An FMCA couple’s avocation allows them an insider’s view of filmmaking.
By John Johnston, Associate Editor
August 2018
Paul and Randa Silva, F349302, often have stars in their eyes. As in movie stars. The retirees from Albuquerque, New Mexico, are part-time background actors — sometimes called extras — and have worked on about 80 films and TV shows alongside more Hollywood A-listers than they can recall.
“Mark Wahlberg was a genuinely nice person,” Randa said. “Paul even played football with him on breaks.” That was during filming of the 2013 war movie Lone Survivor. Wahlberg, impressed by Paul’s physical strength, nicknamed him “Hoss.”
When not acting in movies and RV shows, the Silvas enjoy traveling in their Tiffin motorhome and meeting other RVers.
Randa said Arnold Schwarzenegger “was right next to me, maybe arm’s length,” while filming portions of The Last Stand, a 2013 action movie. That’s also the year the Western action film The Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp, was released. “Paul worked with him side-by-side,” Randa said.
“Tina Fey was a really nice person,” Randa said, noting that she and Paul were extras on Fey’s 2016 film Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Seth MacFarlane and Charlize Theron “were very nice, too” while filming the 2014 Western comedy A Million Ways to Die in the West. “She (Theron) was really sweet,” Randa said. “We even saw her little boy.”
The Silvas also have worked on movies that starred Matthew McConaughey (Gold); Denzel Washington (2 Guns); Jennifer Aniston (We’re the Millers); Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah); Jeff Goldblum (Independence Day: Resurgence); Mariah Carey (Tennessee). The list goes on.
“There’s so many,” Randa said. “I can’t remember half of those we’ve met.”
More About The Silvas
For film work, the Silvas never travel outside of their native New Mexico. They don’t have to. The state’s landscapes make it a popular location for filming Westerns as well as movies such as Whiskey Tango Foxtrot and Lone Survivor, which were set in Afghanistan.
Even though they may appear only briefly on screen, the Silvas have been approached by strangers who recognized them from TV shows or movies. But while life as a movie extra might sound like a great gig — the Silvas will attest to that — anyone who thinks it’s all glitz and glamour needs a reality check.
“No, I wouldn’t consider it glamorous,” Paul said.
First, 12- to 15-hour workdays are common. Randa’s longest day was 19 hours on the set of Lone Survivor. Paul once spent almost 24 hours straight on the set of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. They earn minimum wage the first eight hours; time and a half up to 12 hours; and double time after that.
Many of those hours are spent waiting. And waiting. And waiting some more as scenes are shot and reshot. If nothing else, all the downtime gives them a chance to meet and chat with other extras. “We have made a lot of friends,” Randa said. Another side benefit: “We do get fed very well.”
Taking photos of the stars or asking for autographs are no-nos. “They’re so busy trying to focus on their parts,” Randa said. “They don’t want to lose concentration. But they usually say good morning and hi. We have to respect them. It’s a stressful job.”
Making It Big
As for the Silvas, neither became an extra in hopes of making it big in showbiz. In 2007, Randa saw an Albuquerque news program that mentioned a casting call for a TV series called “Wildfire.” Out of curiosity, she decided to go. A six-hour wait in line led to a brief meeting with the casting director, which led to her first acting job.
“It was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it.”
After a couple of days, the casting director asked Randa if her husband might be interested in coming aboard. Soon, they both were working on “Wildfire.”
Before long, they were getting calls from other casting directors. Vince Gilligan, the creator, executive producer, and a director of “Breaking Bad,” hired them for that TV series and its spinoff, “Better Call Saul.” Director Bob Balaban put the Silvas in good spots during filming of the TV series “Graves,” which starred Nick Nolte.
When the director of the 2010 movie Kites: The Remix spoke to the director of the TV show “Crash” about a specific need for a bit part, Paul’s name came up. That led to his small speaking role in Kites.
He played a landlord who evicts a family because they aren’t paying their rent. The story spans several decades, so for a scene later in the film, makeup artists made the actors, including Paul, appear much older.
Said Paul: “Randa freaked out when I got home from the set, because I said, ‘This is the way I’m going to look 30 years from now.’”
It’s No Coincidence
Several of the Silvas’ vehicles also have appeared on the big screen. Their motorhome, a 40-foot Tiffin Allegro Bus, is in a scene in Independence Day: Resurgence that shows cars, trucks, and RVs waiting in a long line for fuel.
“Years ago when I watched movies, I used to think people in the background and their cars were just a coincidence, just passing by,” Randa said. “Until I started doing this, I didn’t realize the people — and even the owners of the vehicles — were paid.”
She’s especially impressed by the extreme attention to detail by everyone from the props crew to hairdressers to makeup artists to costume designers. “Everything has to be perfect,” she said.
So, when the finished film comes to theaters, one might think the Silvas would be first in line. But, no. “We haven’t seen even a fourth of the movies we’ve been in,” Randa said.
That’s because they’ve always led busy lives. When they started as extras, Randa was an accountant for the University of New Mexico and Paul owned a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning business, so they had to turn down many acting jobs. These days, when they decline acting gigs, it’s because they see themselves better suited for their real-life roles as RVers who enjoy traveling and meeting like-minded folks.
“A lot of people retire and sit in a rocking chair and watch TV all day,” Randa said. “RVers are so different. They’re friendly, happy people who love to explore the United States and Canada. I love these people. They enjoy life.”