All right? I'm Karl. I'm on my way to Pinewood Studios for the day.
I'm gonna be on the set of "Extras".
Ricky's given me a role as an extra
and he's asked me to film what it's like being a real-life extra.
This is Karl Pilkington, a friend of Ricky's.
He's with us today, just filming behind the scenes of the shoot, basically.
But also, more specifically, he was wanting to do a piece
about a day in the life of a supporting artist.
So if you guys are all right with that,
he was gonna just have a chat with some of you guys,
do some interviews and a bit of filming.
Is everyone all right with that? Anyone got a problem with that at all?
If you guys are all right with that, that'd be great.
(Karl) The day I was there, there was about 25 extras on set.
Most people knew each other quite well cos they'd worked on other jobs.
That's what tends to happen.
So, er... it felt a bit awkward.
You know that feeling you get when you're the new kid in school? it was like that.
I was just sort of keeping myself to myself, really.
I didn't want to get in the way. Thats when we were called for the first scene.
(man) Bit more, Paul. Sorry.
When the agent comes out, if we could just get a couple of snaps from you two.
You think something's gonna happen.
- Guy? - I wasn't needed for that scene
so I just sat and sort of did that thing where you mess about with your phone,
pretend you're texting people.
That's what I'm doing there, look.
You can't tell though, can you, that I'm just messing about there.
Maybe this acting thing isn't that hard after all.
Ricky and Steve were too busy to see me
so I was still none the wiser as to when I'd be needed.
So I thought I'd just use this time to chat to some of the extras -
you know, make some friends. I had a chat with a bloke called Dave.
(Karl) How long have you done this sort of stuff for, this line of work?
Most of my adult life. I went to drama school, tried acting,
wasn't successful, and then came into extra work.
Right. So when you say most of your adult life,
what sort of time are you talking?
- How many years? - Nearly 30.
- 30 years? - Yeah, yeah.
- (man) OK. Mark it. - 234, take one. A and B cameras.
- Ricky, just get yourself... - Yeah, I will.
(Karl) Advice-wise, I mean, how do you be a good extra?
What have I got to do today?
Well, you've got to know...
You've got to be like children - seen but not heard.
That's the secret. A bit demoralising, but that's the way it is.
You can be a big personality off the set,
when you're on the set you're expected to be quiet, listen.
Everyone else can mess around, but not us.
Help yourself to a cup of tea.
I don't know how people do it every day.
Cos it can't be good for you. It can't be good for your head, this -
just sat about doing nothing. You're just treated like an ornament.
You can do 14 hours and do nothing.
I don't do it that much, I've got a job.
I just do it occasionally.
- So what do you do? - I'm a fireman.
- Are you? - Yeah.
- That's quite a stressful job. - It can be. It's a bit like this, actually -
sit around, then all hell breaks loose for 20 minutes, then sit round a bit more.
Some people are a little bit strange and do it every day forever.
- (Ricky) That's a great shot. - (all laugh)
(Karl) So, er... what's your name?
I'm Ray Tigmund. Series thug.
That's what you normally get, is it?
Yeah, the last couple of episodes I've done
there's been a Bosnian-Serbian soldier with an AK-47
and then murdering accused person in the dock,
and now I'm a bouncer.
And that's just cos of your size, really?
Apparently, I look the part.
Yeah. No, I can see, you know, why they pick you for that.
Just looking at me, what would you say I could be down as?
Cos I'm not as big as you.
You've got a good... You could probably get a lot more extra work than I can
because you have a... You could be a football supporter,
you could be "man walking down street".
I walk down the street they go, "Oh, big guy."
So you would blend in, probably, a lot better than someone like me.
So it's that kind of real people that don't look like movie stars
and have overly polished teeth and look, you know, actor-y.
So, yeah, I think you'd get quite a bit of work.
With all your costumes...
We did another scene in the same location.
Again, I wasn't needed.
I started to get hungry, but I was told they don't start serving lunch till one.
One of the extras told me that the actors and crew get the first dibs on the food,
so sometimes there isn't that much left by the time the extras get served.
- (woman) Chicken. - Got any beans?
- Chips or jacket potatoes? - Chips.
Luckily, there was, so I was all right.
It was just the forks that they'd run out of.
Oh, and seats on the bus.
After I'd eaten, a woman came up to me and told me my role.
I've got a line, as well.
It's a scene where Ricky's coming out of the Ivy
and I'm meant to be an autograph hunter and he offers me his autograph
and I've got to sort of go, "No, you're all right. "
I've got to act like I don't want it.
Is it normal if I have to do it three or four times or is that bad?
The really funny thing is, when you're a bit-part player,
you're expected to get it right first time.
If you're a star, they can be a lot more liberal with you
and you can get it wrong and everyone laughs.
If we get it wrong, they say, "Shouldn't have picked him."
So if you get it wrong twice, you get taken out and someone else gets a chance.
- We have to get it right first time. - I need to get it right,
otherwise the other extras will love it?
- They'll be going, "I could've done that." - Yeah.
We'll be practising it whilst you're doing it
and giving it a different aspect of...
We'll probably feel we're ready to take over
if, in fact, Ricky says, "You're not doing it quite right."
And we'll say, "I think I could do that."
And then, hopefully, he'll say, "Karl, can you just come out?"
Because I've got quite a big part in it now - I'm not just an extra, I've got a line -
this meant I had to have makeup.
I don't know. I'm a bit nervous about it.
I think all the extras are a bit annoyed that I've got this speaking part.
Think they'll gang up against you now?
They just said there's people who've been doing this job for years and...
Well, there is that.
- But... - Do you know your lines?
I think I've just got to sort of go...
I've got to go, "No, you're all right."
Well, that's good. That convinced me.
"No, you're all right." Just go like that.
- But... - It can be a bit scary, can't it?
Yeah.
I used to like it when I was at school. I got involved in the odd talent show and that.
But when you get older and you go a bit bald,
you lose your confidence a bit.
- What did you do in the talent show? - I was a caretaker in it.
- Sort of. But one who could do magic. - (laughs)
It was all right. It was better than it sounds.
As expected, it wasn't long before there was talk about the shape of my head.
So you're growing a beard? Or is this designer stubble?
Ricky's always going on about my head being round.
- It is quite round, I have to say. - What do you mean?
- But heads... it's meant to be like that. - Is it?
If you saw me, would you go, "That's a bit weird"?
No, not weird. But it is round.
I just thought if I grow some hair at the bottom...
When did Karl get in on the...?
(laughter)
No doubt the topic of my head will crop up again later.
I was told I'd be needed soon, so I used what time I had left to practise my line.
No, you're all right.
No...
Do you want an autograph?
No, you're all right.
No, you're all right, mate. Er...
Things were delayed a little bit cos weather kept changing,
which isn't good when you're filming.
They didn't want me to get my costume wet,
so they organised me getting a lift.
Look. I was embarrassed there.
I wished they would've just let me walk.
No, you're all right.
So, you hear a noise, your cue, you tum round, see who it is.
Oh, it's me. You're not interested. I stand there and go... You have your book out.
- Do you want me to sign that? - No. No, you're all right.
I will if you want. There's no one else in there, so if you want me to...
No.
- (man) You say, "if you want to fill it up." - I will.
OK, that's it. So have your notebook ready.
Er...
(man) Craig?
(Stephen) Have you had a knock on the head?
What do you mean? Sorry, it's just a lot to remember, isn't it?
We've got to show the full horror of the head. Cheers.
(laughs) Can we get that? Does that look...?
- Steve? - (Karl) Do you want it like that?
- Gollum. - Gollum!
- OK. OK. - Stop messing about now.
(Ricky) Who's Karl talking to? Who's Karl with?
- Dunno. - Leave it for now, Steve, and we'll...
(Stephen) Have we got a couple of other oiks?
- "Other oiks"? - (laughter)
- (man) Mark it. - 234, take one. A and B cameras.
- Ricky, just take yourself... - Yeah, I will. I'm just waiting for...
(clears throat)
(man) And action.
- Got anybody lately? - I think Graham Norton's in tonight.
Cheers.
- Do you want me to sign that? - No, you're all right, mate. Cheers.
- There's no one else in there. - No, I'll leave it.
You'll never get it filled.
- I'll leave it. - Oh, for f...
Round-headed little twat.
- Who's that guy? - He's a loser.
All right? Just... That's it, then. Finished.
I've been here since seven this morning.
It's now quarter to six,
and all I've done is say, "No, you're all right."
(♪ "Tea for the Tillerman" by Cat Stevens)
(Ricky) Hold on. Don't clean him just yet. We might use him for something else.
(man) Guys...
That's Karl's day as an extra.
What did he expect? What did he expect?