What does it really take to get noticed, booked, and rehired as a background actor in today’s film and TV industry?
There are some general misconceptions about background acting. Legendary casting director Rose Rosen walks us through the process of how you can become a background actor.
Key Insights
- Casting directors care more about reliability, professionalism, and adaptability than trying to “steal the scene.”
- Your behavior on set, wardrobe choices, and ability to follow direction directly affect whether you get booked again.
- Successful background actors treat extra work like a real industry job and use it to build connections, experience, and opportunities.
The First Step: How To Get Into Background Acting
Depending on where you live, do some research about who hires background. Is it agents? Is it casting directors? “Follow them on social media,” Rosen says. “Get involved. Then sign up. We all love a list. This is how we live.” If there’s more than one such service, sign up for all of them. “
There’s no exclusivity on this,” she reassures. “Nobody cares. If you happen to live in a bigger city and there’s more than one or two of them, sign up with all of them. Go deep.”
Know How To Dress
Plain wardrobe is your friend here. Anything with a logo? Lose it. Can’t use them. “I was at a film festival,” Rosen recalls, “I’m watching the shorts block, and in this cute little movie, the girl had a Barbie T-shirt on in featured background. I thought, ‘Really? You couldn’t turn that inside out?’”
What You Should Be Thinking About With Your Headshots
The simple truth is that they should look like you. Not too airbrushed or altered, just nice photos of you, as you really look. “Plain is your friend here,” Rosen says. “
And make sure it represents you well. When I was working with Tim Burton, we were choosing featured background, and had these photo arrays. He wanted to pick them out one by one, because these people would recur at their homes. Mowing their lawn, doing the things people do. He would literally sit there, look at the photos, then at the people, and say, ‘Wait, is this you?’ So many people don’t look like their headshots, and that’s a big problem.”
This was a bigger problem before, when headshots cost a lot of money. Now, you can take quality shots with your phone. “Use a plain background, look like yourself, wear something clean and nice, a simple outfit, that’s it,” she advises.
“As light makeup as you can and still be comfortable. No characters, nothing. We want to just see that you’re you, and then the proof is in the pudding when you show up, right?
Showing Up: Know the Rules of Being on a Set
One of the best ways to be noticed on a set is to not be noticed. Ask your agent or casting directors what the rules are before showing up, but also use common sense. Don’t eat before the principal actors. Don’t take up the director’s time with questions.
Find out the rules ahead of time, and follow them, and understand that they want to move you out, so go there as quickly as possible. “Sometimes you’re going to be pissed because you don’t get the same food as other people,” she says.
“They’ll brown bag the extras if there are a lot of them, and serve hot food to the crew. It’s common sense, mostly, but definitely have somebody run you through this stuff ahead of time. Once you’re there, the less questions, the better. Show up and do your job. If they’re calling for you on set and somehow you’re not available, or not within earshot [and] nobody can find you, that’s a problem.”
Using Background as a Springboard To Something Bigger
Background acting and principal acting are, in fact, two different kind of skills and two different kinds of trajectories, so you should approach it in two different ways. “I love the retired people who just decide they want to do background. They get with some agents and certain casting companies that hire background. They’re in a proper city that needs that.”
Of course, if you’re in a smaller community, the opportunities might not be as plentiful, but even if you’re in the middle of nowhere, a movie or TV show could come to town, so you can keep your eyes open for those kinds of things. “That would be a fun day for you, but typically in a bigger city that’s doing some movies, you could figure this out anyway,” Rosen observes.
For a person who wants to be a speaking actor, starting out in background is an excellent educational opportunity. “You get to see what everybody does on set,” she says. “You get to see set etiquette and make sure you are an observational person, not a participating one. Because you need to watch what [everyone] is doing on the set. This is huge, and I recommend every actor do it a couple of times at the beginning, at least.”
Also, if you need money, keep doing it, but don’t put it on your resume if you want to get speaking roles. “I know people trying to make their insurance are doing some background,” Rosen says. “None of it matters. If you want to be a background actor, great. Do that. If you want to be a principal actor, there are different skill sets to learn, but learning how to be on set is a huge skill set that is the best vantage point.”
The Best Way To Build a Consistent Career in Background Acting
Do all the things: sign up with the agents, follow the casting directors that do that in your area, read the newspapers, or whatever passes for them these days, which will tell you when something is coming to town. “Every time something happens locally here, people reach out to me,” Rosen says. “Those jobs are out there. Apply for them and show up.”
Building a career, or even an avocation as a background actor is like any other creative endeavor. It takes discipline and attention to detail. It also takes the ability to follow direction and do what you’re told. It’s not for everyone, but if it strikes you as something you want to do, there are plenty of chances to do it in most states.
One way to keep on top of things is with the help of Casting Networks, where your profile could help you get work as well.
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