Extra Work: Notes On My Background Role In 'Thunderbolts*'
I worked two nights and am not sure if I'm ever on screen, but it was a lot of fun.
Last summer, I worked as a background actor for Marvel’s Thunderbolts*. The role called for two late-night shoots at the Georgia State Capitol, and I believe I received a pay bump for wearing my own tuxedo. If you’ve seen the movie, this was for the black-tie gala scenes attended by Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Bucky (Sebastian Stan), Mel (Geraldine Viswanathan), and Congressman Gary (Wendell Pierce).
The first night, I was in a rotunda, walking around mingling with other guests at the gala. There was a lot more cool set dressing in the scene, including things that don’t seem to have made their way on screen. To avoid violating my NDA, I won’t mention anything that isn’t visible in the movie, but much of it provided more detail regarding the gala's purpose, which Congressman Gary acknowledges as being Avengers-related.
I think part of the time I circled the rotunda was for shots in the main hall. I am also in there for the moment when Bucky and Congressman Gary are conversing in an area overlooking the rotunda. They’re in a tight enough shot that none of us below are visible, but they probably had some takes with a wider frame, so it was necessary for background performers to be in that space.
The second night, I was in the main space of the scene. I’m probably on screen somewhere in the wide shot of the gala when Valentina is at the top of the stairs. Most likely, I’m the guy standing alone near the top right corner. Maybe I’ll have to rewatch Thunderbolts* in IMAX to get a better look. The same night, I did some walking back and forth in an entryway to the rotunda while Bucky is talking to Mel. Again, the shot is so tight that you won’t notice the extras, and only a couple are just barely visible.
It’s for the best that I’ve not easily seen, let alone identified, as I’m still a bit anxious about my status as an entertainment journalist. In a previous post, I mentioned that I turned down Marvel shows for a long time because I didn’t want to get in trouble or be accused of spying for one of my outlets. The irony is that I started doing extra work post-COVID because I was losing work at places like Fandango, for whom I had been doing set visit reports, and I needed the supplemental income.
While being able to find myself (or even just my hand) on screen in anything from English Teacher to Superman is pretty neat, I now mostly do background work to watch and be part of the filming process. Additionally, I love to perform a character or function on set, even if it’s not apparent in any way to the audience. For the wide shots of Thunderbolts*, for instance, I was told by an AD or PA to work the one area of the room as if I were a sleazy guy trying to talk to women.
That assignment was a big stretch for me, and I felt silly doing it, especially when I would approach women background actors who didn’t know my “role,” but it didn’t matter because nobody would see the detail anyway. This sort of assignment is what makes the background crowd feel real. Otherwise, it’s just a ton of people wandering about, pantomiming to each other and authentically looking at the props on display in the room — I also had to do that at times, though.
One thing I wish I could’ve done on this shoot that I would’ve had I been reporting on a set visit is say hello to cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo. I’d virtually met him in the past, back when he co-directed the fantastic documentary Rich Hill with his sister Tracy Droz Tragos. I kinda got to see him at work, though, and even witnessed a major aesthetic decision regarding some of the background’s costumes, clearing certain extras from the set as a result. Now that I’ve seen the movie, I appreciate his attention to detail as he maintained a consistent and significant look to Thunderbolts*.
One last thing, for those I’m sure wonder: yes, Sebastian Stan is very handsome in person, and at one point, I was a couple feet away from him and could confirm. But I was much more star-struck as I walked past Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, who was stunning.
