How to Be a Movie Extra: 2026 Pay Rates and Where to Sign Up
In 1925, Will Hays, the man behind Hollywood’s censorship code, set up Central Casting to bring order to how Hollywood hired its extras. It registered 18,000 extras in its first six months and made 113,873 placements. Clark Gable, Gary Cooper and Jean Harlow all came through its books.
A century later, it is still the front door for most American background actors. Here’s how to be a movie extra in 2026, in the US or in Canada, with the real day rates, the sites that cost you nothing, and what happens once you step onto a set.
If you’re thinking about a bigger acting career, our acting guide for beginners maps out the whole road.
TL;DR: From Sign-Up to Set
To be a movie extra, sign up with a background casting company in your area, upload one headshot and one full-body photo, and keep your phone on. Union extras earn $231 a day in the US and $270.30 CAD a day in BC. Non-union extras usually earn minimum wage. Legit casting never charges you for photos.
What Is a Movie Extra?
A movie extra, also called a background actor or background performer, fills the world around the main cast without speaking a scripted line.
You’re the diner customer, the commuter, the football fan in row 12. Casting splits background work into a few types, and each one pays differently:
- General background: crowds, passersby, patrons. Most first bookings are this.
- Special ability: you bring a skill the scene needs, like skating, dancing, driving a specific car or playing an instrument.
- Stand-in: you match a lead actor’s height and coloring and stand on their marks while the crew lights the shot.
- Photo double: you appear on camera in place of a lead, usually from behind or at a distance.
Most extras start in general background. Stand-in work pays more and puts you next to the camera crew all day.
How Much Do Movie Extras Make?
Union extras make $231 for an 8-hour day in the US and $270.30 CAD in British Columbia in 2026. Non-union extras usually earn the local minimum wage by the hour.
| Where | Type of work | 2026 minimum day rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| US, SAG-AFTRA | General background | $231 for 8 hours | 1 Jul 2026 |
| US, SAG-AFTRA | Special ability | $241 for 8 hours | 1 Jul 2026 |
| US, SAG-AFTRA | Stand-in or photo double | $270 for 8 hours | 1 Jul 2026 |
| BC, UBCP/ACTRA | General background | $270.30 CAD for 8 hours | 29 Mar 2026 |
| BC, UBCP/ACTRA | Special ability | $362.75 CAD for 8 hours | 29 Mar 2026 |
| BC, UBCP/ACTRA | Stand-in | $293.86 CAD for 8 hours | 29 Mar 2026 |
| BC, non-union | Any background | $18.25 CAD an hour, plus 4% vacation pay | 1 Jun 2026 |
Sources: the SAG-AFTRA 2026 theatrical wage table, the UBCP/ACTRA 2025 to 2028 rate sheet and the BC Government.
Long days push those numbers up. In BC, a union background performer earns $50.69 an hour at time and a half and $67.58 at double time. Film days often run 10 to 12 hours, so overtime is where the money is.
Small extras called adjustments add up too. Under the 2026 SAG-AFTRA deal, background actors get $21.50 for body make-up or a corset and a new $35 bump for extensive hair and make-up, according to Everyset.
US non-union rates follow the minimum wage where the production is filming, so a day in California pays differently from a day in Georgia. Check the booking details before you say yes.
How to Be a Movie Extra in 6 Steps
Here’s how to be an extra in a movie, from your first sign-up to your first booking. The steps are the same in the US and Canada.
1) Check That You Can Work Legally
Background work is paid work, so you need the same paperwork as any other job.
In the US, Central Casting asks for Form I-9 documents in California, New York, Georgia and Louisiana, and every background actor must show they can work in the United States. In Canada, you need a Social Insurance Number to get paid.
2) Take Two Simple Photos
You need one headshot and one full-body shot, both in color and facing forward.
That’s all Central Casting asks for. Use your phone, stand by a window, and wear something plain that fits. Our headshot tips cover the lighting.
Don’t pay for a portfolio. As Creative Pathways warns, “Some disreputable agencies may try to convince you that you need an expensive photo portfolio to become an extra. This is false.”
3) Register With Background Casting
Register with the background casting companies that book in your city. The next two sections list the main ones in the US and in Canada.
Your profile needs your height, weight, clothing sizes, hair color and any skills. Be exact. Wardrobe plans outfits from those numbers.
4) Mark Your Availability and Keep Your Phone On
Bookings move fast. Central Casting says bookings “can happen just days before filming takes place.”
Keep your calendar current, and reply the minute a text lands. The first people to confirm get the job.
5) Build a Background Closet
Extras usually bring their own clothes, so casting books the people who own the right ones.
Keep a business suit, a casual outfit in muted colors, a winter coat and something formal. Skip logos, pure white, bright red and tight stripes, which fight with the camera. Bring two or three options to every booking.
6) Show Up Early and Be Easy to Work With
Arrive 15 minutes before your call time, check in, and follow the background PA.
The extras who get rebooked aren’t the best looking ones. They’re the ones who listen, repeat their action the same way every take and don’t wander off.
Where to Find Extra Work in the US
In the US, most film and TV background work runs through Central Casting, which is free to join and has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta and New Orleans.
- Sign up: registration is online only. Staff review your profile within 7 to 10 business days.
- Get booked: casting texts or emails you, and you can check the Open Roles page for calls.
- Get paid: Entertainment Partners, Central Casting’s parent company, pays you by check or direct deposit.
Backstage, Actors Access and Casting Networks list background calls too, especially for commercials and indie films. Some charge a membership fee, so start with the free tiers. Our list of the best websites for actors compares them.
Want your union card? SAG-AFTRA lets you join after three days of work as a background actor under a union contract, according to SAG-AFTRA. The joining fee depends on your local, so ask before you apply.
How to Be a Movie Extra in Vancouver and BC
British Columbia is one of the biggest production centers in North America. Its motion picture industry added $2 billion to the province’s GDP in 2023 and relies on more than 70,000 freelancers, according to BC Creates.
That means steady background work, especially around Vancouver, where series like Virgin River shoot.
Where to register:
- The Casting Collective: a free database for independent casting directors across BC and Alberta. “You’re never charged any fees or commissions. You keep 100% of the money you earn.”
- Hollywood North Extras: a licensed agency in Burnaby that has supplied union and non-union background performers to Vancouver shoots since 1994.
- Background agencies: BC agencies usually take 10% to 15% of what you earn. Check that any agency is licensed with the province before you sign.
Most people start non-union. To become a UBCP/ACTRA background member, you need 15 days of union background work in the last 12 months. Non-union days don’t count, according to the UBCP/ACTRA membership FAQ.
Being an Extra in Victoria, BC
Victoria is a busy film town for a city its size. The film commission says productions bring about $60 million a year into southern Vancouver Island, according to Saanich News.
You’ve seen it on screen even if you didn’t know it. Hatley Castle, on the Royal Roads University campus in Colwood, played Professor Xavier’s school in X2 (2003). The castle came back for X-Men: The Last Stand and Deadpool. Our list of movies filmed in Victoria BC covers the rest of the city’s screen credits.
Xavier’s school is a real place, and it’s a short drive from my house in Victoria.
On X2, I was Nightcrawler’s stunt double. My costume ripped while I was doing backflips down the hallway.
The grounds still carry a nod to the films. One of the hedges is trimmed into an X.
Stunt performers and extras have more in common than people think. Nobody in the audience knows your name. Take you out of the frame, though, and the scene stops working.
Victoria is also a Hallmark town. The Christmas House (2020) shot in Victoria and Sidney, and Hallmark’s Young Aurora Teagarden Mysteries filmed here in 2024. Every one of those cozy main streets needs shoppers, carolers and couples on benches.
Two shows made 2026 a big year:
- Crew Girl (Netflix): a rowing drama that premiered on 10 September 2026, with Hatley Castle playing its school. It climbed to the number 2 show on Netflix in its second week and was renewed on 22 September, with season 2 filming in Victoria, according to Hollywood North Buzz.
- Private Eyes West Coast (Global): Jason Priestley’s detective series, shot at the Fairmont Empress and around the city, premieres on 30 September 2026. Season 2 is set to film in Victoria next year, according to Victoria News.
How to get extra work in Victoria:
- Register with the BC-wide databases. The Casting Collective books across the province, including the Island.
- Contact Island casting. KC Casting in Nanaimo, run by casting director Jacqui Kaese, casts principal and background performers for up to 15 movies a year, including several seasons of Hallmark’s Chesapeake Shores.
- Watch what’s shooting. Film Victoria lists local productions, and Creative BC publishes a weekly list of shows about to shoot in BC. When a title lands in Victoria, look for its background casting call.
What Does a Movie Extra’s Day Look Like?
An extra’s day is mostly waiting, broken up by short bursts of work. Here’s a typical 12-hour day.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| Call time | Check in with the background PA and get your voucher, the timecard that gets you paid |
| First hour | Wardrobe checks your outfits, then hair and make-up |
| Morning | Wait in holding until the crew calls for background |
| On set | The AD gives you an action, like “cross left with the coffee,” and you rehearse it |
| Between takes | “Back to one” means return to your starting mark |
| Meal | Union rules put a meal break within six hours of call |
| Wrap | Return wardrobe, sign out, and hand in your voucher |
The crew runs on a schedule you’ll never see. Our guide to making a call sheet shows how the whole day fits together.
Set Rules Every Extra Should Know
The fastest way to get rebooked is to follow a handful of rules nobody writes down for you.
- Never look at the camera. One glance ruins a take.
- Mime your conversations. Background talk is silent so the sound team gets clean dialogue.
- Leave the cast alone. No selfies, no autographs, no small talk unless they start it.
- Keep your phone away. Most sets ban photos, and many have you sign a confidentiality agreement.
- Bring what you need. A charger, a book, a snack and a warm layer for night shoots.
Take nine should look exactly like take one. That’s the real job.
If you crossed left with the coffee cup on take one, cross left with the cup on take nine. Same pace, same hand.
The editor cuts between takes. An extra who drifts makes a shot unusable, and the AD remembers who it was.
How to Spot an Extras Scam
Legit background casting pays you. It doesn’t charge you to get in the door.
- Upfront fees for “guaranteed work”: Central Casting and The Casting Collective are free.
- Paid photo shoots: a phone headshot and a full-body shot are enough.
- Pay-to-audition calls: real productions don’t sell set access.
- Unlicensed agencies: in BC, check an agency’s licence with the province. A licensed agency earns a commission from your work, not a fee for signing you.
If something feels off, ask the production’s background casting company directly. They’ll tell you if a call is real.
FAQs About Being a Movie Extra
Do you need acting experience to be an extra?
No. The Casting Collective lists its requirements as “None!” You need to be reliable, available on the dates you accept and able to follow directions. If you want to build from there, our guide to becoming an actor with no experience is the next step.
Can you be an extra if you’re under 18?
Yes. Central Casting registers minors, from babies up, but a parent or guardian must manage the account and handle bookings.
Can an extra get upgraded to a speaking role?
Yes. If a director gives you a line on the day, you get upgraded to a principal and paid at the principal rate. In the US, one day as a principal on a union job also makes you eligible to join SAG-AFTRA.
The Final Cut on How to Be a Movie Extra
Being a movie extra takes two photos, one free sign-up and a phone you actually answer. The pay is modest, but you get paid to watch professionals make a film from a few steps away.
If background work is step one of something bigger, our guide to starting an acting career from scratch picks up from here, and our list of film crew positions shows every job you’ll see from holding.
Where would you most like to be a background face: a Hallmark main street or a Netflix rowing race?
Jay Neill
Jay Neill is the founder and managing editor of iFILMthings and believes everyone should have access to the film resources they need to plan their filmmaking project, which is why he’s dedicated iFILMthings to helping all filmmakers.
Nice article, Jay! Quick question about becoming a SAG-AFTRA member, what’s the initial cost look like for someone just starting? Curious because budgeting’s tight but definitely see its value.
Great breakdown on how much extras make. It aligns with my experience, though it’s worth mentioning that patience is key in this industry. Sometimes the days are long and the pay seems low, but every gig is a stepping stone. For anyone new, keep showing up and doing your best!
thanks for the insight Alex! just started out, any tips on dealing with the long waiting times?
Really enlightening piece on the life of a movie extra, Jay. It’s fascinating to see what goes on behind the scenes and the work that extras put in to make movie magic happen. Makes me appreciate the films even more!