Blog #46 – Local Celebrity Ben Elliott in Vera

Welcome to Day 46 of the Wellbeing 9-a-Day blog! For this past week, I have considered the habits contained within Your Fitness, starting with Exercising and moving onto Learning. In today’s blog, I write about my experiences learning to be a supporting artiste and my acting debut on ITV’s Vera.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

For as long as I can remember, I have loved watching movies. Since falling in love with Big Trouble in Little China as a child, I have spent countless hours watching and rewatching all manner of films and TV shows.

While my passion has always been more for writing, there has always been a part of me that wanted to follow in Kurt Russell’s footsteps and take my turn in the spotlight as Jack Burton.

Alas, my acting ability is limited, and I have done little to improve it over the years.

Still, you don’t need to be an actor to get your time on screen. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchants’ series Extras gave a comic insight into the life of extras on set, and I was certainly a good enough actor to stand in the background of a scene while the real cast did their work.

The first job I applied for was a Disney production seeking soldiers for a movie to be filmed in Northumberland. The job would last eight days and would earn me over £1,000 in the process.

Eager to try my hand, I submitted my photos and measurements, and was delighted to progress through the casting process, right up until the last hurdle… where I found out that I had been unsuccessful.

Vera and Me

Disappointed but acceptant, I kept my eyes out for other extra work, even completing a supporting artiste course to increase my chances of getting work.

The day finally came when I was available for a day of filming, and I was cast to be a Reveller/Passerby in an episode of Vera.

For two days, I stood in the background of shots as the production team filmed a variety of scenes beside the River Tyne. Sensing another opportunity to get my green shirt on TV, I wore my gameshow shirt to continue its legacy.

Quite by chance, during filming, I met a lad who had beaten me to the role of soldier in that Disney production. To my disappointment, I found that the film had been Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. To make matters worse, he had been filming with Harrison Ford in Bamburgh Castle.

Even so, I had made my supporting artiste debut, sharing the screen with Brenda Blethyn, even if I was a bit blurry in the background.

You can see the highlights of my dramatic debut in the video below...

Call to Action!

Think about your childhood passions. What can you do today to learn more about these early interests? It can be easy to fall out of the habit of pursuing your early dreams, where you get caught up in day-to-day life. By learning more about the things you loved as a child, you reignite that passion. Dive in and see what you can immerse.

---

This blog was written as part of a 90-day blog writing fundraiser for Live Well with Cancer, a volunteer-led charity serving North Tyneside and the surrounding areas. If you enjoyed this blog, please show your appreciation by donating to my JustGiving page. Every penny raised from donations or sales of the journal will help deliver workshops, events and support groups that empower better health and wellbeing for those affected by cancer, including family, friends, carers, and healthcare workers.