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8->''"Thank you for that 'choice' role where I die in a fiery explosion right off the bat. Truly a character with all the rich complexity of Theatre/{{Hamlet}} or Theatre/KingLear."''
9-->-- '''The Puttmaster''', ''VideoGame/ComicJumperTheAdventuresOfCaptainSmiley''
10
11The Classically Trained Extra is an actor, often on a ShowWithinAShow, who feels they're stuck in a lowbrow role that's somehow "below" them, agonizes over their talent being wasted, and aspires for greater things. Whether they're a has-been or an overly ambitious newcomer to acting, they tend to come off as an uptight blowhard, especially if they boast that they're a "classically-trained Shakespearean actor".
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13Particularly reviled roles seem to be a character on a science fiction program, the straight man on a SitCom (a part many actors admit to hating, since it can be seen as standing there being "normal," while your co-workers get all the good laughs,) or the host of a broadcast TV kids' show. Bonus points for the last one, or any role where the Classically Trained Extra's personality (they're usually TheComicallySerious) is cast against type. If they have sufficient contempt for the role, they might [[HatesTheJobLovesTheLimelight Hate The Job Love The Limelight]]. If they express that contempt to the kids who love their character, it's NiceCharacterMeanActor. For extra measure, add in a ContractualObligationProject, in which the actor would not only despise the role because they feel it is beneath their talents, but also they were ''forced'' to be involved in the project.
14
15Note, while the title is made to amplify the meaning of this trope, it happens whenever someone appears in a role that is really ''far, far'' below their ability and range. It may be a very important secondary role, but it is usually a pop culture type of production.
16
17This trope is often TruthInTelevision, as even great actors [[MoneyDearBoy can't always be picky about roles]], as a side effect of skill not very often translating into popularity. This may even lead into MagnumOpusDissonance if the work they sign up for outshines the popularity of the classical works they've preferred working on. This trope, however, can be {{subverted}} by OneForTheMoneyOneForTheArt, where the actor (at least verbally) sets aside their personal feelings towards the quality of the project and uses the experience, connections, and money for projects that they would ''really'' enjoy doing.
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19There is often a strong overlap with TheatreIsTrueActing in the case of actors with a strong stage background thinking that schmaltzy on-camera acting is beneath them. Compare QuestionableCasting, AllStarCast. For ''actual'' classically trained actors, see ShakespearianActors.
20
21----
22!!Examples
23
24[[foldercontrol]]
25
26[[folder:Advertising]]
27* One of the commercials in Sprite's [[TheManIsStickingItToTheMan "Obey Your Thirst"]] campaign is based on this; we're presented with three streetwise, tough-talking street basketball players telling us that they drink (fictitious) Turbo Sport 7 -- until the director yells, "Cut!" at which point we find out that all three of them are Classically Trained Extras. Tagline: [[DisobeyThisMessage "Trust your gut, not some actor."]]
28[[/folder]]
29
30[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
31* Mr. Pricklepants in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'' takes his "role" as a toy incredibly seriously, even though it involves nothing more than not moving when humans are around, something every other toy can do with ease. The post-credits scenes feature him staging ''{{Theatre/Romeo and Juliet}}'' purely for the other toys' benefit.
32* In ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'', during the CreativeClosingCredits we see the emotions of the real-life Jangles the Clown, who laments that he spent six years in drama school to end up working as a struggling party clown.
33* Slim in ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife'' laments (dramatically, of course) that despite all his training, P. T. only ever casts him as a prop, a tree, a splinter. P. T. points out that it's [[RuleOfFunny funny, damnit.]]
34* The AnimatedOuttakes for ''WesternAnimation/BarbieAndTheMagicOfPegasus'' reveal that [[DumbMuscle Ollie the ogre]] is one of these, and he laments having to play a stereotypical brute.
35[[/folder]]
36
37[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
38* Jenna, one of the two porn actresses, from ''{{Film/Hatchet}}''. She went to NYU and is a ''serious'' actress.
39-->"I was moving to Hollywood next month to be famous, now I'm going to die out here with all of you assholes!"
40* Alexander Dane on ''Film/GalaxyQuest''. Although Alexander isn't exactly an extra -- he's the #2 star of the show -- [[IAmNotSpock he still seems miffed he's best known as Dr. Lazarus]] instead of his stage roles. It's understandable given how painfully one-dimensional his character comes off as. He learns of his importance to people [[spoiler: when an (alien) fan of his dies, and he finally says his catchphrase (which, until then, he hated) ''[[AlternateCatchphraseInflection and means it]]''.]] He acts like this even after Gwen rightfully points out that he had a character people genuinely loved, while her only real purpose on the show was to provide [[MsFanservice fan service]] and [[ShallowLoveInterest be the captain's love interest]].
41* Rob in ''Film/{{Swingers}}'' mentions having performed Shakespearean roles but finds himself auditioning for Goofy at [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Disneyland]].
42* ''Film/MalibusMostWanted'' had two well-educated, well-trained black actors who were always typecast as thugs. Ironically, they were both somewhat effeminate.
43* In the 1983 remake of ''Film/ToBeOrNotToBe'', about a Polish theatre company during [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII the war]], one of the characters complains about how Creator/MelBrooks' actor-manager "Frederick Bronski" hogs the limelight as Theatre/{{Hamlet}} doing the titular monologue whilst he is relegated to the part of second off-stage Nazi, despite being a classically trained actor.
44* Bob in ''Film/TheRealBlonde'' lands a lucrative role on a soap opera. Despite the fame and wealth, he hates the role and recites Shakespeare in his dressing room. Ironically, the actor playing Bob was a [[ActorAllusion soap opera actor himself]].
45* Parodied in ''Film/WaynesWorld2'' [[BreakingTheFourthWall when the actor playing the gas station attendant is replaced mid-scene]] by Creator/CharltonHeston. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eWsFFQP0gA His brief performance]] brings Wayne to tears.
46* ''Film/TheAmerican'' features an old man who gets shot dead within seconds of appearing at the start of the movie. That old man happens to be a Swedish actor who is not only a classically trained stage actor (they all are) but also well respected.
47* In ''Film/{{Rubber}}'', one of the extras wears a baseball cap with the words "CLASSICALLY TRAINED" on it. It's part of the movie's BreakingTheFourthWall shtick.
48[[/folder]]
49
50[[folder:Live Action TV]]
51* A ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' episode revolved around Frasier discovering his favorite Shakespearean actor as a boy was now playing Tobor the android in ''Space Patrol''. It transpires he was actually a really ''bad'' Shakespearean actor, but Frasier was too young to know. Sir Creator/DerekJacobi, who played the part, really is a classically trained actor and former RSC member. Jacobi won an acting Emmy Award for that role. As often seems to be the case, Sir Derek was clearly having the time of his life.
52* ''Series/BeakmansWorld'': Originally Lester, the guy in the rat-suit, was simply a trained actor with a bad agent, though this got played down for his [[{{Flanderization}} more disgusting qualities]] later on.
53* The sitcom ''Series/{{Cybill}}'' (1990s) was about a actress, Cybill Sheridan (played by Cybill Shepherd) who, not young any longer, only got minor roles (including voicing a singing toilet for an ad, and that was probably not her worst). She remembered her "golden age" as a scream queen, but grew to dislike the quality of her own horror movies, having done it [[MoneyDearBoy only to pay the bills]].
54* ''Series/LazyTown'': Stefán Karl was an acclaimed theater actor who performed in stage musicals along with Chekhov and Shakespeare plays. He endeared himself to many fans by stating that he took Robbie Rotten as seriously as his Shakespearean roles, which certainly shows in his performance.
55* In ''Series/SlingsAndArrows'', Ellen is a veteran Shakespearean actress who sells out by taking a lead role on a ridiculous sci-fi show.
56* Invoked in the "Gallimaufrey" episode of ''Series/{{QI}}''. Creator/PhillJupitus mimics the "kind of out of work actor they would have on ''Series/CallMyBluff'' when defining the word "grog blossom"."
57* Parodied in ''Series/TheYoungOnes'' where a postman who appears for a couple of minutes to deliver a parcel in one episode is apparently played by one of these; he [[LargeHam roars]] his two-or-so lines with the same passion and intensity he would presumably give if he was [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} playing the Dane]]. Even when he's gone, he can still be heard loudly delivering luvvie-style theatrical anecdotes backstage and generally annoying everyone present.
58* Inverted in BritCom ''Series/{{Vicious}}'', where genuinely stellar actors [[Creator/IanMcKellen Sir Ian McKellen]] and [[Creator/DerekJacobi Sir Derek Jacobi]] play two ageing hams looking back on less-than-stellar careers which inevitably involved many roles of this sort. Both knights of the British theatre gleefully play their [[SmallNameBigEgo over-egotistic and under-talented alternate personas]] for all they are worth.
59* In ''Series/GarthMarenghisDarkplace'', one of the in-universe actors, Todd Rivers, is a classically trained actor who ended up in the titular show, a terribly written and AuthorTract-filled horror/sci-fi show. He clearly (and justifiably) views the show as beneath him and as a result all his lines are either cheap and over the top or dubbed over in post. [[AllThereInTheManual The DVD commentary]] reveals that he never bothered to watch the show after making it, seeing it only as a paycheck, and when he sees it for the first time years later he's highly unimpressed.
60* Literally in the case of Sebastian in ''Series/ShakespeareAndHathawayPrivateInvestigators'' . He is a RADA trained actor, but his current acting career consists of bit parts in commercials and being an extra in Shakespeare productions.
61* ''Series/Reboot2022'': As Reed's proud of saying, he went to the Yale School of Drama, but his most famous role is on a family sitcom and he hasn't been able to rise past bit parts after his time on the show. He signs up for the revival because he thinks the script is complex and challenging.
62* When Emma Stone guest hosted ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'', she did a Digital Short titled "The Actress" where she plays a talented but down-on-her-luck actress who appears as an extra on a gay pornographic film.
63* Or in this case of ''Series/SteptoeAndSon'', leading characters. The loss of Creator/HarryHCorbett (referred to as "the English Creator/MarlonBrando" at the time he was cast as Harold) to this {{Typecasting}} has been described as one of the greatest losses to British theatre. "A Star is Born", the episode in which Harold tries his hand at stage acting (unsuccessfully, of course), could be seen as lampshading this.
64[[/folder]]
65
66[[folder:Music]]
67* The Music/WeirdAlYankovic song [[Music/{{Alpocalypse}} "Skipper Dan"]] is about a former up-and-coming, critically acclaimed actor bound for Broadway... who is stuck giving shows on the "Jungle Cruise" at Ride/{{Disneyland}}.
68[[/folder]]
69
70[[folder:Radio]]
71* In the ''Radio/CabinPressure'' episode "Cremona", Hester Macauley is understandably bitter over the fact that her stage work and more serious film roles are overshadowed by her role as the Lady of the Lake in ''Quest For Camelot''.
72-->'''Arthur:''' I'm your biggest fan!\
73'''Hester:''' Oh really? Enjoy my [[Theatre/TheOresteia Clytemnestra]], did you? My career-defining Clytemnestra at Stratford? Or perhaps you preferred my Olivier Award-winning performance in ''Theatre/ADollsHouse''? No? Maybe you're more of a film buff. \
74'''Arthur:''' Oh, ''yes!'' I really loved--\
75'''Hester:''' No, don't tell me, I'm keen to guess. ''A Light Shines Darkly''? ''Tails You Lose''? ''Fardle's Bear''? Because I hope you were't about to suggest that you're my "biggest fan" based on two miserable weeks I spent up to my bosom in pondweed filming some ridiculous fantasy dreck I only agreed to [[MoneyDearBoy because my little cat needed a dialysis machine]]!
76* Edwin Blackgaard in ''Radio/AdventuresInOdyssey'' is a classically trained actor (albeit a somewhat hammy one at times) who is stuck in a small town and decides to bring a little culture to it by opening a dinner theatre. Unfortunately for him, simple small-town folk tend to appreciate popular crowd-pleasers like ''Willy Wonka'' and ''Life With Father'' far more than listening to his drawn-out soliloquies and one-man shows. In order to make ends meet, he will begrudgingly acquiesce and put on said crowd-pleasers. Doesn't stop him from doing Shakespeare in the Park every now and then, though.
77* In one episode of ''Radio/JohnFinnemoresSouvenirProgramme'', Carrie Quinlan gets annoyed that her role in the Storyteller skit is two lines in an owl voice. "I played Ophelia!" Eventually, the Storyteller says he shot the owl.
78[[/folder]]
79
80[[folder:Theater]]
81* In the musical adaptation of ''Literature/{{Struwwelpeter}}'' (or ''Shockheaded Peter''), the "host" of the show gets increasingly frustrated as his acting talents are wasted on campy introductions of (gleefully grisly) children's songs. He actually tells the audience he's a classically trained actor and limps out as ''Theatre/RichardIII'' for a while before giving up in utter exasperation.
82* In the musical of ''Theatre/{{Drood}}'', in the ShowWithinAShow, Bazzard laments his inability to get a larger part (including having an entire song about it). [[spoiler: He is even a suspect in the murder, with his motive being wanting to increase his part.]]
83* In ''Theatre/AFunnyThingHappenedOnTheWayToTheForum'', the opening number, "Comedy Tonight," notes that the actress playing Gymnasia "plays Medea later this week." (''Forum'', of course, is set in Ancient Rome and based on a classical play, but, as the number points out, not of the stuffy or serious kind.)
84* ''Theatre/{{JB}}'' has a variation of this in the FramingDevice. Mr. Zuss and Nickles, two veteran actors, are involved with some sort of circus production and complain about being reduced to selling popcorn and balloons outside it.
85[[/folder]]
86
87[[folder:Video Games]]
88* ''[[VideoGame/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice Sam And Max]]: Situation -- Comedy'' features Philo Pennyworth, the stuck-up actor who plays the neurotic landlord, Mr. Featherly, on ''Midtown Cowboys''. Also, he's a [[IntellectualAnimal talking chicken]]. [[SubvertedTrope However]], far from thinking that his role in a critically-panned sitcom is beneath him, he believes true professionalism lies in taking any role you're given and playing it to the best of your ability. Of course, the professionalism flies out the window once the show becomes [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff a massive hit in Germany]] and he starts making some serious bank.
89* Used with a series of increasingly unfortunate twists in the first ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' game with Jack Hammer, an actor on the children's {{sentai}} show ''Steel Samurai''. [[spoiler: He was blackmailed out of a successful star career and into playing bad parts for very little pay, after accidentally killing a costar.]]
90* Claude Maginot in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto: [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity Vice City]]'' is a classically-trained actor who is incredibly peeved about how he is best known as the star of the {{sitcom}} ''Just the Five of Us'', which he calls "commercial dross." In an interview on [[Radio/GTARadio K-Chat]], he tries to steer the subject toward his interpretive dance show, ''In the Future, There Will be Robots'', and breaks down into a rant when [[DumbassDJ Amy]] keeps trying to push the subject toward his show.
91* In ''VideoGame/TheMovies'', the radio announcer for early part of the game (1920-1950) is William [=MacDuff=], a snooty, AmbiguouslyGay stage-actor-turned-newsreader who insists that [[ItWillNeverCatchOn moving pictures are just a passing phase]].
92[[/folder]]
93
94[[folder:Web Comics]]
95* ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'' [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fc01833.htm invokes]] the trope for comedy: a robot is programed with all the works of Shakespeare and has to play Jar Jar Binks from ''Franchise/StarWars'' for nearly twenty years.
96* ''Webcomic/HorsePower'', in [[https://web.archive.org/web/20130515235546/http://horsepower.emeraldcoastcomics.net/21 "Tears of a Clown"]], portrays Dupree Constance Kenshire this way. She's best known as Derpy Hooves--a cross-eyed background character from ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic''--and she's pissed that so many fans depict her as a klutzy simpleton.
97-->'''Dupree:''' I was my high school's valedictorian! I studied at Juilliard! I've performed Shakespeare at the Globe!\
98'''Audience:''' Do the line! Yeah, we want the line! Do it!\
99'''Dupree:''' ''[sigh]'' I just don't know... ''[sob]'' what went wrong...
100[[/folder]]
101
102[[folder:Western Animation]]
103* ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries'': in Harvey's magically created comic book world, Sabrina becomes Calamari Queen, a CuteMonsterGirl with the power to shoot squids out of her hands. The first time this is demonstrated, the squid gets up in a huff and grumbles "ten years at the Actors' Studio and I'm ''still'' playing squids, sheesh."
104* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'':
105** In "[[Recap/SouthParkS5E5TerranceAndPhillipBehindTheBlow Terrance and Phillip: Behind the Blow]]", Phillip quits his role on the show (doing nothing but spout inane fart jokes with Terrance) to do Shakespearean acting in Canada.
106** In a real life example, Creator/JerrySeinfeld expressed interest in doing a voice for the show and was offered the role of "Turkey #4" in "[[Recap/SouthParkS4E13HelenKellerTheMusical Helen Keller: The Musical]]". Seinfeld's agent didn't quite understand the joke and turned it down. This is a common gag on ''South Park'': Creator/HenryWinkler performed the growlings of a monster, Creator/JayLeno voiced the meows of Cartman's cat, and Creator/GeorgeClooney said "bark bark" as Stan's gay dog. Part of the reason is that the show is [[ProductionLeadTime produced SO fast]] (one episode can be scripted, animated and aired within a week) that they can't anticipate exactly what character the actor would be playing. This is only possible because all voices in the show are handled by the same five people, and their list of genuine guest actors is quite small.
107* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
108** While not trained as an actor, Sideshow Bob fits the trope perfectly, with his high culture elitism and past as a clown on Krusty's show. His replacement, Sideshow Mel, is even more over the top with his dramatic behavior, and was later upgraded to a full-blown Classically Trained Extra when he revealed to Lisa that he won the Entertainer of the Year award for playing "serious" roles, such as Biff from ''Theatre/DeathOfASalesman''. Mel also makes it perfectly clear that he is in fact not satisfied with his current role. In fact, it's suggested that Krusty [[InvokedTrope actively seeks these out]] because it encourages them to play TheComicallySerious: as he put it, "the [[PieInTheFace pie gag]]'s only funny if the sap's got dignity."
109** Bumblebee Man is actually an intelligent and dignified actor who approaches his absurd slapstick antics with professional gravitas, and moans about his situation to his wife.
110** In the episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS4E15ILoveLisa I Love Lisa]]" Lisa's LargeHam thespian classmate Rex is outraged when the part of George Washington, in the school Presidents' Day pageant, goes to Ralph Wiggum instead of him. He ends up playing a bit part, with visible resentment, as Washington's verbally-abused servant.
111* In the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short "WesternAnimation/AHamInARole", a [[FunnyAnimal canine]] [[AnimatedActors actor]] quits Warner Brothers to study Creator/WilliamShakespeare. This is part of WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck's shtick as well.
112%% * In the short-lived ''Series/GregTheBunny'', Warren the Ape was a Classically Trained Extra. To a lesser extent, Junction Jack is as well.
113* ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow''. Any episode portraying the duo as [[AnimatedActor real cartoon actors]] has Stimpy revealed to be a serious actor doing a silly role while Ren is a glory hound.
114* A recurring character in the British animated sketch show ''WesternAnimation/MonkeyDust'' is a man who can only speak in a calm, clear voice, and so mostly does voiceovers despite being a classically trained actor.
115%% * The ogre in the bloopers of ''WesternAnimation/BarbieAndTheMagicOfPegasus''.
116* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS13E19HotCrossedNutsSirUrchinAndSnailFail Sir Urchin and Snail Fail]]" revolves around the titular OneJokeFakeShow, which only has Snail Fail angering Sir Urchin by hitting him with random objects as they each say their catchphrases. Snail Fail gets bored of how StrictlyFormula the show is and launches into a monologue about the nature of the universe, which Sir Urchin is surprised by. They split up, with Snail Fail attempting an unsuccessful career as a Shakespearean actor. In the end, they reboot the show: it has Snail Fail and Sir Urchin in fancy outfits as Snail Fail gives a dramatic monologue, but then he promptly hits Sir Urchin with the prop he's holding, showing that the comedy is basically still the same.
117[[/folder]]
118
119[[folder:Real Life]]
120* Creator/{{Robert Reed|Actor}}, who really was a serious actor and had done Shakespeare in the past, reportedly hated playing Mike Brady on ''Series/TheBradyBunch'' because he felt the role was "beneath" him. This resulted in numerous disputes with producers over the course of the series, even to the point where Reed's character was written out of the series finale.
121* Similarly, in Creator/SherwoodSchwartz's previous show, ''Series/GilligansIsland'', Tina Louise, who had aspirations to do Shakespeare on stage, felt that the Ginger part was beneath her and wasn't shy about sharing that opinion with anyone else on set, severely alienating her castmates.
122* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Creator/AlecGuinness seems to have felt this way about playing Obi-Wan; in a [[http://www.businessinsider.com/alec-guinness-referred-to-star-wars-as-fairy-tale-rubbish-2013-1 letter to a friend]] at the time of filming describes the film as "fairy-tale rubbish", the dialogue worse, and his character unclear. He predicted that it would be successful (cannily negotiating a share of the profits), and considered it a well-made film, but he stipulated he wouldn't do any promotion of it and claims to have been in favour of the ObiWanMoment at least partially out of a desire not to return for a sequel.
123* While Creator/PatrickStewart was with the RSC he did a production of ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' opposite Creator/LallaWard, who at the time was playing the role of Romana in ''Series/DoctorWho'', and reportedly told her he couldn't understand why she would want to do television, and science fiction television at that, when she could be doing proper acting in a theatre. When he accepted a role in ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', he's said he only did it because he was expecting the show to be cancelled after one season so it would be a nice (and well-paid) holiday in California and then he could get back to the proper acting. He's become much more positive about television and science fiction since then, as his subsequent career shows.
124* Frank Kelly, who played Father Jack Hackett in ''Series/FatherTed'', was a trained stage actor, whose lines were limited to saying 'Drink' and 'Girls' whereas the two leads were stand-up comedians. Frank Kelly would often mutter "feckin' amateurs" during takes. One trailer purported to show the cast rehearsing their catchphrases, while Dermot Morgan addressed the viewers. At the end, Frank Kelly interrupted him in a plummy "classically-trained actor" voice.
125* Once, while hosting ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'', Sir Creator/IanMcKellen gave an opening about how Dame Creator/MaggieSmith had once gotten Creator/LaurenceOlivier to see a performance of theirs when they were in a minor stage group together, which ended up with both of them being drafted into his Shakespearean troupe, where they met "a talented young actor by the name of Creator/AnthonyHopkins." He then went on to talk about the irony that, after playing the classics, Hopkins was now famous for "[[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs eating people's faces off]]", Smith was now "that Film/HarryPotter lady", and "they've made me into [[Film/XMenFilmSeries an action]] [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings figure twice]]!"
126* Dan Lauria, famous as the father on ''Series/TheWonderYears'', is a Shakespearean actor who was initially hesitant to audition for the show, or any television show for that matter. He even went as far as to ''correct'' one of the writers at his audition, when they commented on what a ''great role'' it would be. Then the writers decided to [[ExploitedTrope take advantage of this trope]] hiring Lauria for the character of Wayne and Kevin's father, characterizing him as a [[AlwaysAChildToParent distant father]], [[ICouldaBeenAContender dissatisfied with his choices in life]], more interested in his car than in his job, [[HollywoodMidLifeCrisis facing a mid life crisis quitting his job and founding his own furniture company]].
127* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrett_Morris Garret Morris]], of ''[[Series/SaturdayNightLive SNL]]'' and ''Series/TheJamieFoxxShow'', is a Juilliard-trained singer. He sang a few times on the former, but felt he was being typecast. (When Creator/WalterMatthau hosted, he was aware of Morris's talent, and insisted he get a spot singing an opera aria perfectly straight.)
128* Creator/JohnLaurie, best known for playing TheEeyore Private Frazer on ''Series/DadsArmy'' and rather bitter about the fact as his theatrical work (which involved regular appearances alongside the likes of Creator/LaurenceOlivier, Creator/JohnGielgud, and Creator/RalphRichardson) was much less well known.
129* Creator/GemmaArterton feels this for ''Film/{{Clash of the Titans|2010}}''. She refused to sign on to [[Film/WrathOfTheTitans the sequel]], and her character, Io, got killed off. However, she rather enjoyed making ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' and ''Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime''.
130* Creator/JeffreyJones, a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic art and trained Shakespearian actor, once lamented that he was far more likely to be remembered for playing Principal Rooney in ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff'' than for playing the emperor of Austria in ''Film/{{Amadeus}}''. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor And then he was arrested for soliciting a 14 year-old boy.]]
131* World-renowned and thespian and iconic modern Shakespearean Creator/ChristopherPlummer spent the good majority of his career from the late 1970s through the 1990s appearing in schlocky [[BMovie B-movies]], along with a memorable turn as General Chang in ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry''. He doesn't seem to mind though. It doesn't hurt that he happens to be a massive Trekkie.
132* Creator/BelaLugosi considered himself to be the Hungarian Barrymore, forced to give up fame on the Budapest stage and flee to Hollywood as a refugee of the Hungarian Revolution, where his thick accent consigned him to be typecast as a villain in B (and C and D) movies. [[note]]Most of this is pure bullshit, by the way; while he actually was a member of the Hungarian National Theater he only played [[SmallNameBigEgo small roles and bit parts]].[[/note]] But he truly was a critically acclaimed stage actor before he originated his most famous role, playing Dracula in 274 performances on Broadway to rave reviews before heading west to play him in the film. Rumors that he could not act likely stem from his rival Creator/BorisKarloff, with whom he was always fighting for top billing.
133* One of the more beloved [[YouLookFamiliar recurring actors]] in ''Series/DoctorWho'' was Creator/PhilipMadoc (best remembered in ''Who'' for his star performance as GothicHorror MadScientist Mehendri Solon in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E5TheBrainOfMorbius The Brain of Morbius]]"), a classically-trained and quality actor who ended his decades-long association with the programme due to his anger over the tiny, badly-written part he got in WriterRevolt episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS16E5ThePowerOfKroll The Power of Kroll]]".
134** This was [[InvokedTrope actually the reason why]] when [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Christopher Eccleston wouldn't return to play the Ninth]], [[Creator/StevenMoffat Steven Moffat]] thought "Go big, or go home" in regards to who should play a one episode missing regeneration of the Doctor. So they got [[Creator/JohnHurt John Hurt]]. And all was well.
135* Creator/IanMcShane, a highly respected actor with a long history of prestigious roles, joined the monster hit fantasy series ''Series/GameOfThrones'' at age 73 purely for the chance to work with his old friends Creator/CharlesDance and Creator/StephenDillane. Trouble is, his disdain for the show had kept him from learning that their characters had both been killed off, and upon discovering this he came very close to walking off on the job until he figured it was only going to be one episode anyway. He promptly set about making his hatred for the show and all its fans abundantly clear in all pieces of promotion for it, including the memetic line "Get a fucking life, it's just tits and dragons."
136* Mentioned in the episode commentary of an ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' episode. The commentators joked about the awkwardness of asking classically trained and notable ''Franchise/StarTrek'' actor Creator/JohnDeLancie to play a bit character named "Agent Darkbootie".
137* {{Averted}}, with character actor Creator/RoddyMcDowall who spent the last decade of his career voicing cartoons -- notably as the villain Snowball ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain''. His costars, Creator/MauriceLaMarche and Creator/RobPaulsen have said he was the sweetest man and a joy to work with; despite being a Hollywood legend he never condescended to the material and took it just as seriously as any of films, hung out with them and would gladly answer their questions about his impressive film resume.
138* This was [[InvokedTrope deliberately invoked]] for laughs in ''Film/Deadpool2'', with [[spoiler:Creator/BradPitt]] playing a bit character who’s invisible, [[TheVoiceless totally silent]], and who [[spoiler:gets killed off about five minutes after being introduced.]] Creator/RyanReynolds has said the idea for the cameo was based entirely around asking “what’s the worst way we could totally squander having a talented, big-name Hollywood actor?”. [[spoiler:Pitt]] only did about a couple minutes of filming and photography for his appearance [[spoiler:and only actually appears in his death scene, for about ''two seconds'']]. He was paid with the bare minimum amount he was legally required to ask for and a cup of coffee delivered personally by Ryan Reynolds.
139* Quite a number of the instrumental musicians (particularly strings) on Creator/{{Motown}} records were members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. It worked out well for everybody: The musicians could pick up some extra money with an easy (for them) recording session in the middle of the day, between concerts, and the producers could be sure they were dealing with experienced professionals who wouldn't take a lot of time to get a quality take.
140* John Heard was a successful theater actor, and he was vocally unhappy about working on Film/HomeAlone1, considering the role beneath him and believing the film would flop. Upon seeing the finished product, he profusely apologized to Creator/ChrisColumbus, going so far as to do it break character before his first take to apologize on camera during shooting for [[Film/HomeAlone2LostInNewYork the sequel]].
141* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'', Creator/AlanTudyk voices a non-anthropomorphic chicken, and his lines consist solely of clucking and other chicken noises. In behind-the-scenes footage from his time in the recording booth, he jokes in between doing chicken noises about the fact that he went to Juilliard.
142* Certain ''shows'' themselves can develop a reputation for doing this in one form or another.
143** ''Series/MurderSheWrote'' was well-known for having various well-known stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood randomly appear in various one-off roles (considering the show only had one lead character and its format required multiple guest stars to be both murder victims and suspects, this meant the show had a '''lot''' of these one-shot roles to fill). These were often done at the behest of star Creator/AngelaLansbury, who would learn of her friends and compatriots being at risk of losing their Screen Actors Guild membership due to lack of work and would arrange roles for them to stay in good standing and retain their union benefits.
144** The ''Franchise/LawAndOrder'' franchise, being rather unique in American television for being filmed on location in New York City, utilizes the talent pool of Broadway more extensively than most other shows; alongside some well-known Broadway titans as regulars such as Raul Esparza on ''SVU'' and Jerry Orbach on the Mothership, well-known theater stars frequently show up at one-shot victims or suspects, and like ''Murder, She Wrote,'' these roles can frequently be to help theater actors either obtain or renew their SAG membership to work in film and television. ''SVU'' Showrunner Warren Leight stated outright his use of this trope during the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic, stating he planned to hire as many Broadway actors as he could for the show to help sustain them while the theaters were closed during quarantines.
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