Movie Extras Would you mind lying in a coffin  ? Would you shave your head? Are you willing to take out your false teeth? These are just a few of the questions Anne Marie Stewart and her staff sometimes ask the "talent" who serve as non-speaking "extras" in special films, television series, and made-for-TV movies produced in Toronto. Of course, the majority of extra calls are for more ordinary people, and Stewart has a list of about 650 registered extras. Crowd scenes, which are common, call for everyday people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and sizes. Over at Movie People, last-minute requests are not unusual. "We got a request once for an entire brass band of 30 people. They wanted it within the hour," said manager Yvonne McCartney. Another time, the company got a last-minute request for a newborn baby. "We found a baby that was three weeks premature," said Jonathan Aiken, an owner of the company. Then there was the worried call from a casting director whose "Star" got doggone stubborn one day and decided to just lie down and not work. The director needed a replacement dog, fast. "We got them two in one hour." said Aiken. "It was a matter of good connections and fast phone work." The eight phone lines needed to make 350 to 400 calls a day are one of Movie People's major expenses. Phone lines are the only way to stay in touch with casting directors and extras; but the latter are a group not necessarily interested in a long-term relationship. Most extra jobs pay only $7 an hour (with a six-hour minimum), while most agencies charge an annual $75 registration fee and get 10 to 15 per cent of extras' earnings. It's no wonder that the  _ rate is fairly high. Some people who are between jobs do extra work as a temporary measure, said McCartney. But professionals, such as lawyers, also do the work because it's interesting. Others with flexible jobs have a desire to do something different. Some homemakers want to get out of the house and onto a movie set. Money's not the motivating reason. "One of the first things I say to people who walk in and ask about being an extra is, 'You have to be available,' "said a person at Karen Clifton Agency. Inc. "The next thing I say is, 'You can't make a living at this.' " Why do white collar workers most probably like to be movie extras?
They want to make more money. They want to start a career in acting. They think their regular job is boring. They think being on the stage is enjoyable.