Mike Fenton

Casting Director

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In his two-and-a-half hour Archive interview, Mike Fenton talks about his early years breaking into talent agencies in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He speaks about his work as the head of casting for TNL Productions, working for Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard on series including The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. He discusses at length his work as an associate producer on the adventure series I Spy, also for TNL. Fenton then talks about his work casting motion pictures including the television movie Friendly Fire and such feature films as "Young Frankenstein" and "Back to the Future." Henry Colman conducted the interview on October 1, 2003 in Tarzana, CA.

"The casting director's fondest desire would be to come up with 100% of the persona the writer has created. But if we can get to 80 or 85% I am very, very happy....Just because the writer puts it on paper, it doesn't mean that that person actually exists."

Full Interview

Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on radio shows and movies he enjoyed as a child and on his hobbies; on the first time he saw television

On working for MCA Talent Agency starting in 1958; on going to work for producer Al Ruddy; on working as a casting director at Paramount, and on deciding to make casting his career

On going to work as a casting director for Danny Thomas Productions and on working with Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard; on doing casting for The Andy Griffith Show

Chapter 2

On acting as casting director for The Andy Griffith Show and on working for Andy Griffith; on casting Gomer Pyle - U.S.M.C. and I Spy and on the duties of an associate producer; on the locations of I Spy

On working with Robert Culp and Bill Cosby on I Spy; on striking out on his own as an independent casting director

On the craft and technique of casting for television and on the Hollywood Blacklist; on the responsibilities of a casting director; on the qualities of a good casting director

On the importance of casting in television and movies, and on the casting director working with the producer; on an independent casting director obtaining clients and finding actors

Chapter 3

On the difference between an independent casting director and one that works in-house for a show; on finding actors for projects, and facing pressure to cast certain people; on the qualities he looks for in an actor

On casting Dinotopia and other mini-series or made-for-television movies; on casting pilots; on casting Vega$ with Robert Urich

On casting Friendly Fire with Carol Burnett; on casting Out on a Limb with Shirley MacLaine; on casting various made-for-television movies

Chapter 4

On casting various made-for-television movies; on the differences between casting for a cable channel and casting for a network; on casting Walter Matthau in "The Bad News Bears"

On conducting his casting sessions; on researching actors before casting them; on casting for live television, filmed television, and feature films

On stunt casting; on dealing with producers and networks in casting, and on discovering talent; on the then-current state of casting for television, and on new technologies' impact on casting

Chapter 5

On casting various classic feature films; on casting various series; on casting Michael J. Fox in "Back to the Future"

On casting Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, and Tom Hanks; on continuing working, what attracts him to a project, and his career longevity; on advice to aspiring casting directors

On how audiences have changed since he stated his career; on career highlights and regrets; on mentors in his career, and how he'd like to be remembered

Shows

Andy Griffith Show, The

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Mike Fenton on doing casting for The Andy Griffith Show

Mike Fenton on the then-current state of casting for television

02:58

Mike Fenton on advice to aspiring casting directors

01:47

Professions

Casting Director

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Mike Fenton on the craft and technique of casting for television and on the Hollywood Blacklist