You’ve seen Jesse Heiman before. You just might not know his name.

With 150+ film and television credits across more than 25 years, Jesse has built one of the most unique careers in Hollywood and become one of the most recognizable background actors ever.

On this episode of Second Team Stories, Jesse takes us from his early days trying to get experience on film sets to working regularly for five seasons on Chuck and becoming a familiar face across countless movies and television shows.

Then a fan-made video dubbing him the “World’s Greatest Extra” went viral. After 11 years of background work, it helped Jesse accomplish one of the goals he set when he first moved to Los Angeles: appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

And somehow, his story gets even crazier.

Jesse takes us behind the scenes of his unforgettable GoDaddy Super Bowl commercial with Bar Refaeli, starting with an audition that involved kissing a blow-up doll and ending with a commercial millions of people were talking about.

We also talk about the reality of making a career out of background work, what he’s learned from more than two decades on set, why background actors are essential to creating the world you see on screen, and the advice he’d give anyone trying to make their way in the industry.

25+ years. 150+ credits. Five seasons on Chuck. A viral video. Jay Leno. And one VERY memorable Super Bowl commercial.

This is the story of Jesse Heiman.

🎙️ Second Team Stories — Episode 4

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#JesseHeiman #SecondTeamStories #BackgroundActor #WorldsGreatestExtra #Chuckt #GoDaddy

In Episode 3 of Second Team Stories, I sit down with Assistant Director and filmmaker Anastasia Folorunso to break down the controlled chaos behind film and television production.

Anastasia takes us inside the AD department, from working directly with background actors and bringing the director’s vision to life to solving the constant problems that come with keeping a set moving.

But her story doesn’t stop on set.

Anastasia also found a way to combine her filmmaking experience with her love of tennis, creating Offseason, a documentary series following rising American tennis players, and building Ground Pass, her tennis media platform and podcast.

From managing film sets to carving out her own lane in the tennis world, this episode is about adapting, making things happen, and taking your career in directions you never expected.

🎙️ Second Team Stories — Episode 3: Anastasia Folorunso

Rob Stats has spent nearly two decades working across background, stand-in, acting and stunt work, and he’s got the stories to prove it.

In Episode 2 of Second Team Stories, Rob breaks down the dos and don’ts of background work, set etiquette, what makes a great stand-in, and the lessons he’s learned from years of watching incredible actors work up close.

We also get into his stunt career, including his memorable role as the naked guy in Hustlers, and how he eventually became known throughout the New York stunt community as the go-to guy for nude stunts.

In the first episode of Second Team Stories, I sit down with Assistant Director and filmmaker Eddie Griffith to talk about the world of background acting, casting, and production from an AD’s perspective.Eddie shares his journey from starting as a PA to becoming an Assistant Director and filmmaker, what an AD actually does, how the AD and background casting departments work together, and why background actors play a bigger role in storytelling than many people realize.We also talk about his evolution as a filmmaker and the journey that took @baldyfilm all the way to Cannes.Plus, plenty of behind-the-scenes stories from years spent working on set.🎬 Second Team Stories shines a light on the people behind the scenes who help bring film and television to life.

Second Team Stories goes behind the camera to spotlight the people who bring film and television to life but rarely get their names on the poster.

Hosted by background casting director Jeff Woolf, the show features candid conversations with background actors, ADs, casting directors, stunt performers, filmmakers and crew about what really happens on set, the strange realities of working in entertainment, and the overlooked work that makes the worlds on screen feel real.

Everybody knows the stars. Second Team Stories is about everybody else.