Don Lowe, 1960
Editor’s Note: As a transfer from Wichita Southeast, Don finished at East. He went on to have an impressive career in the U.S. Army and boasted an extensive collection of cars. Following his retirement from the Army, he and his English wife Mary pursued an interesting career for a couple of years in the movies and sitcoms as “extras.” He had parts with a number of Hollywood and TV stars.
Mary and I got to know some of the casting agents pretty well and they would assign us to a movie or a TV show together. We actually got “hooked” working these events for a few reasons: we got paid, we ate free, we met many big names, we got mileage and even got extra pay or “bumps,” as they were called.
Bumps were a benefit. For example, if I wore my own tuxedo that I bought at a thrift store for $15, I got paid $15 for that shoot. Because I wore that tux around 20 times, I was paid $300. This was considered “non-union extra” and once in a while we would be given a Union Voucher and that doubled our pay. One day I was given a speaking part that paid me $200 on top of my regular daily pay.
To succeed as an extra, you have to learn the rules of the game. Observe the hierarchy and always remember the stars have egos that need attending. You are not always one of them. You may remember Johnny Carson talking about the studio commissary where the stars eat lunch on breaks. It was a dining facility similar to the East cafeteria. Being in line you never knew who you would see, because actors would be there from studios on the lot. One day in line, I noticed two persons behind me, Cloris Leachman with Tori Spelling. Privacy Rule: We didn’t make a big deal of these events, we just didn’t interrupt them.
Dining Rules: The craft services (food provided) was divided int two parts, the tables for Union Extras, Actors/Crews, Producers, etc and then the Non-Union people like us. I witnessed an almost fist fight one time when a non-union guy was caught eating from the Union side. Some people did treat non-union members like real people though. Nobody wanted to work a Disney movie because they were so cheap you were lucky to get a free bottle of water. They usually cut locations and shooting before noon so they didn’t have to feed anyone. You could actually not accept a job and still get work later, unless you had been seen and had to come back.
Star-power Rule: No one is allowed to speak to the star unless you are spoken to first.
Color Rules: Don’t wear the same color of clothing as the star! In The Sinatra Story, the director yelled “Cut!” and pointed to my wife Mary and said, ‘Get that red dress off that woman; our principal is wearing red.” No one in the movies is to wear anything that distracts from the main actors. As for cars and trucks, only certain colors are allowed in some productions, “Sisters” for instance.
Ad-lib Rule: If you were to ad-lib in silence, they told you not to say anything nasty because the lip readers would “nail” you.
TV Parts Played
Murder She Wrote, with Angela Lansbury – I was a body lying in an elevator on one episode.
Empty Nest – On the set, a court processor got assigned as an extra and handed Richard Mulligan a court summons. That caused everyone to have a special badge for entry from then on. As I left the Universal Studio lot going to the parking area, a long trolley train filled with tourists drove by. They thought I was somebody important (had sunglasses on) so were taking lots of pictures of me. I just waved and smiled as they tried to guess who I was. I laughed all the way home about that. I drove my own car in this one.
Miscellaneous Notable Parts – Numerous doctors on ER; US Marine Major General, Attorney or Bailiff in LA Law; Taxi Driver on Sisters four times, 1st officer on a ship.
West Wing – This was my last role as an extra. I worked with Martin Sheen and Yo Yo Ma who was playing at this Christmas shooting.
Sitting and talking to people on the sets as you waited for your scene, you met all kinds of folks. Like Rose and Al
DuCaine, Holocaust survivors, over 80 and making the effort to show up and maybe just walk through a scene like Alfred Hitchcock did in all of his movies. Rose and Al showed those sitting close to them the numbers tattooed on the left arms. Made my hair stand up on my neck. They did they work because the were thankful for being here and being alive.
Editor’s Note: Stay tuned for Part II – Don’s roles as an extra in movies.
Don has contributed four other stories to the website. Check them out.
Don Lowe, My Most Memorable Christmas, 1970, in Vietnam
Don Lowe, Cars I have Owned, Known, and Greatly Enjoyed
Don Lowe, Beautiful Sunflowers
Don Lowe, My Life in the U S Army
