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Most of the men and women hired to watch Bethenny were aspiring actors and actresses, and they shuffled inside only minutes before shooting began, carefully whisked down the hallway as if they were illicit items that had to be rushed through customs. A majority of them were between 18 and 30 years old, and as they were still young in their careers, they treated the gig as another clip to put on their growing reels: I recall a morning when a young lady asked me if I'd kindly point her in the direction of the green room, as if she needed to change into her costume from "human" to "audience member." These viewers filled each of the empty chairs as seriously as they could, and depending how they looked (if they had a beautiful face, if they were noticeably energetic, or if they fit into an underrepresented demographic), they could be given priority seating, right in the center. Of course, nobody who actually stood outside for hours to see Bethenny was ever explicitly debriefed on the situation, though I can't say no one ever discovered what was happening.Related: These Guys Made Up a Fake Case to Get on 'Judge Judy'
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"I've always been a hustler," the pleasant and funny 48-year-old tells me at a café near Union Square. "I've never had a choice."Rivera grew up in Spanish Harlem. After his mother died when he was 11, he helped raise his younger sister, supporting her financially with many different occupations: stocking food in the grocery store, hanging up fliers for a pest control company, checking IDs at the door of a now defunct downtown club. In his 20s, he attempted to launch an acting career—he abandoned it, he claims, after a casting agent insisted his crow's feet would never allow him to go far. He lived in the same apartment for 37 years, until he sold his place following a dispute with the landlord. Rivera talks like a New Yorker, in the curt tone that almost convinces you he has it all figured out. After he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few years ago, he retired and relocated to Florida, hoping to spend his days in leisure. However, he became restless. He moved back to New York from Orlando earlier this year, and since then, he has attempted to launch the acting career he feels eluded him during his youth.On Motherboard: Amazon's 24/7 Hell Is the Future of Work
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