I Hate Background Extras

Me:
Accounting...

Caller:
Hi... is this... uh... [Movie Production]?

Me:
Yes. It's [Movie Production].

Caller:
I'm... calling about missing checks.

Me:
Okay. What company?

Caller:
[Movie Production].

Me:
Excuse me?

Caller:
[Movie Production].

Me:
I know, we're the [Movie Production]. What company are YOU calling from?

Caller:
Oh. I'm not a company.

Me:
Okay. Who Are You . . . . ? !

Caller:
I'm [Stupid Name].

Me:
You were an extra, right?

Caller:
Yes.

Me:
Hold on.

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Jesus FUCKING Christ. I've learned that the sort of people who do background extra work in movies FULL TIME are some of the sorriest people on the fucking earth. Forgetting they've cashed checks they've received, angling to scam higher pay rates for bullshit like "Special Abilities" or "Haircut" or "Makeup" or "Prop Used". They run squealing to SAG and Mommy SAG will come knocking on the movie production's door saying, "So-and-so didn't get paid enough on this date because she wore SHOES and that's a higher rate." And the movie production errs toward appeasing because it's just an extra $10 here or there to some pathetic shit-eater, against the looming threat of larger SAG penalties.

Seriously, some of the saddest fucking people you could fathom.