Lynn Stalmaster

In his three-and-a-half-hour interview, Lynn Stalmaster (1927-2021) talks about his early years as an actor and how he transitioned into becoming a casting director. He describes his early career, and casting shows including Gunsmoke, NBC Matinee Theater, The Twilight Zone, and The Untouchables. He discusses network involvement in the casting process, and the particular challenges of casting for each genre, including Westerns, comedies, dramas, and made-for-television movies. Stalmaster speaks of casting many television series in the 1960s and '70s including Hogan’s Heroes; Welcome Back, Kotter; and Hey Landlord!, as well as the made-for-television movies The Entertainers, Katherine, The Executioners Song, and Get Smart Again. He goes into detail about casting the smash hit miniseries Roots in 1977, and The Thorn Birds in 1983. He concludes with advice for both aspiring casting directors and for actors appearing in front of casting directors. Karen Herman conducted the interview on November 15, 2002 in Century City, CA.