Working as a Supporting Artist Support

A supporting artist, sometimes known as an ‘extra’, is someone who performs in a production in a non-speaking role, usually in the background. They bring a sense of realism to a scene and are an essential part of film and TV production.

A stand-in takes the place of a principal actor for rehearsals, camera blocking and lighting setups. Unlike supporting artists, stand-ins do not appear on screen.

Doubles take the place of principal actors on screen, though their faces are rarely (if ever) seen. There are a variety of doubles used on set, including hand, photo and minor doubles.

If a production brief requires specialised action, casting agents will look to hire SPACT trained artists who can execute these actions safely and correctly. They must have verified, specialised experience (e.g., weapon training, martial arts, ex-forces).

If you have SPACT training, you can indicate your experience under SPACT Experience in the Casting Information tab of your profile.

We advise artists that they should not rely on being a supporting artist for their sole income. Most supporting artists have another source of income.

There is some weekend work for supporting artists and you can let agents and agencies know that you’re only available on weekends via the Calendar on your profile. However, this will limit the number of job offers you can accept as filming generally occurs on weekdays.

The best way to increase your chances of getting work is to make sure your profile is as complete and up to date as possible. Casting agents search for artists via the criteria you provide on your profile, so the more information you provide, the more likely you are to match a brief they’re working on. If you don’t keep your profile up to date and provide all relevant information, you could be missing out on potential work. See our Managing your profile support page for more information on how to create a strong profile.

At a minimum, please ensure your Main and Face photos are updated regularly and follow the guidelines set out on our Photos page.

Please also make sure you update your measurements if these have changed (see our Measurements page for more information).

If you’re available for work, there is no need to contact us or casting agents directly. The best way to inform casting agents of your availability is to keep the Calendar on your profile up to date by clicking on the days and changing them to Available or Unavailable. You can also update a range of days, setting your availability by weekday. It’s advisable to keep your calendar accurate and up to date as casting agents often search for people who are available as a priority.

This is a seasonal business which is highly dependent on production schedules set across the year. Casting agencies using the EP Casting Community have no control over the briefs coming in, nor do they have the final say in who is selected. The nature of the business is such that you will be rejected with no explanation. If this is a problem, you may decide this work is not for you. Please don't contact us to let us know that you are available for work – instead, update the Calendar on your profile so that this information is visible to agents.