You may not notice them as you watch your favorite TV show. They’re drinking coffee in a restaurant, walking down the street, or dancing at a crowded party. But by doing what they’re doing, they’re making scenes look more realistic.
They’re background actors, the extras, the performers who stand behind the stars and rarely get noticed except by eager-eyed friends and proud-as-punch mothers. Interested in background acting? Wondering whether it’s for you or how to get started? I spoke with several actors who gave me the background on working background.
Debbie Miller Nelson worked in the wine industry before leaving her job and taking the leap into acting last year. Nelson often works background five days a week on television shows and films like “Gotham” and “Younger.” She said she loves it because “every day is a different role, a different decade, a different wardrobe with different people.”
She recommends that actors who want to do a lot of background work be professional, show up on time, and follow directions. Though she does caution that while some weeks “there is too much work,” other weeks find her with only one day on a
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