Being the blonde on the beach

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I know that much of why we are drawn to “Hawaii Five-0” has a lot to do with the look of the show, and for that matter, the good-looking people on the show. All those tanned, gorgeous, shirtless bodies, and the beautiful women in bikinis—and I’m not just talking about McG and Kono, though they count too. I’m also talking about all the background players who look terrific walking around and lounging on Waikiki Beach as well as sitting in restaurants and running away from yakuza gunmen.

Which is why it is not surprising that when you meet someone as beautiful and striking as Sarah Katherine Miller, you’re not surprised that she has been an extra on several episodes of “Hawaii Five-0” including being a “Bikini girl” in several episodes, namely “Ke Kinohi” during the scene where the Yakuza tried to kill McG on Waikiki Beach, and in the Tiki’s bar scene and in pool shots at the Aston Waikiki during “Powa Maka Moana.” She also played a patron at the Tropics Bar and Grill in the famous “Blue Hawaiian” scene with Kala Alexander, McG, and Danno, and a pedestrian on Queen Street when Kono and Chin pull over a car to look for weapons in “Ko’olauloa.” She is tall and lovely and as sweet as she looks. And as someone who has cast extras before, if the daily call sheet asked for “a blonde on the beach,” she would be the first call I made.

Quick side note: Call time is what the television and film productions use to tell actors when they have to be on set in order to get into make-up, costume, and to get ready for filming. Call time is usually at least two hours before shooting begins (depending on how much make-up or costuming is needed). A call sheet is what the production crew gets toward the end of the shooting day and it basically tells everyone who is expected to be on set the following day, what scenes will be shot, what locations will be used, what time the crew needs to be on set, what time actors and extras need to be on set, and meal times. For extras casting, it is a very important sheet because it tells us what kinds of people we need to cast for the following day. That’s what makes extras casting so hectic—not only do you have to be working on set running the extras, but you also have to cast the following day while shooting is going on. If you’re lucky, you’ll get the call sheet early in the day, but I’ve actually starting casting extras at 10:00 at night for a 6 am call time the next morning.

Sarah is really a great find for Extras Casting, because she has prior experience as an extra, so she knows the drill: bring three changes of clothes, no red, black, or white, or anything with logos, she knows that the call time is very important, that she will be waiting for long periods of time, and that the day may be longer than 8 hours. Sarah was an Extra on the film Ladder 49 and on the television show “Army Wives.” Most of her experience was on “Army Wives” where she said, “it basically became a part time job. I worked almost every week and appeared in multiple episodes of Season 3, often as a waitress in the Hump Bar or as an Army wife, but even appearing once as a soldier in full gear.” She once worked for 17 hours on the “Army Wives” set, where she was in full 1940’s make-up and costume and danced nearly the entire shooting day.

Most times when you are called to be an extra, you will be asked to bring your own clothing to wear on set, or they will provide you with a costume, like in Sarah’s experience for the 1940’s scenes in “Army Wives.” Most likely, unless “Hawaii Five-0” does a flashback to Pearl Harbor during World War II, you’ll probably BYOB—bring your own bikini.