We're all familiar with the major Hollywood stars who become the face of movies, but the world's most prolific film extra has made clear that background actors lead quite a life themselves.
Chances are, you've never heard of Jill Goldston. But if you've ever seen the movies The Elephant Man, Flash Gordon, Victor/Victoria, Supergirl, Aliens or Little Shop of Horrors, then you might just have seen her in action.
With a career spanning six decades, Goldston has officially broken the record for 'the most appearances by an extra/background actress'.
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Now 80 years old, the British actor spoke to The Guardian about her career, describing it as 'amazing'.
“[It was] self-indulgent, really – I was getting paid to have fun and I always found the people fascinating," she said.
Her numerous roles mean Goldston has worked alongside a whole host of well-known celebrities over the years, though she's claimed some of them wanted to be more than co-stars.
During the interview, Goldston reflected on her time on the 1981 film Reds, in which she portrays a 'dancing woman'.
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The film was written and directed by and starred Warren Beatty, and had Jack Nicholson among the cast members.
Despite having to juggle three different jobs, Goldston claimed Beatty found the time to 'proposition her for a three-way' with him and Nicholson.
It's unclear whether Beatty had run this by Nicholson first, but Goldston wasn't interested anyway.
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She explained: “It might have ended more than friends. But not with Jack Nicholson as well! I said: ‘Sorry, no. I’m happily married!’”
Being propositioned for a threesome can be a pretty big event even when it doesn't involve celebrities, but Goldston had clearly learned to keep her cool around movie stars.
This talent stemmed from her becoming a dancer as a teenager, after which she performed at a star-studded club, Murray.
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Despite leaving home to become a dancer, Goldston said she had 'no wish to become famous'.
"I saw people wanting to become famous … It’s not great," she said.
Instead, she began to try work as an extra and realized it was right up her street.
“They warned me: ‘You might get eaten alive, it’s very competitive’. But I found it to be a breeze," she recalled.
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As she grew busier with bookings, Goldston's husband began to keep note of her gigs, which eventually reached a record-breaking number: 1,951.
Though the job can be demanding and even ridiculous at times - "We’ve been told: ‘Tom Cruise is about to come on set. Please do not make eye contact." - Goldston always felt she had self-worth because she was 'part of the film'.
"Films would be very boring without extras," she pointed out, adding: "You’d get on the tube train, and there’d be no one else in it!”
Luckily for film fans, people like Goldston are there to fill up the trains and help bring the movie to life.
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UNILAD has contacted representatives for Beatty and Nicholson for comment.
Topics: Film and TV, Sex and Relationships, Celebrity
Emily Brown