I’ve always been a television addict. Growing up in Bath as a boy, I devoured shows like Doctor Who, desperate to understand how they were made. At 16, I gathered the courage to tell a school careers advisor that I wanted to work in TV. She laughed and said television was for university graduates, suggesting I get a job in retail instead. Feeling dejected, I reluctantly took a job at a supermarket but worked my way up. They had a budget for corporate films, and I ended up directing and producing their training videos.
Then, in 1998, I spotted an ad in a sci-fi magazine for unpaid extras in Auton, a Doctor Who spin-off. I quickly sent off an application and was thrilled to get a call weeks later, offering me a role as a villager.
Walking onto the set for the first time was like being a kid in a candy shop—it was everything I had dreamed of. I was eager to do it again and signed up with an extras agency. I hoped for the occasional role, but to my surprise, the bookings poured in. I realized I could earn more as a full-time extra, or “background actor,” than in my retail job.
Over the years, I’ve made over 2,500 on-screen appearances, making me one of the UK’s most prolific extras. My look at the time—skinny, in my mid-30s, and not too handsome—was in high demand for roles like doctors, gentry in period dramas, police officers, and journalists. I was cast as a newsreader so often that I started using the same name every time: Peter Sommers has announced headlines in at least 30 films and TV shows, and directors began requesting him.
Eagle-eyed viewers might have noticed that, for a while, there was only one GP working across Britain’s soaps: me, simultaneously treating residents of Emmerdale, Hollyoaks, and Coronation Street. There was also a group of us who always played detectives on four different cop shows. We joked that it was a wonder any cases got solved, given our heavy workload.
TV work led to film roles: I’ve appeared in Sherlock Holmes 2 as an assassin and in The Woman in Black as Daniel Radcliffe’s butler. Most extra roles don’t include any lines, but sometimes you get a sentence or two.
My friends often spot me on TV, but I’ve only been recognized by a stranger once. A woman stopped me and asked if I was the man racing in a child’s go-kart in a Pontins ad. I was more excited to be recognized than she was to spot me.
The best day I ever had on set was meeting my wife, Neilum, a fellow background artist. We were cast as a married couple on the soap Doctors. I fell head over heels for her immediately and told her I’d marry her for real one day. She later admitted she thought I was a bit strange, but I must have grown on her because we tied the knot in 2013.
We’ve since appeared in hundreds of shows together. People can see we have genuine chemistry, which has helped us land roles. In 2015, our daughter India was born. She was offered extra work right away and loved it as a little girl, but now that she’s 10, she doesn’t want to do it as much.
I still wanted to fulfill my dream of directing, so I invested some money in making my own film. I’m proud of it, and it’s now on Netflix, though it didn’t generate much revenue. Then a friend offered me a few days’ work as a runner on the set of Doctors. Most runners are in their early 20s, but at 47, I jumped at the chance to make tea and coffee.If you don’t have an account, we’ll create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete your full registration anytime. For details on how we handle your data, please see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Just a couple of years later, I was promoted to first assistant director on the show. I always make a point of being kind to the background actors. Unfortunately, last year, Doctors was canceled after running for 24 years. I was devastated—my family wouldn’t exist without that show. But I did leave my mark: I made sure Neilum and India appeared as a mother and daughter in the background of the final scene.
Lately, our extra work has taken a back seat. I’m busy directing, and I’ve also written several books about my experiences, while Neilum runs a chaperone agency. I’d never rule out appearing in a great show if the right opportunity came along, but for now, I’m content staying behind the scenes.
As told to Heather Main.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the statement Ive appeared on television over 2500 times though you probably wouldnt recognize me
General Definition Questions
Q What does that statement even mean
A It means the person is likely a background actor extra or crew member who appears briefly or in large crowd scenes not a main character or celebrity
Q What kind of roles would get you on TV that many times without being famous
A Common roles include a person in a crowd a diner in a restaurant a pedestrian on the street a lab technician in the background of a hospital show or a contestant on a game show that films many episodes
Q Is 2500 appearances a lot
A Yes thats an extremely high number It could represent a long career spanning decades on daily news programs soap operas or numerous different TV shows and commercials
BehindtheScenes Career Questions
Q How do you even get a job as a background actor
A People usually start by signing up with a casting agency that specializes in extras work They then get called for specific shoots based on their look and availability
Q Do you get paid well for that kind of work
A Pay varies but its typically a daily rate set by unions or a lower nonunion rate Its a steady gig for some but not a path to great wealth for most
Q Whats a typical day like on set
A It involves a lot of waiting You arrive early go through hairmakeupwardrobe and then spend most of the day on set repeating scenes until the director is happy Its often described as hurry up and wait
Practical Personal Insight Questions
Q Whats the most surprising thing about working in the background
A How mundane it can be You might be in a scene depicting a chaotic party but youll be standing silently for hours under hot lights while the main actors rehearse
Q Do you get to meet the famous stars
A Sometimes but interaction is usually minimal There are often strict rules about not bothering the principal actors while they are working
