All right, I'm not a star, by any means, and rarely a featured non-union player. It has actually been over two years since I last applied for any background gig. So, this episode really took me by surprise. A production company called me to be an actress for a two-day Bay Area shoot, then, the casting director followed up to give me details about wardrobe, how I'd be either a grandma or a doc, and explained that I would hear details about the weekend shoot on Thursday or Friday, by phone. By now, I had been booked by email. So, to give a little boost to my career, I had planned my weekend around this shoot, which became a large expense for my family, as I had to book caregivers for my mother, 24-7. My mother's caregivers charge a lot more than any background player in California earns, you can be certain.
It's Saturday night as I write this. I followed up with the casting director with a concerned phone call last night. No one has gotten back to me, so far.
Seriously, is this how the production companies are now treating "background players?" Or, was this a fluke or error of omission? Does it have something to do with the closure of the Golden Gate Bridge this weekend?
No more background for me. Years ago, I had already made that decision, and this reconfirms my stance.Why I dipped in again? Just because I was in "refresh" mode for the new year.
I feel absolutely terrible for any actors caught in a similar circumstance, and, if something like this has happened to you, please write to me, below, even if it's just to vent. You can do so anonymously. You'll feel a bit better, I hope. Also, do let your voice be heard in the acting community about circumstances like this one.
Post Script: The wardrobe mistress did a global email to all the actors today, and I took the opportunity to query the odd events. I was nice. An actor must always be nice. The wardrobe mistress apologized on behalf of casting.
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