Special to the City Paper | Hollywood and Charleston are closer than you may realize. The Holy City has been the backdrop for many shows and movies throughout the years.
A 2019 estimate from the former S.C. Film Commissioner Tom Clark, reported that up to 95% of productions in South Carolina are shot in Charleston. Recently, several large productions— including Outer Banks, Vice Principals, and The Righteous Gemstones— have brought even more emphasis to the area. With the remote work era connecting big-name studios to new locations, finding a local workforce has never been easier.
“It’s not the ‘80s anymore. You don’t have to go out to L.A., “ said College of Charleston acting professor Michael Smallwood. “As long as you are connected in some way to what’s happening, then your career can sort of exist anywhere.”
South Carolina, with its status as a right-to-work state and variety of picturesque locations, has become a favorite for many to begin their journey in film.
“It’s a very kind of fluid regional market,” said Linda Eisen, owner of Coastal Talent Agency in Charleston. “Although any of the principal talent…works under a union contract for those same wages and protections as anywhere else: The extras and stand-ins do not.”
Good environment for background actors
While the lack of union support for extras and stand-ins may seem strange, the lack of red tape leaves Charleston residents with a relatively easy process for becoming a background actor, or BG, as industry natives may call them.
Charleston native James Edward Fite, 26, is one of several locals taking advantage. Fite delivers packages for Amazon regularly, but other days he is featured in several productions, like Vice Principals and The Righteous Gemstones. He also appeared in the Stephen King-inspired slasher thriller Mr. Mercedes, filmed in Charleston.
Fite said he hopes to “make it big” in Hollywood one day but has never considered a move to Los Angeles. After all, “Charleston is becoming its own little mini-Hollywood,” according to Fite. In Charleston, one has the privilege of taking the scenic route toward their stardom. As Fite says, “It’s the story within the city, and just the energy, like it’s beautiful…I love it.”
At just 22, Charleston native Stella Reimer is already a veteran in the world of film.
Throughout her time in high school, the North Charleston resident has been featured on Gemstones, OBX and Suncoast, a coming-of-age film starring Woody Harrelson. Most recently, Reimer has appeared on Jackpot! starring John Cena and Awkwafina, where she had the unique opportunity to throw a high heel at Awkwafina herself.
“It definitely brings you to places you may have never gone and places I never would’ve found myself,” she said, regarding her BG work. “You meet a lot of cool people.”
Julie Doss, a Louisiana native who now lives and teaches preschool in the Lowcountry, wants to remain open to new possibilities. She said her love of acting has taken her from musical theatre to film and now, at the front of a classroom.
But these days Doss has set herself more on the crew side of things, including directorial and production roles.
“I’m honestly open to whatever at this point. I enjoy being a background actor too, but it’s not as consistent. I just enjoy being part of the process in any way I can.”
Lots of “hurry up and wait”
Isabel Crews, 23, spends her days working as a news producer, yet acting has always remained an interest for the College of Charleston grad. She has been doing BG work since her first day on the set of Vice Principals at just 14.
As a longtime observer of actors and crew in their natural habitat, she advises all newcomers and BG-curious individuals to remember what they are getting themselves into. “It’s just repetition, a lot of it, said Crews, “It’s a hurry-up-and-wait kind of a deal.”
Crews speaks highly of her BG experiences, including those on Vice Principals and Gemstones. However, BG’s are inevitably asked to do difficult scenes, and to Crews, the key comes down to “keeping a good attitude.”
“Just kind of be open…you may be forced to be in a scarf and a button-down in sweltering heat. So you eat some ice cream and you try to just keep going.”
It’s safe to say that Jill Paris, 63, has set herself apart from the “one and dones,” building a career and even pulling herself out of debt with her background acting work. As owner of Eclectic Tours of Charleston, which runs a popular OBX film location tour, she is thankful for the local film scene.
“It was the biggest blessing for me to be in debt…I would have never started doing background acting, and then I would have never ended up on Outer Banks, and then I would have never ended up coming up with a new tour that is now the absolute joy of my life.”
Paris’ work on Gemstones, OBX, Mr. Mercedes, and even Miami Vice has been rewarding, yet, she warns that the weather, long hours, and low pay of extra work is “not for the meek.”
Even with drawbacks, the “just try it!” attitude is certainly the common denominator for these actors.
All of them seemed to agree that experience is unparalleled – a bucket list item for those interested in film and production.
“For those aspiring actors just starting out can now audition for roles that they would have had a much harder time getting seen for in other markets,” said Eisen.
While the tedious hours and long days on set as a BG are certainly not “easy money,” added Smallwood, for fans of the industry, it is an invaluable life experience.
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