Ask Lemmy

I, random internet stranger, was a featured extra on an episode of America’s Most Wanted in 1988 (I can not find the episode online though). There’s 1 for ya.

I did a fair amount of hitch hiking along the west coast last summer. A shockingly large number of people in SoCal told me about their 15 minutes of fame. One guy was one of the CGI pirates from pirates of the Caribbean 3, another had done fairly well in some game show I can't remember, but the wildest was Jake and Logan Paul's dad. North of the Sierria Nevada those stories dropped off quickly.

I got interviewed on the local news once about a visiting animal expert when I was in elementary school, best I got. I don't really remember much about it other than getting to pet a boa constrictor and the light on the camera being very bright.

I was on TV a bunch in college when I was in marching band and we'd get airtime coming into and out of commercial breaks. Does that count?

I knew a girl who was on one of those "ghost hunter" type shows, as one of the locals they interview at the beginning who tell the story of the ghost in whatever building they're investigating.

She wasn't a local, she was on vacation there wandering around and they asked her if she wanted to be on the show and then they just told her what the story was and she repeated it back to them on camera like it was some sort of local legend lol.

Not me. I'm always in the newspapers though.

I've been interviewed by local news multiple times.

I was an extra in a major motion picture, one old enough to occasionally air on TV.

I guess neither of those count, though?

I have two friends that have each been on game shows (Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!). Not a game show guy myself but maybe other people find that interesting.

This is ruling out other friends who are actors & had bit parts/cameos in random things. One of my former roommates was actually in a commercial that showed up on TV one time in our living room, that one was funny.

My best friend was on The People’s Court.

She has a small claims case against a mechanic or something. She lost, but was paid a per diem for her time that was similar to the amount she was seeking anyways. She says good things about meeting Judge Marilyn Milian.

My friend didn’t seek being put in the show, she was approached by the producers when she showed up to the courthouse. Said, “why not”.

I was on a regional kid's show as an on-screen audience member, 37 years ago, called Ramblin Rod. My life has been forever changed.

I was on a kids show as “participating audience” in the very early 90s.

Idk about statistics but I feel those were, at least for a period of time, pretty common to have locally broadcast.

Never been on tv

Don't know if that counts, but I've been interviewed for a promotional video for the LEGO company.

I mean I'm clearly in some B-roll for the great food truck race (I think that was the name). I think who you include and exclude in the definition needs work, because I've 100% been on tv as a non actor in a non news program, but it's not like I spoke to a camera or anything that would bring attention to me. (Your general question is very interesting though)

I was in the shot when the Steelers won the Superbowl in Feb 09 after that awesome touchdown. And lots of other times but I work in TV.

Once when I was in high school the local news channel installed a weather station on the school roof. They sent a camera crew and a reporter to cover the "grand opening", and I was in several shots. After the initial news report (which doesn't qualify under OP's params), they used the footage in commercials that advertised the news show.