Are you one of those people who sits down to watch TV and can pick out three or four of the faces onscreen and say where you’ve seen them before?
Well, if you are, you’ll be kicking yourself you missed this guy.
John Walker has appeared on television around 2,000 times in a total of 200 series, but his face is still unrecognisable as he’s a background staple in every show.
He started working as an extra in 1998 and has since featured in shows such as Doctor Who, Shameless and The Bill.
“To make a good extra, you have to be good at blending into the background, not making big movements and having the ability to mime rubbish with no-one knowing,” Walker told the Mirror.
Walker’s life is the TV. He even met his future wife on the set of daytime soap Doctors, and the couple have been in many other shows together.
John in Shameless…
John in Eastenders…
He once starred as a doctor in Hollyoaks, Coronation Street and Emmerdale all in the same week… and nobody noticed?
“You’re not supposed to appear on rival soaps, but I did. I’ve done so much I’m on ITV3 every day. People often say, ‘I saw you on TV last night’.”
John in The Bill…
John plays a reporter in Hollyoaks…
Despite playing a huge variety of roles, Walker chose to quit being an extra full-time last September to focus on his other job, working behind the fish counter at Tesco.
“I still do it part-time,” he said. “It is a great chance to get away from real life, have fun and see some of the superstars.
“I love seeing myself in the background of the nation’s favourite television shows.”
