No Small Roles: Smoking Man

SAG television casting used to utilize three tiers of on-camera performers: Guest Stars, Co-Stars and Featured roles.  Around 2005, changes to the hiring structure for Guest Stars (see below) effectively reduced the number of Guest Stars roles that were available to actors.  Subsequent to the ratification of the 2005 contract, many multi-day roles that prior to 2005 would have been Guest Stars became multi-day Co-Stars.  Featured billing has effectively been deprecated.  Yet, even in 2025 actors are gaslighting each other over the importance and frequency of Guest Star bookings. "There's no such thing as a small role." oft-quoted and rarely practiced.  Their loss, your gain.

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."  The original quote is attributed to philosopher George Santayana, who wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it".

In the event that you've been living under a rock, The X Files was a 1990s era FOX drama dealing with the paranormal.  The show was primarily shot in and around Vancouver, Canada.  The series is available in its entirety on Disney+ which will allow you to "determine the truth" (the truth is out there) about what Mrs. Waddlesworth is telling you about having a LOOK, the value of Co-Star roles and other mitigations to delusional thinking which plague aspiring and especially younger (20something) actors.

RESEARCH PROJECT:  Watch the first 9 or 10 episodes of The X Files.  Any time an actress who "does not have a look" appears as a Co-Star or is Featured in an episode, bookmark their IMDb profile.  Ignore the Guest Stars since they are typically highly credited actors flown in from Los Angeles or New York. Study the trajectory of their career over the subsequent 20 year period (ending 2013).  How did things turn out for them?  Then, try to determine if "old age gave them a look."  How did that affect the amount of work they booked?  Try to learn from their naivety (read: mistakes).

"History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes." - Mark Twain 

End credits "card" from pilot episode of "The X Files" (Sep 10, 1993).  Co-Star billing.

Featured roles. "Smoking Man" is a non-speaking role in the Pilot.  

Evaluate career of William B. Davis who most definitely has the look of a weathered chain-smoker. This seemingly "small" non-speaking role in the pilot episode evolved into 40+ episodes plus an appearance in the 1998 feature film "The X Files" and arguably turned William B. Davis into a science fiction "name."  Compare to actors from the first 10 episodes who did not have a look.

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The 2005 TV/Theatrical Agreement Contract Period: July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2008 During the negotiations for the 2005 contract, the 3-Day Television Contract was officially eliminated from the Screen Actors Guild codified basic agreement. Prior to this agreement, producers utilized a "3-Day Guarantee." This was highly popular for Guest Stars who had a significant amount of dialogue or scenes but were not needed for the entire 5-day production week. It allowed production to secure a "Major Role" actor for a set rate that was higher than a daily rate but lower than a full weekly guarantee. Why it was Eliminated The elimination was a concession made during negotiations with the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers). The Trade-off: In exchange for eliminating the 3-day contract, SAG negotiators secured increases in the "Money Break" figures and contributions to the Health & Pension plans. The "Major Role" Definition: Before 2005, a "Major Role" was defined as a performer hired for 3 days or more. When the 3-day contract was eliminated, the definition of a "Major Role" (Guest Star) shifted. The Current Impact on Guest Stars Because the 3-day option no longer exists in the standard basic agreement, the hiring structure for Guest Stars became binary: Day Performer (Daily Contract): The actor is hired for 1 or 2 days. They are paid a daily rate. Weekly Performer: As soon as the actor is needed for 3 days, it often becomes more cost-effective (or contractually required) to hire them on a Weekly Contract. Small Guest Stars are difficult to get because of the risk in the casting office associated with booking 1-Day Guest Star roles.  If such a role happens to require more than one-day of principal photography, the union rules effectively demand that the talent be upgraded to an 8-Day guarantee (Top of Show).  Which causes the cast budget to balloon by $9000.00 (approx).  Thus, to avoid this risk, the talent is booked as a Co-Star and can be hired for exactly the number of days needed at Scale+10 per day.