group of extras that included two construction workers, cars (yes, some people were asked to park their cars on the street during filming and the cars were considered to be extras!), and the special group of which I was a member: 50 street pedestrians. I tell you, I think I was selected because of the sheer number of extras needed.
Step 5

One of my fellow extras and I talked about the movie business, sharing stories. Actually, I listened while he shared. He told me he travels to different cities for casting calls. That's how bad he wants to be on the big screen! He's gone to New York and to Albuquerque. He had been in one other movie. He's what we in the business call "a seasoned actor."
Step 6

Another fellow extra was scheduled to work at the next day's shoot as well. Two days in a row! She was hired for the following day because the casting call had requested people bring their well-behaved dogs to the open casting call. She took her standard poodle and was hired for a day of shooting at a park as a dog walker.
Step 7

A couple who were extras the same day as me were also working the next day at the park. Their special talent? Riding bicycles. That's right. They were bringing their bicycles and riding them in the background of scenes being shot. You never know what the movie will call for. The more talent and options you can provide, the higher your chances of being hired as an extra.
Step 8

Piles of cash... not really, but loads of fun!

But what about the money, you ask. We were paid the standard industry rate for a 12-hour day. A most handsome figure. In the two digits. Something under $100 as I recall. It was okay though. The thrill of just being there amidst the excitement was payment enough. I can say that now; I've already cashed my check.