A former extra star from Harry Potter films has recently opened up about how much she was paid for her brief role, shedding light on the behind-the-scenes reality of working on the iconic series.
Samantha Clinch, who played Eloise Midgen in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, revealed that, as an extra, she earned just £35 per day. With long 12-hour filming days, that worked out to only £2.91 an hour.
However, Clinch also appeared uncredited in The Prisoner of Azkaban, showing just how little extras make, even on a massive production like Harry Potter.
While sharing her story on TikTok handle @samanthaclinch, she said, “We would be called for breakfast to be in the holding area outside the set for 5am in the morning and then be leaving at rush hour, on the bus in heavy, heavy traffic.”
When she landed a named role in the fourth film, her pay bumped up to £70 per day. “Honestly, little did I know that day when I was going to set how the day would change for me and my bank account.”
Despite the low pay, she praised the series, saying: “It was genuinely the most incredible time of my life.”
“Seriously, the amount of Squares bars and iced buns we got through, minimum £15 a day, minimum,” she added.