Angela Lansbury
Earning A Living In The Film and TV Extras Business
Extra, Walk-On, Supporting Artist, Background Artist, are typical market place terms which can apply to the kind of employment you would expect to enjoy, when considering any job opportunities within the TV and film extras industry. You can also be really lucky and get selected to be a Featured Artist, for which you may very well be required to interact with actors, possibly even speaking a line or two. Featured Artists are typically planned in advance, particularly if there is a very specific need, maybe a precise image, hair colour, ethnic culture etc, although it can be the case that you would simply be picked out whilst on set.
Film and TV extras – featured artist opportunities
It has happened to me on a few occasions, but one that sticks out was while I was employed on an episode of Inspector Morse and the Director called for someone who would be happy smoking a cigar! Up went my hand and I secured myself a primary role! Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of cigars as well as the fact that the scene was reshot more than a few times, each of which required me to be puffing away on my King Edward. This left me beginning to feel very queasy towards the end of the filming! The plus side to all of this was finding myself in the TV Times a couple of weeks later in a screenshot from that week’s episode. The late John Thaw as Inspector Morse positioned in the foreground, plus me in the background!
The sad thing is, I never got a chance to chat with John Thaw, but during my period of time in the industry I have had the pleasure of being able to meet such actors as George Cole, Angela Lansbury and Roger Moore, not to mention the questionable excitement of sucking “The Duchess of York’s” toes!
Film and TV extras with toe sucking responsibilities
I received a call for me to work on an American ‘made for TV’ film about Princess Diana. It was shortly after ‘Fergie’ (the Duchess of York) had hit the head lines regarding her infamous toe sucking interlude in the South of France with her financial expert John Bryant. I had been told to bring swim shorts along with me as I would be filling the role of John Bryant. I had mentioned the issue related to ‘toe sucking’ when I first received the phone call, but was advised that there would definitely be ‘none of that’ … just how misguided they were!
After we got on set (sadly in a studio rather than the South of France!) the movie director thought that ‘toe sucking’ was most definitely the order of the day and proceeded to persuade me to ‘make love’ to “Fergie’s” feet! I’m not a great enthusiast of feet but gratefully the actress playing Fergie (previous ‘Coronation Street actress Tracy Brabin) had made sure that her feet were clean and ‘pleasant smelling’!
Basically the movie got ridiculed in the Uk press, however one crtiic stated that the cringe generating scenes were only relieved by ‘toe sucking’ in the sunshine. Therefore I believe that my ‘toe sucking’ technique must have been pretty impressive!
Having spent considerable time working within the TV extras and film extras business I’ve been subjected to many similar and unpredicatble scenarios, so, if you are looking into TV or film extras career options, you ought to be completely aware of just what you are letting your self in for and what you’re most likely to get out of the experience!
About the Author
Ben Jones has spent many years working as a character model and as a TV and Movie Background Artist, prior to joining StarsInMyEyes.TV.
His wealth of experience in the industry is particularly helpful when reviewing opportunities for TV Auditions and TV Extras.
Beauty and the Beast: Angela Lansbury
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Angela Lansbury’s Queen of Diamonds Motherly Love Magnet $2.00 This scene near the end of the Cold War classic The Manchurian Candidate provides the final part of the explanation of poor helpless Raymond’s confused mind as his communist handler/mother lays a big incestuous kiss on him. Be reminded of true motherly love every time you head to the refrigerator and see this magnet…. |
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Disney’s Greatest 1 $8.34 No Description Available.Genre: ChildrensMedia Format: Compact DiskRating: Release Date: 27-FEB-2001… |
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Blue Hawaii $3.85 Elvis Presley’s seventh film was the first of his “Hawaii trilogy” (including Girls! Girls! Girls! and Paradise, Hawaiian Style). While its story is daft–the King has just been released from his Army posting in Italy and returned to the islands, where he’s trying to avoid working in his father’s fruit business–the music is not: “Blue Hawaii,” “Almost Always True,” and the beautiful “Can’t Help F… |
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Beauty and the Beast (Three-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) $26.99 Set in and around a quaint French village during the late 18th century, Beauty and the Beast follows the fantastic adventures of Belle, a brightand beautiful young woman who finds escape from her ordinary life, and the advances of a boorish suitor, Gaston, by reading books. Meanwhile, off in a castle in the distance, a cruel young prince is cast under the spell of an enchantress who turns him into… |
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Beauty and the Beast $17.75 One of the most acclaimed and treasured animated films of all time is about to sweep you off your feet. Follow the adventures of Belle, a bright young woman who finds herself in the castle of a prince who’s been turned into a mysterious beast. With the help of the castle’s enchanted staff, Belle soon learns the most important lesson of all — that true beauty comes from within. An all-new digital … |
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