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Out-Of-Work Actors Are Playing “Standardized Patients”
And the Best Patient goes to… // Illustration by Kate Walker
Professional actors are increasingly seeking new ways to get paid for their skills… including playing “standardized patients” in hospitals.
Why It Hurts: Television used to be the main driver of actor employment across the US. But the end of “Peak TV” in 2023 has meant that Hollywood is now making only about two-thirds as many shows as it once did… leaving far fewer opportunities for day players, featured extras, and background actors to make a living.
Behind The Curtain: For an out-of-work actor, being a standardized patient isn’t a bad day job.
Standardized patients play the role of various patients in hospital or classroom settings, helping train medical students to handle a range of issues and pressure-test their communication skills.
Other times, standardized patients act more like “secret shoppers.” They’re hired by hospitals to drop in anonymously on doctors and nurses to observe how they respond to different situations.
Staffing agencies have seen a significant jump in professional-actor sign-ups, per THR, especially since these gigs pay roughly $25–$30 per hour.
Final Diagnosis: For many actors, any opportunity to hone their improv skills — or work with a script and get paid for it — is a win. That’s part of the reason SAG actors are flocking to microdramas or licensing their performances to AI companies. At the end of the day, there are bills to pay.
Don’t be surprised if some of next season’s background performers on Grey’s Anatomy or The Pitt are discovered from the “standardized patient” ranks.
Prescription: With so many talented actors looking for work, more industries may begin exploring real-world simulations as a way to better train their workforce.
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.