Background Artiste

James Mallabar

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Background artistes or film extras are rarely acknowledged and never credited. Although many supporting artistes complain about being treated as part of the furniture, the rewards can be great when one's image is immortalised forever within the frames of a cinema classic. In memory of my late uncle, James Huntley Mallabar, I am honoured to give this special tribute to a quiet but remarkable career as a film extra. Uncle Jim appeared in several highly acclaimed British feature films from the 1960's to the 1980's, working along side some of the greatest acting talents in movie history.

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When I was a child, my family would hear that Jim would be be 'on telly' tonight, which meant a thorough scrutiny of the TV screen in order to catch the nano second when he would appear. How cool it was to see Uncle Jim as a henchman wearing flared jeans with a machine gun, standing proud on the back of Bond villain Largo's yacht in the classic James Bond film Thunderball  (1965). 

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The 1970's was a prolific decade for the British film industry, my uncle found much work as a film extra on several Carry On  films and was often called in to Pinewood Studios. Jim appeared in Star Wars (1977) as both Stormtrooper and X-wing fighter for the rebel cause, taking his place in the 'briefing room' scene wearing the iconic orange pilot's uniform. Sadly, James Mallabar passed away in 2003, leaving an incredible legacy of unaccredited appearances in some of the most famous feature films in British cinema history. Uncle Jim's incomplete list of film titles is collated from family memory and the hand typed call sheets he kept for posterity.