Stand in Work

A stand-in actor in Film or Television is a person who takes the place of an actor before filming, often for technical reasons such as lighting. Stand in actors get more pay and more responsibility than extras. These jobs are either booked through referral or through casting agents and agencies. You can often get listed with casting companies if you fit a similar description of the character. Similar hair, stature, build, and previous experience factor in whether or not you can be booked for this. Stand-In work requires you to step in for the principal talent for the purpose of setting up the cameras, lighting and other equipment. You may or may not be required to read lines. Stand-In’s do not appear on camera, but sometimes as a good will gesture gain small parts and often small speaking parts with a couple of lines for when filming starts properly. An IMDB credit, some easy money, and some great exposure and experience is a huge benefit of taking part in Stand-In work.

Bill Cosby once needed a Stand-In for The Cosby Show. A certain unknown individual called Samuel L. Jackson was hired to stand in his place. I think this shows there is nothing wrong with being a stand in actor, and its a great way to gain some good experience and exposure in acting.