THE founder of one of Scotland’s biggest talent agencies has urged more Scots to get involved in the TV and film industry as he hails it as a life-changing experience.
Iain Wilkie, owner and founder of BBB Talent Agency – which represents more than 10,500 actors, extras and stunt specialists – said it will surprise people how easy it can be to get involved in the industry and how much fun working on set can be.
The veteran actor, who has featured in shows like Outlander, The Crown, Downton Abbey and Outlaw King, said one of the best things about working as an extra is the community and the positive impact it can have on your mental health.
Wilkie, a former chef, said he knew working as an extra was a “bit special” after he decided to dip his toe into the industry after he returned to Scotland following a stint living in London.
“I didn't know what to do with my life, and then all of a sudden, I'm in this environment where it's fantasy, it is pure fantasy,” he said.
Wilkie added that some of the best parts of the job are that everyone enjoys having a “laugh” while on set and that you get to “become a child again” as everything is catered for you and you’re told exactly what to do at all times.
“I'll tell anybody this, if you are suffering from any mental health problems or depression or anything like that, if you have the motivation to find to get yourself up and to go out there, that will change your life,” he said.
One of the best aspects of becoming an extra is the people you get to meet as shoots are often a “melting pot” of personalities with people coming from all backgrounds to take part, Wilkie said.
He explained you could be sitting, waiting to fill in as a soldier in a fight scene, along with a judge, a surgeon, or someone who works in a supermarket, as the job’s flexibility attracts people from all aspects of life.
“When you're on set, you are stripped of your personality because you're then put into a costume, so it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do,” Wilkie said.
He added: “You can have someone who's trying to get off of benefits, trying to find work next to the guy who works in Tesco, next to one of Scotland's most senior cops, all in this wonderful, wonderful melting pot of people.”
The BBB agency head said there is often a misconception that people need to look like Brad Pitt or Marilyn Monroe to secure supporting roles in TV and film.
“They don’t want that, they just want your every man,” he explained.
Wilkie added that you don’t need professional photographs and that you can use your phone to upload pictures of yourself to the talent agency's app, as long as they are clear and have a clear background.
“As long as you can see someone's face and their hair colour correctly, and their shape in a full-length picture, and their measurements are up to date. Job done.
“It's really that simple. What they're looking to do is find a face that fits that scene and find a costume that fits them.”
He added that the beauty of the job is that you can do as much as you want or as little as you want; you just have to give the producers your availability.
Wilkie founded BBB Talent Agency, originally named Beautiful Bearded Bastards, around eight years ago because he enjoyed the camaraderie on the set so much.
What originally started as an unofficial coalition between extras and stunt people soon became a unified force, with Wilkie helping to lead the charge.
BBB Talent Agency is renowned across the UK’s TV and film industry for supplying talent for some of the biggest shows, including Hollywood blockbusters and top streaming programmes from the likes of Netflix.
Extras at Wilkie’s agency have been involved with some of the most memorable scenes from TV in the last decade, including the last big battle for the final season of Outlander and Game of Thrones's Battle of the Bastards, which is the longest battle scene ever filmed for TV.
“The BBBs are fantastic. My community is just unbelievable. I mean, I'm so lucky.”
Wilkie also decided to roll up his sleeves and tackle the industry’s union for extras, Equity, around six years ago over a pay dispute, as he said the industry rate had not changed in 15 years.
Despite being warned he could lose everything he had built, Wilkie took on the union and won an improved rate for Scotland’s extras and stunt performers.
Wilkie said his win against the union to help better support the industry was a catalyst for BBB Talent Agency and helped him along to the success that the Highland firm has found to date.
