A background performer is an actor who performs in the background of the main actors in a movie or theatre production. A background performer is also referred to as an extra or movie extra. Background performers usually don't have speaking roles, but instead, perform in the background to give the illusion that the scene is real life. For example, if there is a scene in a movie that takes place in a bank, the background performers may be the other customers in the bank, pretending to perform the same functions as a real-life customer would.

Some background performers or extras do have speaking roles. Movie extras with speaking roles are known as "featured extras". They may have a small speaking role, interacting with the main characters. For example, if the leading actor is in the bank scene,

he may have a brief interaction with the bank teller, where the bank teller may say, "Have a nice day, sir". That bank teller would be considered a featured extra, because she had a small speaking role.