This Past Summer In The World Of TV & More

As I have talked a little bit about on this blog in the past, I enjoy working as an extra (aka. background actor) in movies and TV shows whenever possible. Well, this past summer was no exception! Although naturally I can't speak about the actual scenes I worked on, I thought I might share some of what is publicly available online already about the two TV shows that I worked on this summer.

Vandergrift, PA, a small town about 15 minutes from where I live, was used quite a bit in Season 4 of the Cinemax show Banshee. I ended up working seven days on the show, though at least two of those days I was a last minute replacement due to cancellations. Not that I minded, of course. It was really fun working in an area that I've been to so often.

I'll be honest here, I hadn't actually heard of Banshee until it was reported that the show was moving its production to Pennsylvania from Charlotte, NC. I don't have a subscription to Cinemax anymore either. Perhaps if I did I would have known about the show. But then again, I don't watch much TV these days. I read a lot instead. :)

KDKA Channel 2 news was on set one day to do a segment about the show and even asked Greg, the Extras PA, if they could interview some of us but we weren't allowed to talk to the press. They did, however, film some of us (and broadcasted it) as we were leaving the set and headed back to 'holding' where we were signed out for the day. When it was announced that season 4 was going to be the last one, KDKA did another segment on the show and used some of the previous footage, including the extras, again. Below is a print screen of us from that footage. I'm the second from the left. Greg, the extras PA, is third from left wearing black.

I don't know when I'll get to see season 4 of Banshee, since I don't have Cinemax, but I now have season 1 and 2 on DVD. For now I will catch up on those episodes.

The other TV series filmed this summer here in Western Pennsylvania was the Outsiders. This is a new series to be aired on WGN, which thankfully I have that channel. :D It was filmed primarily in Millvale and Monroeville. I worked six days on this show.

Outsiders has some notable names in it such as David Morse, Ryan Hurst, Joe Anderson and Kyle Gallner (all pictured below). This makes the second time that I've worked on something with an actor that was in one of the Twilight Saga movies. The first being Taylor Lautner in the movie Abduction back in 2010. Also, I was rather disappointed that Joe Anderson's role in Breaking Dawn part 2 as Alistair was so small. I understand though that the character wasn't in the book for long either.

Check out the first trailer for Outsiders!

Aside from those two TV shows, I've worked on a number of movies the past year or so. Including The Last Witch Hunter but I can't be seen in it. I was part of the crowd in the fashion show scene.


I worked three days on the movie Love The Coopers. I was able to spot myself near the end of the trailer in the grocery store scene.

 

Unfortunately, the only part of me seen in the trailer is my backside. LOL  Below is a print screen from the trailer. I'm near the top right with my back to the camera. I have nothing to complain about though. John Goodman spoke to me that day! :)

After seeing Love The Coopers when it came out, I was able to see myself from a couple angles in the grocery store scene and once in the scene when Olivia Wilde and Jake Lacy walk off the steps after leaving the subway.


One of the movies I worked on late last year is Concussion. Although I worked nine days on this movie, the majority of that was as a driver. And driving in Pittsburgh can be a challenge, but I had a lot of fun doing it.

A behind the scenes video was posted Dec. 9th and I was able to find myself in it. Below is a screen still of the scene I'm in as well as the video itself. I'm clear in the back and off to the left of center but to the right and behind the woman in the red coat.

One of the other movies I worked on last year was Southpaw starring Jake Gyllenhaal. I worked ten days on that movie as a spectator at all of the boxing events. Well, at least I was in four of the boxing events anyway. The only one that I was able to spot myself in was the charity boxing event. But I was in the back of the room for that, so I can't be seen clearly. One of my nephews worked the charity boxing scene with me. There was a behind the scenes video released that I was actually able to see myself pretty well. In the print screen below, I'm the one to the right of the police officer with the white shirt.

This is the behind the scenes video.

And the trailer.

Well, this post ended up being much longer than I expected it to be so I'll end it here. But I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that I'll get to do more work as an extra next year. Have any of you done any work on a movie or TV show? I'd love to hear your stories if you have!