‘Extras’ Is An Underappreciated Look At An Underappreciated Profession

We don’t give them much attention, but they’re always there. They’re in the background of our favorite movies and television programs — they make a scene feel natural, or fill in the epic scope of a large crowd, but they’re rarely appreciated for their work. They might be seen by millions but never recognized on the street. Background actors are an integral part of film production, but what do actually we know about their lives and work?

Two programs on major streaming services give us windows into this world – one fictional, and one real.

In the BBC comedy Extras, currently available on Netflix, Ricky Gervais portrays Andy Millman, a struggling background actor hoping to parlay his work in the periphery of the movie business into genuine stardom. He’s got a long way to go; even his agent (played by Stephen Merchant) describes him as having decided “to pursue acting, despite his age, weight and looks.” Hot on the heels of their success with the original British version of The Office, Gervais and Merchant created this show, which ran from 2005-7 and shared much of the same acidic, awkward humor of its predecessor.

Despite his agent’s too-honest description of him, Gervais’s Millman is resolute: he believes he should be a star, and he believes that he will be. “Why’s he the star, and not me?”, he asks his friend and fellow extra Maggie, watching a successful actor run his lines. In the same style as shows like Entourage or Curb Your Enthusiasm, Extras features a number of actual stars playing caricatures of themselves – Ben Stiller touting the box office numbers for Along Came Polly while overzealously directing a Bosnian War epic, or Vinnie Jones threatening to beat up a wannabe-tough-guy actor.

Extras is funny, though tinged with the usual mean streak that one can expect from a Ricky Gervais comedy. The profession is implicitly sneered at. Watching it, one might ask — how realistic is this? Are there really people like this, people who think that they’ll make the jump (as Andy Millman eventually does) from background work to speaking roles and stardom?

An answer to that can be found in the 2007 documentary film Strictly Background, available on Amazon Prime. Shot in Los Angeles, it interviews many real-life Andy Millmans, ones with a range of expectations, dreams and motivations for joining the fringes of the movie business.

“In the Los Angeles area, there are currently over 45,000 active extras,” on-screen script states, “This is the true story of 10 of those extras.” We start with Louis, as he browses the shelves of a video store. He points out movies that he’s worked on. “I’ve been in maybe 150 to 200 movies, and I’ve probably been in another 200 TV productions,” he notes, before picking up a DVD copy of Austin Powers. “I worked on this for a week, and they cut off my head so you can only see my feet. Somebody told me I was funnier than the lead actor, and that was why I was cut out,” he remarks, referring to the then-hugely-successful Mike Myers.

Cleverly interspersed with clips from familiar movies edited to highlight the presence of these ten actors, the film proves that you’ve probably seen them before without even realizing it. “Most people will do extra work for six months to a year before giving up,” an agent explains. “The ones who stick with it are the ones who really make a lifestyle out of it – ones who see it as their true calling.” While the reasons they bring for adopting that lifestyle vary, that is the common thread among the ten actors profiled – they couldn’t imagine doing anything other than what they’re doing.

“I had kids that I had to send through college – you know, I had obligations,” one shares, “but as soon as that was taken care of, I said, you know? I could do this full-time now if I want. It doesn’t matter if it pays minimum wage.” There’s a retired schoolteacher, a former lawyer, an erstwhile Nashville backing musician. Some have perspective – they just love movies and the novelty of being in them. Others, perhaps, don’t, seeing it as Andy Millman does – a stepping stone to stardom.

It’s all in their words, though – there’s no narration or on-screen interviewer. For once, these actors are taking the full spotlight, getting more than just an arm or a leg in a shot. It’s fascinating to see this rare peek into an essential part of the moviemaking business. Maybe someday they’ll become stars; maybe they’ll just have fun basking in the glow of the silver screen. It’s easy to look at some of the subjects and sneer, but ultimately, they’re pursuing what they love, and it’s not played for laughs – they’re not the butt of a joke. “I never thought I’d be doing it – and now I’m doing it, and I really like it a lot,” one notes.

“I love it, actually.”

Scott Hines is an architect, blogger and internet user who lives in Louisville, Kentucky with his wife, two young children, and a small, loud dog.

Where to stream Strictly Background