Getting Your Start as a Background Actor or Stand-In: Behind the Scenes with Central Casting Veteran Rob Stats

Movie magic is made when audiences are completely transported by the story, without ever noticing the lights, camera and action that goes on behind the scenes. It’s a good sign, because everyone on set is executing their jobs seamlessly, even if they aren’t front and center of the camera.

Background actors are integral to creating an authentic scene, whether it’s a 17th century battle, a busy train station or bustling diner. Stand-ins, on the other hand, support the DP and gaffer in rehearsing scenes so shots can be properly set up.

If these roles spark your interest, you’re in the right place!

To get an insider perspective on the fascinating job of background work, we spoke with New Jersey-based Rob Stats, who recently wrapped a popular streaming series where he was the stand-in for the lead actor. Rob’s credits also include Sneaky Pete (Amazon Prime), Billions (Showtime), and Succession (HBO).

Let’s pull back the curtain on background and stand-in work: how to get cast, prepare for the job and make the most of your time on set.

Background Acting vs. Stand-In Work

Making a movie or TV show is a big job. There are dozens of different departments and functions on a set, including different types of acting roles, and everyone has a unique and vital role to play. Central Casting is a great place to start your career in the entertainment industry, but before submitting for projects, it helps to know what background position best fits you and your schedule. The two primary roles are:

1. Background actors create the atmosphere and action behind principal actors. They’re often first to arrive on set and then wait in Holding until cameras are nearly ready to roll. It’s a straightforward gig with a decent amount of downtime, but a great way to earn extra income and meet others in the industry.
2. Stand-Ins often physically resemble the principal cast, and step in for them during rehearsals. Stand-ins will be dressed in similar wardrobe to, and carry props of, the principals, working closely with the DP and gaffer to block scenes for accurate lighting and camera framing, and taking notes which are relayed back to the principals.

Getting started with Central Casting

To get your start as a background actor or stand-in, you don’t need to look any further than Central Casting, the most trusted and long-standing casting company in entertainment. For 100 years, Central Casting has been the place where many of Hollywood’s most iconic names began their careers, and continues to be the entry point for new generations of talented background actors destined for the screen.

Getting booked for background work with Central Casting is simple. After signing up for your account, check the Open Roles page for jobs that appeal to you, and be sure to check your messages often so you can quickly respond to messages from casting directors or productions who are interested in you for roles. Productions are always seeking background performers, and keeping your profile up to date with current photos and measurements will improve your chances of getting cast.

Rob Stats with Grace Gummer on Good Girls Revolt (Prime Video)

As a seasoned background performer, Rob Stats has another piece of advice that has served him well over the course of his career: offer a versatile skill set when submitting for jobs.

Rob’s tips for anyone looking to land background work with Central Casting:

• Submit for everything, even NYPD cops (not always the most exciting roles, but reliable work!)
• Always have the appropriate wardrobe ready.
• If you’re 18 and older, but look younger, you can play high schoolers and work as an adult, which is a great niche to be in and can help you get your SAG-AFTRA card faster.
• Be flexible and honest about your availability. Don’t accept jobs if you’re unable to commit to a full day of filming.
• Be versatile in your skillsets. Play instruments, dance, play sports. Versatility helps expand your job search.

How to prepare for your day on set

Once you’re booked, it’s time to get busy preparing. To stand apart in the production industry, it’s important to be proactive and look out for the interest of everyone working that day.

Rob treats each job like acting school. “I get sides daily, I run scenes and then watch some of the best performers in the industry do them,” he says.

Rob’s tips for successful preparation:

• Study the Script: Be sure to memorize your sides daily and study the actors you are standing in for.
• Bring Proper Wardrobe: Always have your wardrobe ready. When I get in the car, I make sure my wardrobe bag and everything is there for my role that day. Oftentimes, the wardrobe department won’t be able to fit you the day of filming.
• Be Reliable: Show up on time. Being even 15 minutes late can lead to you missing the first rehearsal. Filmmaking is a team effort and when just one person doesn't take their job seriously, it can delay schedules and cause setbacks for the entire production.
• Be Honest: Be honest with the casting director. If you're not properly prepared for a role or can’t commit to the full day, don’t submit for it. Hollywood is a word-of-mouth industry and how you prepare and show up to set speaks volumes about your work ethic. Building integrity through smaller jobs leads to more steady work.

What to expect on set

Once you’re cast, it’s time to show up with your game face.

If you’re hired as background, expect early call times. Then, there will be a holding period while initial rehearsals get completed by stand-ins. Once first rehearsals are completed, you’ll be called to set and given your direction by an AD or PA.

If you’re hired as a stand-in, expect a slightly later call time than the background actors to start wardrobe, hair, and makeup before heading to rehearsal to block scenes with the DP. During that time, you’ll repeat blocking the scene multiple times and be given props if necessary, adjusting along the way until the AD feels it’s ready to incorporate background or principals for final rehearsal.

Rob Stats and crew during magic hour on the set of Sneaky Pete (Rob Stats)

Opportunities to get upgraded or change roles do come up, so it’s important to be flexible. As Rob explains, “If you’re working as background actor, sometimes there aren’t enough stand-ins for the number of principals that were cast. In that case, production will pull additional stand-ins from the background actors. Some productions will need a specific type of person, like someone 5’8" with black hair. Other times they'll try to find someone who looks more like one of the principals.”

In special circumstances, a background actor or stand-in might even get the chance to join the cast. “If someone, such as a stand-in, or even a supporting cast member calls out sick, or the scene setup changes due to inclement weather conditions, production may choose to upgrade a background actor to fill an open role,” Rob says.

Rob’s tips for making the most out of every filming experience:

• Always be learning: Some people show up to set with the intention of sitting around, waiting to be called. I’m the opposite. I want to observe, learn, ask questions and make myself valuable so production knows I’m part of the team.
• Build relationships: When I stood in for Giovanni Ribisi (Gio) on Sneaky Pete, his character was very fidgety and a little neurotic. He didn't stand still. Because of that, we didn’t use marks halfway through the season, so I had to ask questions during rehearsal to plan out his blocking: How far left can I go? How far right can I go? And Gio would come back after rehearsal and ask me for his blocking notes. Helping the crew stay efficient and streamlined is a sure way to get hired again.
• Take initiative: On my most recent project, I found a mask on Etsy similar to the principal actor’s wardrobe to help the DP and gaffer light me more accurately. There were a few loopholes to jump through to get approval, but putting in the research and taking the initiative made setting up shots a lot easier for the lighting and camera departments. Filmmaking is a team effort! We all want to get to the same goal, and I want to help make it as efficient and streamlined as possible.
• Be overly prepared for your role: On the third season of Sneaky Pete, Giovanni's wife was pregnant, and I was prepared to act as his double in case he had to leave the set if she went into labor. It was a great experience of preparing like an understudy in theater or prepping for an audition. I didn’t get final sides until the day of, so I had to memorize them quickly.
• Take notes on continuity: When you’re a stand-in and rehearsing a scene multiple times, it can be easy to forget which hand was doing what. While the script supervisor oversees continuity, remembering small details can help keep rehearsal moving smoothly. There were a couple times where our script supervisor needed to review the playback to remember a continuity question, but I was able to jump in with my notes instead and things were able to move along faster.
• Stay ahead: Be on set before the AD has to start looking for you. Know where you are in the schedule and script for the day, so you are exactly where you need to be at the right time.

Rob Stats is consistently raising the bar for himself and everyone in a production, “In this line of work [stand-in or background], we must go the extra mile and put effort into it. I've worked with camera guys who will come back to work with me for a second season and say, ‘I didn't realize how much easier you made my job. You’re not off to the side on your phone sitting down. You're here and taking the initiative. And I say in response, ‘I like getting paid. But I also want to go home too. We have 12.5 hours to shoot this, and if I can make it faster, then let's make it faster.’ On Sneaky Pete, we had a thing called Jeopardy nights where if we got home in time to watch Jeopardy, it was a good day.

Ready to be part of a winning film team like Rob? Central Casting is a great place to begin submitting for background and stand-in work with locations in Los Angeles, New York, Georgia and Louisiana. We also offer a vast digital library of resources to help guide you through the process, serving as your mentor to launch your dream acting career and get started making movie magic today!