Sitting in front of my PC 18 months ago I saw an advert saying Dame Judi Dench was soon to be filming in Cambridge and they needed Supporting Artists (Extras). The thought had never occurred to me, but I clicked on the ad…

Content Writer and Part-Time Supporting Artist

Once my details were entered I got on with work as a Content Writer and forgot all about it. A couple of months later a text arrived asking if I was available for filming in Dereham, Norfolk. A moment to gather my thoughts and I remembered the advert, then I chose, ‘Yes’. My journey into the unknown began in the early hours of the morning about a week later. I arrived on a film set where friendships quickly began. We spent a fun week aboard a train with cast, crew, food, my book, and Richard Madden.

Broadening Horizons

Since then I have seen many sunrises, and sunsets, I’ve visited places I never knew existed, met celebrities and ‘ordinary folk’. I have listened to and shared stories of everyday lives, of struggles and of triumphs, stories that lift your spirits and stories that made me feel grateful for the lifestyle I have carved out. I have played roles including: Christopher Reeve’s mother, John Candy’s mother, a Scene Of Crime Officer, a Family Liaison Officer, a nun, a criminal, a party guest to name but a few. I have worked with wolves, stuntmen, dancers, footballers and models, I’ve had my own trailer, I’ve sat around for hours or been busy from morning to night. I have loved almost every minute. In other news, I have also been signed as a commercial model, who knew!

A Perfect Fit

So how does it work? The answer is, it works extraordinarily well, I am a Content Writer, being a Supporting Artist is purely a ‘side hustle’. Sitting in front of my PC for five years I hadn’t realised how much I missed human interaction. The occasional day spent on set gives me a much-needed chance to soak up human company, meet up with friends old and new and be part of a creative process. It fits in nicely around my content writing as I only accept film work that won’t impact on content writing for my clients. I take a laptop or iPad to set with me and in the hours of waiting around I can be managing social media accounts, researching and writing. It adds a new dimension to my working and personal life and keeps me fresh.

Upcoming appearances

Too numerous to list them all but here’s a snapshot:

Speechless, ITV’s Autopsy, Warburton’s bread advert, Lucozade ad, EE ad, Rocketman, London Kills, Dracula, In The Long Run, The Split, Lee and Dean, EastEnders, Holby City, Bancroft and Gameface. Mostly I can be found here, in front of my PC, in my study with my faithful Springer Spaniels, feeling content with my lot.

Addendum

I never did get the part in the Judi Dench film, Red Joan, but I now know people who are in it!