# How do movies cast ugly people?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-movies-cast-ugly-people/561412>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 21, 2010, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-movies-cast-ugly-people/561412 "2010-11-21T04:28:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-movies-cast-ugly-people/561412/41 "2010-11-24T08:20:09Z")

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I have worked frequently with an agency in the UK called ‘[[URL=“http://www.ugly.org/”]Ugly](http://www.ugly.org/)’ (_hiring_ models and actors, not as one myself, I might add).

Some of the people on their books are quirky/weird/ugly, most just look like ordinary people, which is often what you need if you’re doing an ad campaign that needs to feel real.

Have a look at the ‘specials’ section.

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**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-movies-cast-ugly-people/561412/42 "2010-11-24T09:53:21Z")

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I don’t know whether they’re currently available in the US, but a few months back I watched a series of documentaries on that agency, Ugly, from YouTube; I did find them quite interesting. As **SanVito** says, some are extremes (“the most pierced dude in the UK”), some are on the outside of the curve (“BBB waitress/dancers”), some were… the woman in soap adverts.

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**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-movies-cast-ugly-people/561412/43 "2010-11-24T09:55:07Z")

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I recognise a few of the “wee folk” from that agency. Many of those are regular actors on British TV (the dwarf Bolton Wonderers supporters who attack Max in Phoenix Nights, for instance).

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**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-movies-cast-ugly-people/561412/44 "2010-11-24T21:38:41Z")

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> [@Sailboat](#):
>
> [Danny Trejo](http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&source=imghp&biw=1024&bih=591&q=danny+trejo&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=) is also well-known for portraying hideous bad guys. He’s also made appearances on _Pit Bulls & Parolees_ when he showed up as a working volunteer to shovel snow in a freak storm, and another time when he saved a dog being abused and brought it to the shelter.

He’s a special case, though. It’s not just that he looks like a half-crazy hardass Mexican ex-con. He _is_ a half-crazy hardass Californian ex-con. Or rather, he was up until the day he got his first Hollywood gig through a scriptwriter he’d met behind the bars of San Quentin :).

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