When it comes to enjoyable, low-pressure jobs in the entertainment industry, it often seems like being an extra in a movie or on a TV show would be a great idea. People get to indulge in their love of pop culture and observe life on a TV set up close. If they're really lucky, they get to be in a scene with their favorite actors, which will give them amazing memories and stories.
While it might seem daunting to figure out how to make this happen, the process of getting work as an extra or "background actor" isn't that bad at all.
Redditor @CTFDYDB posted on Reddit and wrote about their experience as an extra on The Big Bang Theory. They talked about one particular rule that stood out.
The extra wrote that they went to the wardrobe department and brought some other outfits with them in case what they were wearing wasn't quite right. They then shared the rule that they had to follow: "This show was different than any other show I'd worked on in the sense that it was predominantly just about what color top you were wearing.
The extra continued on Reddit, "They almost didn't care what it was (no logos or writing though) as long as the color didn't conflict with what the cast were wearing. The wardrobe person would have a sheet and youd come up and they'd look at you (if you were wearing a brown shirt) and say '...brown. No, Sheldon's wearing brown. What else do you have?'"
The Big Bang Theory extra said that they realized that they shouldn't wear red, green, or blue and should "pick more unique colors like purple or orange.
There is always a learning curve with any job, and it sounds like it would take a bit of time to figure out the best color shirt to wear to The Big Bang Theory set. While this might sound like a very specific rule, it makes sense. Certain colors look good on camera, and it's also true that the extras should wear something different from the main cast.
The Big Bang Theory extra shared that they enjoyed their time on the set of this popular sitcom. They wrote that "everyone was friendly" and glad to be there, which is great for fans to hear. It would be a shame to learn that the people working on the beloved sitcom weren't happy, but thankfully, that doesn't appear to be the case.
The same extra explained a lot more about what it was like for them on The Big Bang Theory, and every single detail is fascinating.
People often wonder about what craft services is like on film and TV sets. It must be great to have access to food all day or night long, depending on shooting schedules. It sounds like the food on The Big Bang Theory set was great, too. Redditor @CTFDYDB shared that there is a lot of food on set and extras can enjoy meals like pasta and pizza at the WB Commissary for dinner. There is also a selection of favorite breakfast foods. However, they explained that extras shouldn't be eating while the show is filming since that would mean needing to reshoot certain scenes if they happen to be chewing during a take.
The extra also explained that they would sit in different areas before the episode began filming. Once, they were able to sit on the stage where Friends was filmed, which must have been amazing.
The extra also wrote that they really enjoyed meeting Kunal Nayyar and working with them:
"Kunal was the most approachable and chill. I messed up a cross once which resulted in him walking into a chair to avoid me while filming and he was so cool about it. I apologized profusely and he was like "dude, hi five.
Another fun fact that this extra shared about The Big Bang Theory? When they were at the check-in spot before their day officially started, they were able to watch The Big Bang Theory actors practicing moments from the episode that was going to be filmed. That definitely sounds like a perk of having a job as an extra.
It sounds like being an extra on The Big Bang Theory was always an interesting experience.
