10/19/2008

Extras - Even moviestars are only human

Being an extra is alright but watching „Extras“ is even better! (Sorry, that one just slipped out)


„Extras“ is or was however a 12 episodes BBC series (plus one final movie lenght special episode) with Ricky Gervais as the main character Andy. Andy is an extra who wants to be a star instead of working with the big ones. Asked for what his job is, he always answers he's an actor and he tries to make his dream come true after 40 years waiting for it.

His friend Maggie (Ashley Jensen) is also a bit desperate about her full time job as an extra, being single, just as Andy, and on her side dreaming of going out with the movie stars. And so they use every single shooting day trying to get their thing done. Andy tries to get short speaking roles and Maggie meanwhile tries to catch the attention of the best looking guys on the set. But the so called stars are only human. Some are totally unlikeable and if one isn't Maggie does the trick to ruin it anyway by saying something very, very stupid.

In Season 2 which is episode 7-12 Andy even made it through to get hi own scripts produced as a weekly series but unfortunately it isn't as easy as he thought it would be and finally he is unhappy again with his so called fame.


This series is a must see, there is no way around it if you like movies, actors, some nice humor and likable characters. The 13 episodes are over far too fast in the end and you maybe even gonna miss the series a bit.


Beware, even your favorite actors will seem a bit too human to you after watching that but just give it a try. In those 13 episodes there do appear:


Ross Kemp & Vinnie Jones, Ben Stiller, Kate Winslet,Les Dennis, Samuel L Jackson, Patrick Stewart, Orlando Bloom, David Bowie, Daniel Radcliffe , Chris Martin , Ian McKellen, Robert De Niro


That is a damn lot of stars with some self irony to play themselves and even that makes it totally recommendable! The series won a Golden Globe and 7 other prices and now it won the status of one of the best concepts I've ever seen on screen! Go, watch it!

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