10 Things They Never Tell You About Being A Hollywood Movie Extra

Ever wondered why it is only the stars of the film that can he heard talking in crowded clubs and busy restaurants? It’s not because they are shouting to be heard over all of the extras deeply involved in their own engrossing conversations nearby, it’s because those extras aren’t actually talking at all.

To be a successful background artist you have to be a good mime, because every action you are asked to perform – talking, eating, dancing, clapping, cheering – must be done in complete and utter silence. It might not sound like too much of a hardship, but attempting to look as though you are cheering someone on without actually making a sound is a lot more difficult than it sounds, as is maintaining a silent conversation with another extra.

Former extra Matt Haze, who appeared in 1998 teen comedy Can’t Hardly Wait, admitted that when he arrived on a movie set for the first time he had no idea that supporting artists operated in complete silence:

“I thought that was weird. I never knew that’s what they did. A lot of times you are speaking pretend words to another extra you’ve been hanging out with on the set, but other times you are doing it with a complete stranger, so it’s pretty awkward.”