The iconic movie that millennials and Gen-Zs grew up with has been premiered for another sequel. Nothing can describe the feeling of nostalgia when Meryl Streep and Anna Hathaway decided to make another sequel of their show “The Devil Wears Prada”. The content creator @matthewables has documented his journey as a side character for a decent income, but some have mixed reaction for the amount he has received. The question lingers to the viewers, “Was it worth all the hassle?”
How It Began
While grabbing lunch on the bustling streets of New York City, Matthew unexpectedly stumbled across Meryl Streep on set before going into a public filming site casually. When he saw an open casting call, he promptly signed up to be a background actor after discovering behind-the-scenes actors get paid too. He was instructed to arrange an appropriate wardrobe for filming, which he went on a H&M run to pick up outfits after submitting his information to the production crew as an “Angry Upscale Central Park Pedestrian” in a rush.
As a background actor, luxury clothes are something he couldn’t afford to buy on a whim, so he dashed towards the nearest H&M to purchase garments for the movie as ordered by the production team. Despite the financial limits, he can dress nicely as long as the team is satisfied with completing the duties correctly. His experience as a background actor throughout Day 1-2 of ongoing acts omits the extra information due to team policies not shooting some behind-the-scenes sets, yet he described his journey pretty well.
Background Acting Journey
During the next day, Matthew was seen waking up with a proper suit at 3 am for the 15 hours shoot on production. His job appeared straightforward as blending in with the photographers and being in awe of “Miranda Presley”, strolling down the red carpet. In order to make every scene come-to-life, background actors had to exchange roles frequently. He was transferred to a different role with a new title after portraying the “Angry Upscale Central Park Pedestrian”. The filmmakers use background actors in a variety of adaptable positions throughout the shoot to maximize their budgets.
After finishing his job, Matthew received a $239 compensation cheque for the long day on set, prompting conflicting opinions from fans online about whether the experience was worthwhile. Given the exorbitant cost of living in New York City, many people realised how tough it might be to live pay cheque to pay cheque in America, particularly in such an expensive atmosphere. @matthewables’ content provided a candid behind-the-scenes insight into life as a background actor, leaving viewers split on the realities of the profession.
How and Why He Almost Got Fired
Matthew revealed that he misidentified his suit as being from “Armani” rather than “Alfani” since he failed to fully inspect the label and confused the brands. Even though it was an honest error, it was handled seriously on set since it may be seen as a wardrobe disparity, thus leading to confusion, extra effort, and further expenditures. He eventually expressed regret and explained the mistake, but it served as a reminder of how rigorous production settings can be and how important it is to double-check even the smallest things.
He had a great time on site despite the seriousness. He can now mention on his resume that he worked with icons such as Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci. As a content creator, he also talked about how fun the experience was in spite of the difficulties, providing viewers with a unique glimpse into what background acting is really like behind the scenes. Would this be a good side hustle to pursue in the future?
Watch the video here:
@matthewables How Much I Was Paid To Act in The Devil Wears Prada 2 😂 #devilwearsprada #devilwearsprada2 #merylstreep #annehathaway #movies
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