The lurking extra or on set the “lyre player,” has a role as a small but important part as an extra in the 2016 movie Hail Caesar! You may recognize this character as a cameo, as this is played by Wayne Knight who you may remember from the show Seinfeld who plays a minor, yet memorable role of “Newman” (IMBd). There may not be much of a surprise when we find that his character in this movie also appears deceptive, devious, and not well liked. With this knowledge the audience likely stereotypes him before he has any actions in this movie. The lurking extra has two primary roles, one as an extra in a film and one as a kidnapper. His attire is a toga, and his business on the movie set is to recline with the lyre (which is an ancient string instrument). His role outside of his character in the film overlaps with his acting role and he puts something in the drink of the set while others are still getting ready. Attention is drawn to him prior to all characters arriving on set. Another extra nods at him and visually acknowledges the events occurring while remaining silent. The lurking extra gets yelled at for being in the wrong spot near the goblet and not leaning back casually with the lyre just behind the table. In the next scene, Baird Whitlock one of the main characters in the movie comes onto set in costume and has a sword strapped to his belt. As Baird walks by the lurking extra, he smacks him in the face with the tip of his sword and proceeds to drink from the goblet. This exhibits the view from a film standpoint of the actual value of extras being medial. Using the concept from Scales of presence: Bess Flowers and the Hollywood extra of “hierarchies” (Straw, 125), within the character system of this movie, the role the lurking extra plays as the lyre player is close to the bottom of such a hierarchy. Nothing happens initially when Baird drinks from the goblet and he seems relatively fine. Later he is followed by the lurking extra and another extra, where they lurk near his dressing room area. Eventually Baird Whitlock opens the door when they knock, appears unwell, passes out and then gets abducted. After they take Baird away in a vehicle, the lurking extra is not seen in the movie again. In Straw’s Introduction he addresses the notion that “film extras as ‘part of a mass effect which drags them into a vast movement, a general design of which each extra is merely a segment, a piece a mosaic, sometimes just a single point.’” (80). Similarly, the lurking extra becomes just a piece of the puzzle within the setting as well as the film in general and only is found in “one single point”. This small but important event creates a complete halt of production causing problems for many of the main characters. This includes a Communist focus group holding Baird hostage and asking for ransom. Despite his role being minor, the lurking extra makes a big impact on the direction this story takes.
Works Cited
Hail, Caesar! Ethan Coen and Joel Coen. 2016
“Wayne Knight”. IMDb. Imdb.com, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001431/
Will Straw, Introduction, Screen, Volume 52, Issue 1, Spring 2011a, Pages 78–81, https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/hjq057
Will Straw, Scales of presence: Bess Flowers and the Hollywood extra, Screen, Volume 52, Issue 1, Spring 2011b, Pages 121–127, https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/hjq061
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