Everyone loves a good ‘Where are they now?’ story, and nothing is more intriguing than an actor who seemingly disappeared from the face of the planet.

In many cases, having spent time going through acting school and honing their craft, lending their talents to just one iconic role, and then diving headlong into obscurity… sometimes on purpose.

Here’s six notable examples of actors who only have one feature-length film on their IMDB profiles, and what we know about where they are now…

Dr. Peter Ostrum (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, 1971)

Through a mixture of luck and talent, Dr. Peter Ostrum landed what was to be an iconic role as Charlie Bucket in the classic Roald Dahl adaptation of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

So praised was his work as a child actor, and so successful was the movie, that he was offered a contract for three more films…which he declined.

Dr. Ostrum failed to land a few theatre roles later on in his 20s before hanging up the hat for good. For a long stretch afterward Ostrum put considerable effort into distancing himself from his one-time stardom, to such an extent even his wife didn’t know that he played Charlie Bucket—though has since done a few speaking engagements and reunion events.

Oh, and why the ‘Doctor?’ He became a qualified veterinarian in 1984, and has happily worked with horses and cows ever since.

Anne Sellors (Threads, 1984)

Anne Sellors has, quite possibly, one of the most heartbreaking IMDB profiles in the acting industry. As a result, her life and career has garnered a small amount of intrigue.

On her filmography is a single listing—a 1984 British movie entitled Threads. Nothing hugely out of the ordinary—everyone on this page shares the one-film accolade—but Sellors has literally no other listings for TV work or the like, and her only big screen appearance as an extra lists her character as “Woman Who Urinates On Herself (uncredited).”

We can’t even find a clip of her 3-second appearance in its original form.

Where she came from and what she went on to do—or even if Sellors is still alive—is unknown, though in one Reddit thread a supposed relation angrily claims that she’s still with us. More bizarre still, her IMDB profile inexplicably peaked for one week in 2010 and hers became the 6^th most popularly viewed profile.

Carrie Henn (Aliens, 1986)

When it comes to the one-and-done club, nobody quite left a mark like Carrie Henn.

Carrie will, in most likelihood, be forever remembered as Newt from Aliens, the little girl who memorably held her own alongside Sigourney Weaver and the other superb performances that had cemented the franchise at this point.

With no acting experience, Henn competed against 500 other girls for what was considered by the casting director to be the hardest role to fill.

She then went on to become a teacher, though has just recently had an addition to her IMDB profile—a sci-fi movie dubbed Triborn, coming next year if the crowdfunding campaign is successful.

Katie Jarvis (Fish Tank, 2009)

A rather strange origin story for an actress who has, to date, only got one feature under her belt—she was spotted by a talent agent while having a blazing row with her boyfriend on a train station platform. Initially, Jarvis refused to hand out her number to the agent, believing it to be some kind of ruse.

But luckily for us the agent persisted, because Katie was very well cast in 2009’s Fish Tank opposite Michael Fassbender.

Unlike the others on this list, it may be too premature to condemn the accidental actress to the one-and-done list as she has appeared in a few TV shows (and was once rumored to be in the next Star Wars), but time will tell if she’s to have another big screen outing.

Sarah Pickering (Little Dorrit, 1987)

Surrounded by a huge roster of big names (including Alec Guinness and Derek Jacobi), this two-part Charles Dickens adaptation saw an as-then unknown actress playing the title role. It was her first and only appearance on screen.

It’s unknown why her success here was not followed up with further titles, though an anonymous commenter at woldsvillage.blogspot.com claimed she is now nearing 50 and happily working as a theatrical agent in Leicestershire in the English midlands.

Britney Spears (Crossroads, 2001) 

We’ll close off with arguably the most popular—and somewhat surprising—entries into the one-and-done club.

That’s right, Britney only has one feature length movie to her name from an acting perspective… though technically also has a musical cameo in Austin Powers in Goldmember.

But we’ll overlook that. We really just wanted to get Britney Spears onto this list.

Know of any we’ve missed? We’d really like to hear of more, and definitely leave a comment if you know any extra info on the whereabouts and wellbeing of the first five entries in the above list.

[su_note]Learn more about the School of Acting at the New York Film Academy by clicking here.[/su_note]

Some actors are born great, some actors achieve greatness, and some actors have greatness thrust upon them. No matter which of the three categories you fall into, reading books about acting is an excellent way to nurture your abilities. Importantly, acting books can help with a myriad of skills including acting technique, auditioning, and self-marketing, all things that are important to any actor. Here are the top seven books that every actor should read.

1. An Actor Prepares by Constantin Stanislavski

This is the oldest book on the list and the first of the three acting books written by Mr. Stanislavski, a Russian character actor famous for his theatre work. In these pages, Stanislavski takes the reader on a trip through his system by following the experiences of a group of actors as they learn with their teacher. The result is an in-depth theory of acting that includes exercises and techniques meant to encourage imaginative and true performances. There is not a book on this list or an actor in the world who is not directly influenced by Stanislavski’s teachings in An Actor Prepares.

2. Audition by Michael Shurtleff

One irony of acting is that before you can act, you have to audition. This book by Michael Shurtlef addresses the art of auditioning from the perspective of an experienced casting director. Simple and informative, Shurtleff shares a 12-step guide with corresponding questions to help actors prep for auditions and callbacks. Some favorite techniques that emerge are “playing opposites,” “finding humor and love,” and “the moment before.”

3. Respect for Acting by Uta Hagen

Legendary actress Uta Hagen wrote a book that been a lifesaver for both theatre and film thespians. Along with practical acting advice like how to combat stage fright and how to avoid complacency when playing the same role for too long, the Tony-award winning Hagen also distills the core of acting into nine specific questions. You’ll have to read the book to see all nine and truly learn how to investigate them, but perhaps the most important question Hagen tells the reader to ask when it comes to their characters is “Who am I?”

4. Acting as a Business by Brian O’Neil

After you book a role and become a working actor, the best thing you can do is promote yourself. This book is written by a former talent agent and walks aspiring actors through the process of self-marketing as well as finding an agent to represent you. O’Neil writes updates to his book every few years and the most recent edition includes tips for how to use the internet as a tool and details recent trends in the entertainment industry.

5. Sanford Meisner on Acting by Sanford Meisner

Sanford Meisner is considered by many to be the best acting teacher ever and his technique is up there as one of the most practiced techniques among professionals. Regardless of the technique you prefer, this book offers insights and exercises as the reader follows a group of actors studying under Meisner. His famous quote pretty much encapsulates the tone of his writing: “Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.”

6. Improvisation for the Theatre by Viola Spolin

Improvisation has become a core tenet for modern acting (and the modern comedy scene) and can find its roots in the innovative theatre work developed by actress Viola Spolin. The acting exercises she called “Theatre Games” later became the basis for modern improvisation in acting, and Spolin explains the process in her seminal book, Improvisation for the Theatre. Learn how to act in the moment without a safety net with Spolin’s lessons and exercises she lays out in her book.

7. The Intent to Live by Larry Moss

“I call this book The Intent to Live because great actors don’t seem to be acting, they seem to be actually living,” Larry Moss said. He is a highly-regarded acting teacher of recent times, having instructed hundreds, most noticeably Hillary Swank, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Justin Timberlake. He is a sort of contemporary master of acting instruction, like Stanislavski and Meisner in their times, making his book especially vital to the modern actor. He stresses preparation and script work and offers insights into developing characters and tackling difficult roles.

Acting is a skill that can be learned through education. For the actor that is interested in achieving greatness, any of the above titles is an ideal place to start. Once an actor masters their technique on camera and in auditions and realizes the power of marketing, greatness will eventually be thrust upon them.

Immerse yourself in the world of film and acting with our 3-Week Acting for Film workshop. Students will gain hands-on experience and learn the necessary skills to deliver a moving performance in front of a camera. Visit our 3-Week Acting for Film Workshop page to get started.

Before they were pulling down millions of dollars and working with the finest directors in the world, George Clooney, Channing Tatum, and Renee Zellwegger worked as extras. They had roles like, “Girl in Blue Truck” or “Pizza Delivery Boy,” and that was if they were lucky. Sometimes extras don’t even have a title, they are simply parked in the background to add a sense of reality to a scene. Even though background work certainly doesn’t guarantee you will go from “Partygoer” to playing Tyler Durden like Brad Pitt did, there are valuable lessons to be learned by working as an extra.

Reasons to Do Background Work

Everyone has to start somewhere and for actors with little or no experience on a movie or television set or for those fresh out of acting school, extra work is a great way to see how a set is run. This is especially true of professional sets which can be chaotic at times and run with a strict hierarchy of authority. As an extra you can learn the ropes so to speak, just by viewing and experiencing the atmosphere of a set.

Another benefit of background work is the networking that can take place. On set, you will come across actors, writers, and producers in a professional setting and in the entertainment industry, being seen is usually a good thing. Extras always have down time on set to chat up cast and crew and build connections that could lead to long-term friendships or work relationships.

Thirdly, extras get paid. Although the check is a pittance compared to what speaking actors earn, every little bit helps when you are an aspiring actor. Plus, it is possible that you will land a regular extra role that calls you back time and time again.

Finally, the dream of all extras is to be promoted to a speaking part. Even one line in a TV show or feature film can launch a career and the only way to get a part this way is to be on set.

Tips for Extras on Set

 Most of these tips go without saying but here is a quick checklist of things to do as an extra:

• Be on time
• Be polite
• Follow directions
• Be patient
• Watch the lead actors prepare and perform
• Do not draw attention to yourself

Remember, you aren’t the star yet. Be invisible on camera and polite to everyone around you. They are there for the same reasons that you are.

Extras Aren’t Actors

There is a rabid fear among some actors that extra work will somehow ruin their budding career or that they will be pigeon-holed into background work forever. The odds of that happening are slim to none and here’s why. There are two separate casting directors for speaking roles and background extras. One holds auditions and casts based on those, the other most likely casts based on headshots, and they don’t collaborate. So, it is unlikely that you will be denied work because casting directors recognize you as an extra unless you tell them or advertise your extra work on a resume. (Both of which you shouldn’t do).

Don’t do extra work because it will get you famous. Do extra work because you want to learn more about your craft. Use your time on set to learn everything you can from the speaking actors and the other industry pros on set. Get on set as an extra a few times, then use your experience to grow as an actor and move on to focusing on landing a higher paying role in your next audition. The background will always be there if you need a hundred bucks to pay the rent.