Before They Were Stars: Tobin Bell as an Extra in “Tootsie”

Awhile back, I did a “Before They Were Stars” feature that showcased Bruce Willis and Tobin Bell sitting together as extras during the climactic courtroom scene in The Verdict. That was pretty much the story of Tobin’s acting career in the 1970s and 80s as he claims to have appeared in about thirty films as a background extra before he got his first official credited role in 1988 in Mississippi Burning. Most of his work as an extra isn’t even noticeable on camera, but you do catch a good glimpse of him during his uncredited bit as a waiter in the comedy classic, Tootsie. It’s a “blink-or-you’ll-miss it” moment, but thankfully, the poster of this video has used slow motion to showcase Tobin’s appearance and added some ominous music from Saw for good measure.