The Acting Credit-Money Myth

If there’s one thing that background performers continually talk about, it’s credits. Nope, not the plastic cards with fantasy money that you can swipe at will and sign your future life away to, the credit for being recognized as relevant to something on camera.

The Acting Credit-Money Myth

Every extra is guilty of talking about it too much. Now if you’re a proper actor, fully unionized etc. it’s irrelevant, you already make as much money as you can doing extra work. If you’re an apprentice, or an extras union member, or you’re just a “normal extra,” the acting credit is your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

The problem is though, there are hundreds if not thousands of other background performers in the same boat. Once an “extra” gets a credit, he/she is entitled to join the union and stand in a new line up designed for those a little ahead of the rest of the curve. It is not guaranteed though, I repeat, not guaranteed. Apprentice union members have nothing to hold on aside from the knowledge that they in some part acted (or equivalently participated) in something union approved and they were labelled as being credit worthy.

Yes, us extras are bitter and whiney. I need another coffee.