It’s an entry into the business.

To get into the union, you have to meet certain minimum work durations. To get those, you often have to build up contacts and a history as a reliable extra. So a one day shoot as a corpse can lead to the three day shoot as a background performer. Or, in some cases, it may be enough to give you the three days.

Since the usual procedurals (csi, l&o, what have you) are shooting scenes with corpses pretty much every episode (with svu being less frequent), it’s a solid chance to get an in.

Because lying still on the ground or on a table is easier than actually having to act and you still get to say you were on TV.

It’s bottom-rung work in the field. There’s constant requirement for new faces while being a recognisable brand to put on the ol’ resumé.

They do? Is this a subject of conversation lately that I missed?

Do they?